Schroeder: NFL Contract Debate - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

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Have you heard the latest Salsa-dancing news?  Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz hopes he and the New York Giants can come to an understanding and re-write his contract.

This brings us back to the great contract debate.  Isn't it dirty for a star athletes to hold out, wanting more money?

Shouldn't a player abide by their word and play out their contract before re-negotiating?

Makes sense.  Unless you look at the facts.

A 5-year NFL deal is a series of 5 one-year deals.  A team can cut a player at any time and skip out on the rest of the contract.  So why cant a player hold-out and demand more money?

If we want to get mad every time a player holds out, we need to get mad every time a team cuts a player under contract.

Seriously.  Lets stop the hypocrisy.

At the same time, I need to make a few things clear.

Former NFL player Marcellus Wiley talked on ESPN Radio today about how athletes have a "shelf-life."  He pointed out that after age 30, most players are long gone from the NFL.

Wiley contends that players need to do everything they can to maximize their earnings during their playing days.

Mr. Wiley: SHUT UP!

You see, Wiley makes it sound as if a player's lifetime earnings end when NFL earnings end.

Aren't these players equipped to do more with their lives after football?

It's not as if they aren't offered a free education.  It's not as if they aren't given a prime opportunity to take broadcasting jobs.

Mr. Wiley needs to consider the fact that he HIMSELF is making money well after his playing career ended. 

Any player worth his salt can continue to make money once his playing days are over.  It's not like an NFL retiree is forced to sit on his hands and live off his earnings at age 30. 

Come on man!

Back to the contract issue though.

While I think athletes are greedy and I think their arguments are often ignorant, I still believe they should hold out for better contracts when they have out-played their current wages.

Follow Dave on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/GulfSportsDave