Ike was pissed.

[FAB802]

His simple answer when they asked could have been no. He has absolutely no reason to be pissed at the Steelers for running their business the way they always have. He is far from the first veteran who is losing his skill set to take a cut, or extend his contract to spread out cap space. He knows he would have gotten a vet minimum type or low salary if cut, and unfortunately for him so did the Steelers. Play well this year and someone will pay him, if I were him at his age I wouldn't hold my breath. As for me I hope he has a flashback season and can actually cover someone this season.

 

[Superman]

Brett Keisel is calling Ike. Collect.

 

[Black & Gold Bleeder]

crazy thing is they asked him to take a pay cut,,, based on....? I guess his play last year... right?

THEN! The Steelers Org. does NOTHING to improve the position in the off season.. zero!

It was a bluff.

Ike will be a starting corner this year.

 

[oicu8ad]

Re: Ike was pissed.

I was pissed about 8-8 for two consecutive years.

 

[Wingman]

I think he was pissed about the pay cut. I do not recall anyone saying he was pissed at the organization. That was a big pay cut for someone who was a great player and may at this point only be good or serviceable. It would be interesting if the last years of a contract were loaded with incentives that could keep these guys around as back ups in their twilight years and let them finish their contracts out. It might also eliminate dead money in lots of cases as the signing bonus stays with the contract and does not get accelerated into the cap.

 

[bmoritz]

I've been pissed at his play the past couple of years. I understand not being happy about taking a pay cut, I won't blame him for that. And I don't know how the question was presented, so I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. It does come across a bit whiny though.

 

[thesteelcity]

I wish I could take a pay cut and still be a MULTI millionaire.

Ike, no offense, but it's a young man's game and the salary cap is a *****. Nothing personal. It's a business. Sorry.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

I wish I could take a pay cut and still be a MULTI millionaire.

Ike, no offense, but it's a young man's game and the salary cap is a *****. Nothing personal. It's a business. Sorry.

You say this now- but what happens when the next Steeler decides to hold out or not play until they redo his contract? Will you be so forgiving?

 

[Stoney]

I wish I was in a position to be mad about being paid $2.75 mil to do a job that I'm not really that good at doing anymore.

How much has he been paid over the past 11 years?

 

[thesteelcity]

You say this now- but what happens when the next Steeler decides to hold out or not play until they redo his contract? Will you be so forgiving?

we talking about a 34-year old at the end of his career or a young guy being underpaid? The Rooneys pay their guys pretty well and FAIR, and if they think you deserve a redo of their contract, they will give them fair market value to retain their services. If not, they have the right to pull their offer like they did with James Harrison.

 

[mightyguru]

Ike should be pissed...at himself for his slack play.

 

[FordFairLane]

I'd be pissed too... The NFLPA has to be the worst union in all of sports.

Dont get me wrong- I am happy as hell that he took the 'hometown discount'. But to essentially 'force' him to void the terms of his contract and take less $$ seems grimy.

I mean- just think think of all of the terrible things we say when a player disregards his contract and holds out

2.75 million... I'm not shedding any tears for him. Especially after the abuse he has taken the last two years.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Re: Ike was pissed.

I was pissed about 8-8 for two consecutive years.

Maybe you should take a pay cut?

I wish I was in a position to be mad about being paid $2.75 mil to do a job that I'm not really that good at doing anymore.

How much has he been paid over the past 11 years?

You and me both, to take a pay cut to 2.7mill. Not sure how much Ike has been paid from the STEELERS organization, but its more than enough to retire on, if managed.

Salute the nation

 

[Steelerfreak]

I don't know exactly how you could do it for every position, but this is why I think incentive-based pay would be the best all-around solution. Everyone gets some kind of base pay adjusted for how many years you have in the league, but there would be a pool of money that's doled out to everyone per game and at the end of the season.

Score a TD? Bonus check.

Make an interception or recover a fumble? Bonus check.


Sack the QB? Bonus check.

