Doug Brown's View on Murphy Contract

[Rammer]

Player who acts as own agent has fool for client
Winnipeg Free Press
Tue 20 Feb 2007
Page: C3
Section: Sports
Byline: DOUG BROWN

THE older you get, the more you understand the value of experience in your workplace.

Take last week in the CFL for example. Two different stories unfolded that, if anything, begged for an old hand of experience to intervene.

As we all heard, the first situation was with Stanford Samuels where, ultimately -- in my opinion -- had he utilized an experienced agent, he would most likely still be on the roster of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

If anyone -- who wasn't on the phone at the time -- can say anything definitive and fair about the negotiation between the Bombers and Stanford, you could conclude that there was a misunderstanding when it came to contract language.

Well big surprise there.

Stanford may wield more knowledge about football, defensive secondaries, and the skills employed at his position than most people in the CFL, but I am pretty sure when it comes to contract negotiation -- just like me -- he isn't exactly an old hand.

The rules, language and interpretation of a standardized CFL contract is not the kind of thing you want to learn on the fly, regardless of whether you have CFLPA legal counsel Ed Molstad on speed dial or not.

I employ an agent for two reasons. One, so I don't have to negotiate on my behalf -- which keeps things from becoming personal between myself and the general manager, and two, because I am not trained in the language, rules or wording of legal documents. I consider myself to have in the employ some of the finest trained professionals in the sports industry and they charge me a whopping three per cent of my gross. Having an agent allows you to express to him or her -- in your own language -- what you want out of a contract. It is then his or her job to translate those terms into legal language and approve the agreement between you and the football club within the rules provided by the CFL.

To me, the fact that Stanford Samuels and Brendan Taman had a misunderstanding over a tabled contract is not at all surprising because in my mind, they don't even speak the same tongue. And when one person speaks the rules and legalities of contracts and league provisions and the other one doesn't, is it any wonder that things get misconstrued?

Our next example of a lack of hands-on experience comes to us from the West Coast, where CFL rookie offensive tackle Rob Murphy -- who won the lineman of the year in his first season -- is going into a gunfight with Wally Buono wielding a pea shooter and a couple of newspaper scribes in his holster (Mike Beamish of the Vancouver Sun and Lowell Ullrich of the Vancouver Province).

Murphy, who is actually a veteran of seven years in the NFL, has come out and told the world and the Vancouver Province that "I truly think I have all the leverage. I will be the proactive one. I will be giving Wally a number." Now to most people who have no experience dealing with Wally Buono, these comments may seem a little grandiose, but nothing a Lineman of the Year couldn't get away with. For those of us who have experience negotiating with Wally or who know others who have, this is about the worst thing you could ever say to the No. 2 all-time winningest coach and GM in the CFL.

Those of us that have dealt with Wally know that he can not be bullied, manipulated, leveraged or influenced by the press, fans, players, or even the hand of God. The worst thing you could ever do to a GM who consistently fields winning teams year after year after year is to infer that you are irreplaceable and can name your own price. As a man who appears to loves a challenge, Wally is just as likely to hear what you have to say, look you dead in the eye, call your bluff and cut your contract in half.

For as long as I have been in the CFL I have seen players take a pay cut in order to be on one of Buono's teams. Joe Fleming did it leaving Winnipeg, countless Stampeders did it to stay in Calgary , and it is the reason why he traded my rights away. I was a 25-year-old Canadian who had just spent four years in the NFL and he offered me somewhere in the neighbourhood of $60,000 to play for him in the CFL. If Rob Murphy wants to play hardball with someone of the negotiating calibre of Wally Buono, he better have more leverage than just being an all-star player who isn't afraid to retire. As a player entering his option year, experience tells me that Rob Murphy will either have to walk away from football altogether, or play with the cards Buono deals to him with a smile on his face.

Doug Brown, always a hard-hitting defensive lineman and frequently a hard-hitting columnist, appears Tuesdays in the Free Press.

[midwestlion]

Um. One fact is that Murphy has options. That is his leverage. Obviously he has a price in mind that will make it worth playing in Canada another year. He has leverage.

[Shi Zi Mi]

Brown doesn't seem to grasp the concept that Murphy can make a great living selling real estate and IS quite willing to stay down in Florida unless his "target dollars" are met.

I don't see how this "challenges" Buono in any way.........things are very, very clear for Rob Murphy.

