Special Master ruled in favor of players, NFL upset: Fins players get to keep bonus | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Special Master ruled in favor of players, NFL upset: Fins players get to keep bonus

FinAtic8480

FinAtic8480

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The NFL took a loss this weekend.

Specifically, the Miami Dolphins management.

Which, in essence, means it a loss for the league brass.

NFL Special Master Stephen Burbank, the University of Pennsylvania law professor, ruled that the Miami Dolphins can't regain signing bonuses of $8,000 and $7,000 given to former undrafted free agent tight end Jared Bronson and offensive tackle SirVincent Rogers.

The two players quit shortly after being signed as undrafted rookie free agents.

The league made its highly opinionated announcement on its labor website.

Burbank found that the forfeiture provisions in the collective bargaining agreement prevented the NFL from "enforcement of contract promises by two rookie free agents in 2008 to repay their signing bonuses if they failed to perform."

As noted by the league, Bronson, a former Central Washington player, and Rogers, a former University of Houston player, quit after signing their deals. And Bronson didn't report to camp with Rogers quitting after five days.

"The CBA provisions on which the union relied are essentially the same as those involved in the Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress cases," the league said. "Professor Burbank ruled in favor of the NFL in the Vick case, but Judge David Doty overturned the decision. Judge Doty maintains oversight under the terms of the 1993 settlement that resulted in the current CBA system. In this most recent case, the Special Master ruled for the union based on prior interpretations of the CBA, refusing to enforce the players’ contract promises that they freely negotiated."

Here's what NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash said about the victory for the players.

“The CBA was never intended to allow players who violate their contracts, commit crimes, or quit on their teams to keep bonus money paid to them in good faith by the clubs, whether it’s $7,000 or much more,” Pash said. “This is money that should be available to rookies and veterans who actually perform, but the union has continually sought rulings that allow players who breach their contracts to take the money and run.

"The illogical and unintended consequences of these rulings are one of the many reasons why the current CBA needs to be changed. We are committed to addressing this issue in our negotiations with the NFLPA and reaching a CBA that prevents these kinds of results in the future.”

Regardless of Pash's opinion, though, the ruling is expected to stand.
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http://bit.ly/c1ofv7
 
I'm sure Stephen Ross is crying heavily. He lost $15000 to wipe his *** with.
 
In essence, this very much lessens the chances of a strike, as it will cost the owners lots more than it would've before.
 
GoonBoss said:
In essence, this very much lessens the chances of a strike, as it will cost the owners lots more than it would've before.
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I don't there is gonna be a strike, it is sounding more and more like there will be a solution.
 
its not about it not being much of a loss for Ross,its just the fact that these players swpied money they didn't earn, for SirVincent,we just paid for his college debt,and Bronson's probable drug intake for the next 7 months....its about principal....
 
MiamiDolfan85 said:
its not about it not being much of a loss for Ross,its just the fact that these players swpied money they didn't earn, for SirVincent,we just paid for his college debt,and Bronson's probable drug intake for the next 7 months....its about principal....
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But at the same time can't a team drop you Whenever? I see the principle, but there is always two sides and both should be fair.
 
A player can be dropped by a team but they keep the money that was either guaranteed to him or was paid to him in a bonus. It's a bit different when you sign a contract and get paid a bonus to sign that deal and then 5 days into your contract decide you don't want to play and quit. They did that, and they kept the bonus money. This is a very bad precedent being set here. How many more college players who don't want to go through the rigors of camp life will take the money and quit? Seriously. Imagine if you decide that because you weren't drafted your heart isn't into playing football and you decide to move on. But then you realize you can make a quick 7 or 8 grand and then quit in a week if you don't like it.

Hardly fair. It's not about the dollar amount, it's about what you agreed to do. If you don't make the team, fine, you tried, you stood up to your end of the deal and they cut you loose. This is ridiculous.
 
SRM said:
There better be. I don't know if I could deal with a whole year of threads about jerseys..
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ah I am sorry SRM I guess you didnt see the large sign hanging over Fin Heaven that says , nobody is going to hold a gun to your head to make you read those threads
only here at Fin Heaven do people complain that people complain. besides changes in jerseys wont cost you any money or cost you sleep only wild women and bad booze will do that.
 
Acefin 500 said:
ah I am sorry SRM I guess you didnt see the large sign hanging over Fin Heaven that says , nobody is going to hold a gun to your head to make you read those threads
only here at Fin Heaven do people complain that people complain. besides changes in jerseys wont cost you any money or cost you sleep only wild women and bad booze will do that.
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Hypocrite much?
 
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