Hit a season target like 100 receptions, or 10 100-yard rushing games, or 12 sacks? Bonus check.

Make people work for their money and you'll see who has a winning attitude and who's just coasting.

About to go off topic, but how about in like 2020 all players all positions make 250k a year and if they dont like it they can be regular Americans and work a decade for that cash instead.
What fear people wont play? Bull. These guys will Even those who graduate high in their college class will be very hard pressed to find entry level jobs paying that kind of cash.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

About to go off topic, but how about in like 2020 all players all positions make 250k a year and if they dont like it they can be regular Americans and work a decade for that cash instead.
What fear people wont play? Bull. These guys will Even those who graduate high in their college class will be very hard pressed to find entry level jobs paying that kind of cash.

You do realize that Football is a very different type of career, right? 250k would be great if you could continue earning that for 20 or 30 so years. But the average football career is what- 2 or 3 years?!?

The Rooneys are better than most- but players constantly get the raw deal while the league rakes in billions.

 

[Drink IRON City]

About to go off topic, but how about in like 2020 all players all positions make 250k a year and if they dont like it they can be regular Americans and work a decade for that cash instead.
What fear people wont play? Bull. These guys will Even those who graduate high in their college class will be very hard pressed to find entry level jobs paying that kind of cash.

$250,000.00 isn't quite the right number. Some, only work a short period of time. Risk vs career ending injury, the value has to be higher. Find the magic number per position and you could be onto something. Remember though, the owners will get even more money in the pocket.


Salute the nation

 

[Litos]

$250,000.00 isn't quite the right number. Some, only work a short period of time. Risk vs career ending injury, the value has to be higher. Find the magic number per position and you could be onto something. Remember though, the owners will get even more money in the pocket.


Salute the nation

the owners are investing a shitload of money, of course they're expecting a high return rate

 

[insaniti]

You do realize that Football is a very different type of career, right? 250k would be great if you could continue earning that for 20 or 30 so years. But the average football career is what- 2 or 3 years?!?

The Rooneys are better than most- but players constantly get the raw deal while the league rakes in billions.

You show me the percentage of American's that will make 250k a year for 20+ years. Are we supposed to feel bad for football players who didn't have to pay for college, make tons of money during their careers in the NFL? Maybe they should take REAL college courses so they can work at something else they enjoy after football. Maybe they shouldn't go buy Lamborghini's with their bonus checks only to have to sell them because they blew all their money on stupid crap with nothing to show for it (I'm looking at you JeMarcus Russell, Vince Young, etc).

Ike is going into his 12th year, he has already pocketed 21m from this last contract extension alone (four years). He will still earn 23.5m of the 28m from that contract. Lets not pretend that he's struggling with finances here...

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

You show me the percentage of American's that will make 250k a year for 20+ years. Are we supposed to feel bad for football players who didn't have to pay for college, make tons of money during their careers in the NFL? Maybe they should take REAL college courses so they can work at something else they enjoy after football. Maybe they shouldn't go buy Lamborghini's with their bonus checks only to have to sell them because they blew all their money on stupid crap with nothing to show for it (I'm looking at you JeMarcus Russell, Vince Young, etc).

Ike is going into his 12th year, he has already pocketed 21m from this last contract extension alone (four years). He will still earn 23.5m of the 28m from that contract. Lets not pretend that he's struggling with finances here...

JeMarcus isnt broke, actually. Washed up? Definitely- Broke? naw. lol.

Do you realize that Ben, Antonio Brown Brady, etc. dedicate their whole life to football and being the best football player? Once that is finished, what marketable skills do they have? There are only so many coaching/announcer seats out there. For every high paid player out there there are 3x's as many that will never see a big pay day. Only to find out that their degree in secondary education or marketing, with 0 experience, means diddly sh*t in the real word. Hell, its tough enough for people to find jobs out here with real experience let alone a ball player out of the mix for the last 3/4 years.