[Rammer]

Brown doesn't seem to grasp the concept that Murphy can make a great living selling real estate and IS quite willing to stay down in Florida unless his "target dollars" are met.

I don't see how this "challenges" Buono in any way.........things are very, very clear for Rob Murphy.

For Wally as well. Realistically all this article is a poor attempt to target Samuelds for leaving Brown's beloved Bombers. Attempting to use the Murphy/Buono scenario as veiled example, yet all the while neglecting that Clermont has done well for himself and saved the agent fees in his negotiations with Bouno. Scary when a player with an agenda is given a pen i which to write his views sometimes.

[Tighthead]

Don't know why he had to take the shots at L.U. and Beamish. Murphy doesn't need or have cheerleaders - his play speaks volumes.

[Rammer]

Don't know why he had to take the shots at L.U. and Beamish. Murphy doesn't need or have cheerleaders - his play speaks volumes.

It is his way of suggesting that Murphy got the MoLaward due to those two scribes selling the others on the idea of Murphy being the best OL. If I am Murphy I am coming back to the CFL just to leave a print on Brown, just so he gets firsthand knowledge on just how good Murphy is.

[hwgill]

Murphy is a damn good player, but I think Brown has a point. Now I rarely read the papers, but if it is true that Murphy has said some of those things, Brown is right, Wally won't be bullied or coerced. He'll offer Murphy what he thinks is a reasonable amount, and Murphy will take it or leave it. I can't see Wally running after Murphy begging him to come back...that ain't Wally's style. Wally would rather see Murphy quit than pay him an amount that he doesn't think Murphy is worth.

[maddeep73]

Brown doesn't seem to grasp the concept that Murphy can make a great living selling real estate and IS quite willing to stay down in Florida unless his "target dollars" are met.

And Bobby Singh could easily be mayor of Richmond.

What would you rather do, play football or sell real estate? The way I see it, old folks will still be buying condo's in Miami Dade next year. Real estate is a fine way to earn money in your 40's. Murphy has a gift, and it ain't sealing real estate deals, it's sealing blocks on the O Line.

Just as Singh negotiated hard last year (remember?) Murphy is trying to hit a homer for his last deal. Wally will hold him to a stand up triple and both sides will be fine with it. Murphy wants to come back and Wally knows it. If the real estate thing was so much fun and so lucrative he would have retired already.

[midwestlion]

Murphy wants to come back and Wally knows it. If the real estate thing was so much fun and so lucrative he would have retired already.

You are speaking to your own comment. Murphy wants to come back but at the right price. If not he'll take his business elsewhere. He supposedly turned down NFL deals as well. Pay em WALLY!

[TheLionKing]

Interesting article by Brown. Is 3% the going rate charged by agents these days ?

[Arny]

Murphy wants to come back but at the right price. If not he'll take his business elsewhere.

Not this year he won't. He'll play for B.C. or he won't play at all. Unless of course his rights are traded.

[midwestlion]

That is what I meant, take his business to Florida.

[maddeep73]

He supposedly turned down NFL deals as well.

Right, for more money than he'll get here. This shows me that he wants to play football. If cash was his only concern like he says, he would have taken NFL money or retired to real estate. This kid wants one more year, bank on it. He wants to play football, not sit on a sideline or slang condos.

[Rammer]

He supposedly turned down NFL deals as well.

Right, for more money than he'll get here. This shows me that he wants to play football. If cash was his only concern like he says, he would have taken NFL money or retired to real estate. This kid wants one more year, bank on it. He wants to play football, not sit on a sideline or slang condos.

He turned down the NFL offers due to the amount of bonus they were offereing. knowing that the NFL was looking to use him for TC fodder. Also if he did sign on, the 3 months prior to TC would be eaten up by NFL practices, a timeframe where he could make good coin selling commercial real estate. He knows the CFL is a very good fit for his post football career, in that it is only a 6 month business and not a 12 horu a day job 7 days a week during the season. So he could keep things moving his business in between practices each morning.

[midwestlion]

Right, for more money than he'll get here. This shows me that he wants to play football. If cash was his only concern like he says, he would have taken NFL money or retired to real estate. This kid wants one more year, bank on it. He wants to play football, not sit on a sideline or slang condos.

He gave his explanation on why he didnt sign with the NFL, because of the timing and his business in lossing money. I dont know the real situation but I know he should be the highest paid lineman on the team PAYEM WALLY