An Unfair Double Standard In The NFL?

Yesterday, Drew Rosenhaus tweeted, “Why is there so much controversy when a player who out-performs his contract asks for a increased deal? NFL teams release players everyday who have several years left on their contracts. It’s an unfair double standard that teams can cut players before they finish their deal.”  There is an easy answer to that question.  The majority of Americans think that athletes are overpaid for the services they provide; however, they are more than happy to spend the money to watch those games live or pay for that extra-large HD TV that will get a lot of use each Sunday.  So most fans don’t care when an athlete gets cut by a professional team.  It’s just a part of the game.  If that same athlete asks to be compensated fairly when his performance exceeds the amount that he is paid, boo that man!

This is something that we, as agents, must accept.  Our clients will never be glorified for requesting or demanding a renegotiation of their contracts, but if they so deserve an increase in salary, then a little bit of criticism from the media and/or their organizations may be worth it.  So for the Lito Sheppards and Sheldon Browns, keep your heads up high.