Once again, i dont feel bad for Ike, nor is he asking you to. I do, however, feel bad for the vast majority of football players getting the 'no lube' raw deal:

Relatively low minimum salary compared to all of pro sports
No guaranteed contracts
Paying taxes in every state that you put on cleats
Paying an agent
Extremely limited time period for their highest earning power

 

[AggieSteel]

About to go off topic, but how about in like 2020 all players all positions make 250k a year and if they dont like it they can be regular Americans and work a decade for that cash instead.
What fear people wont play? Bull. These guys will Even those who graduate high in their college class will be very hard pressed to find entry level jobs paying that kind of cash.

LOL.. football isn't a dictatorship. It's collectively bargained. The 2011 season was almost canceled over the revenue share %. You honestly think these dudes would play for a flat 250k while billionaire owners collect some grotesquely high percentage of the NFL's revenue?! Wow

And here's what I don't understand. Why is there so much disdain for millionaire players vs. "regular Americans", but we'd gladly rob them to line the pockets of BILLIONAIRE owners who would kick all your mothers in the baby-makers if it meant getting a dollar out of them?

Please, spare me this "athletes should be happy to play for pennies" bullshit

 

[insaniti]

JeMarcus isnt broke, actually. Washed up? Definitely- Broke? naw. lol.

Do you realize that Ben, Antonio Brown Brady, etc. dedicate their whole life to football and being the best football player? Once that is finished, what marketable skills do they have? There are only so many coaching/announcer seats out there. For every high paid player out there there are 3x's as many that will never see a big pay day. Only to find out that their degree in secondary education or marketing, with 0 experience, means diddly sh*t in the real word. Hell, its tough enough for people to find jobs out here with real experience let alone a ball player out of the mix for the last 3/4 years.

Once again, i dont feel bad for Ike, nor is he asking you to. I do, however, feel bad for the vast majority of football players getting the 'no lube' raw deal:

Relatively low minimum salary compared to all of pro sports
No guaranteed contracts
Paying taxes in every state that you put on cleats
Paying an agent
Extremely limited time period for their highest earning power

I'm sorry, you can feel sorry for the minimum salary guys, in 2014 the minimum salary for a rookie is 420k, second year players jump to 495k, third 570k, they continue going up by their experience until year's 10+ which top out at 955k.

This is all AFTER they were given a free ride to college. Who's fault is it if they don't get a degree in something real? no lube indeed... I'd hate to be an NFL minimum salary guy, they have it so rough compared to myself or how about the millions of other Americans that didn't qualify for a full scholarship, or partial scholarship, or any scholarship. The millions that couldn't go to college at all, working their ***** off at two minimum wage jobs.

Give me $420k right now, I'd be set for the next 5-7 years...

 

[AggieSteel]

I'm sorry, you can feel sorry for the minimum salary guys, in 2014 the minimum salary for a rookie is 420k, second year players jump to 495k, third 570k, they continue going up by their experience until year's 10+ which top out at 955k.

This is all AFTER they were given a free ride to college. Who's fault is it if they don't get a degree in something real? no lube indeed... I'd hate to be an NFL minimum salary guy, they have it so rough compared to myself or how about the millions of other Americans that didn't qualify for a full scholarship, or partial scholarship, or any scholarship. The millions that couldn't go to college at all, working their ***** off at two minimum wage jobs.

Give me $420k right now, I'd be set for the next 5-7 years...

Again, spare me

The revenue the NFL brings in is monstrous, due in large part to the players on the field. If the money isn't lining the players' pockets, it's lining the owners'. It's pointless to compare professional athletes with "ordinary Americans" because they're not ordinary. The market has determined this is what the NFL is worth, and consequently, what the players are worth.

You know how the NFL gets most of its revenues? TV contracts. You're mad the players make so much more than ordinary Americans? Tell the countless millions of ordinary Americans to stop being glued to their TV's lining the players' pockets every single Thursday, Sunday, and Monday from Sept. - Jan

Buuuuuut you and I both know that's never going to happen, so those contracts are only going to get fatter and fatter over time. And it's true for every other pro sport as well. The concept of comparing athletes to ordinary Americans ship has sailed and it's never coming back. To go around saying stuff like "gimme dat dere league minimum salary and I'll stretch it for 7 years" just sounds bitter. You weren't born with the gifts these players were born with. Sorry but those be the breaks sometimes. Sometimes a bunch of kids make **** tons more money in a year than you do in your life. Life sucks. And if the same people on the **** end of the stick weren't so addicted to living vicariously through pro athletes, they wouldn't make so much. But it's a lot more fair than throwing them all 250k/year and the rest all to the owners. LOL

 

[insaniti]

Again, spare me

The revenue the NFL brings in is monstrous, due in large part to the players on the field. If the money isn't lining the players' pockets, it's lining the owners'. It's pointless to compare professional athletes with "ordinary Americans" because they're not ordinary. The market has determined this is what the NFL is worth, and consequently, what the players are worth.

You know how the NFL gets most of its revenues? TV contracts. You're mad the players make so much more than ordinary Americans? Tell the countless millions of ordinary Americans to stop being glued to their TV's lining the players' pockets every single Thursday, Sunday, and Monday from Sept. - Jan

Buuuuuut you and I both know that's never going to happen, so those contracts are only going to get fatter and fatter over time. And it's true for every other pro sport as well. The concept of comparing athletes to ordinary Americans ship has sailed and it's never coming back. To go around saying stuff like "gimme dat dere league minimum salary and I'll stretch it for 7 years" just sounds bitter. You weren't born with the gifts these players were born with. Sorry but those be the breaks sometimes. Sometimes a bunch of kids make **** tons more money in a year than you do in your life. Life sucks. And if the same people on the **** end of the stick weren't so addicted to living vicariously through pro athletes, they wouldn't make so much. But it's a lot more fair than throwing them all 250k/year and the rest all to the owners. LOL

My post wasn't a "wah, they make too much money" complaining post. It was in response to the idea that I should feel sorry if a professional athlete has to take a pay cut from 7m to 2.5m for ONE YEAR. It's not going to happen, ever. Players are making more and more each year, the minimum salaries go up every year just like the cap does. I completely understand the economics of the game, and why players make what they make, etc. But I will never feel sorry for a professional athlete being asked to take a paycut, hell I'll never feel sorry for one that has to file for bankruptcy. It's all an ego thing anyway, some can handle it... some cannot.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

I don't know exactly how you could do it for every position, but this is why I think incentive-based pay would be the best all-around solution. Everyone gets some kind of base pay adjusted for how many years you have in the league, but there would be a pool of money that's doled out to everyone per game and at the end of the season.

Score a TD? Bonus check.

Make an interception or recover a fumble? Bonus check.

Sack the QB? Bonus check.

Hit a season target like 100 receptions, or 10 100-yard rushing games, or 12 sacks? Bonus check.

Make people work for their money and you'll see who has a winning attitude and who's just coasting.

what you will create is uncoachable players who play for stats and forsake their assignments.

Hey Ike, Give James Harrison a call and ask him if he shoulda taken the ****** pay cut. He's got plenty of ******* time to answer his phone, now shut the **** up and play some football.

Joe

uh. He did. That's the point of the article.

 

[Wingman]

LOL.. football isn't a dictatorship. It's collectively bargained. The 2011 season was almost canceled over the revenue share %. You honestly think these dudes would play for a flat 250k while billionaire owners collect some grotesquely high percentage of the NFL's revenue?! Wow

And here's what I don't understand. Why is there so much disdain for millionaire players vs. "regular Americans", but we'd gladly rob them to line the pockets of BILLIONAIRE owners who would kick all your mothers in the baby-makers if it meant getting a dollar out of them?

Please, spare me this "athletes should be happy to play for pennies" bullshit

So how do you have so much information on the Billionaire owners that you can make a statement like that. Some of those folks are likely very much like you or me with one great exception, they became very successful. I would not be surprised to learn that there are some that are real ***** just like any group you wish to pick.