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Amid widespread reports that Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor will announce at a bizarrely-timed Sunday morning press conference that he wants to be traded out of Miami, agent Gary Wichard claims that no such declarations will be made.
“Nobody is demanding or threatening anything,” Wichard tells the Palm Beach Post. “He’s going to walk in, and whatever questions the media asks he will answer as he sees fit. This is an informal gathering. There will be no announcements.”
Gary, we love ya but we ain’t stupid. (Or at least we’re not that stupid.) Unless Taylor refuses to answer the questions, the answers to the questions will be the announcements. And, surely, the first question asked will be, “Do you want to be traded?”
“Do you think we have not spoken to them about the possibility of being traded?” Wichard added. “This is not a big-time story. He’s not doing this to announce he wants to be traded.”
Okay, so Taylor wants to be traded, he just doesn’t want to “announce” that he wants to be traded, presumably to preserve the box-office from Fins fans if/when Taylor is narrating that documentary on Swiss cheese production.
Regardless, Taylor wants out. The rest of it is a transparent P.R. game, and the efforts of Taylor to push his way out without looking like he’s pushing his way out is, as to those with an IQ higher than Kordell Stewart’s career passer rating, borders on the offensive.
June 1st, 2008 at 11:31 am
At this point I care less about this then I did about him being on Dancing with the Stars.
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June 1st, 2008 at 11:43 am
If you were really as smart as you claim, you would understand why he has played his hand this way. The Dolphins fried the first media salvo by saying they do not expect him back during any OTA.
The owner told the media he deserves a trade, and now he is forcing his way out? The Tuna has given him the cold shoulder and treated him like an unwanted guest.
This is how the stupid CBA is set up. He has to leverage the team by using reporters known to be player freindly to lob softball uestions and fluff peices if he does not want to get the Ocho Stinko treatment. Urlacher was publicly debacled for “holding out” of vol OTAs and workouts.
Allow players to break the “contract” by paying the cap hit plus a penalty or something. Then allow the team to match his new contract offers on the open market.
There are way too many football players with bad deals that are bound to be “unhappy” with the terms of employment.
This CBA mess is really going to be a problem if they do not seriously change the nature of the agreement to include garaunteed contracts that are not just torn up at the whim of ownership.
Shaun Alexander did not see the bulk of his “contract” make its way into his bank account, and just because Urlacher and Chad Johnson have 4 years left, does not mean they will see any of that money unless they can leverage a new bonus right now.
Free Ocho Stinko.
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June 1st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
From a life long Dolphin fan, here are my views:
1 - He has been one of the greatest Dolphin to ever play. No doubt!
2 - The Dolphin organization if the employer with JT the employee.
3 - JT is assuming that he has a hollywood career. Somone is filling his head with non sense. He does not have the charisma of “The Rock” if that is what people are telling him.
4 - Whatever direction this soap opera goes, the Dolphin Organization will still play football, while there is uncertainty for JT’s future.
As a Dolphin fan & a sports fan, I would be more than OK with the Dolphins NOT trading him. If JT decides to retire & the Fins get nothing for him, then so be it (read point 4). I am tired of the players trying to force the hand of their organization to trade them, release them or re do their contract. The response from players is that teams can cut them whenver they want. That is true. It is also true that these same players know what they are getting in to when they chose to persue a career in sports, which many of their fans would instantly trade with them in a heart beat even if it is for a day.
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June 1st, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Enough with the Jason Taylor, Pacman Jones, and Brian Urlacher … unless something besides new speculation happens…how about?
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June 1st, 2008 at 12:18 pm
dyrtydawg, Jason Taylor undoubtedly has lots of charisma and will have a fine career after football. There is zero doubt about this. And you say players force hands of the organization, implying that Taylor is forcing the Dolphins’ hands.
Actually, that was Bill Parcells’ choice.
Jason Taylor is a phenomenal football player, a first ballot Hall of Famer. Bill Parcells, though respected, is very stupid for ticking off Taylor. Parcells clearly has a lack of understanding of current culture, and Taylor would only help the Miami Dolphins, not hurt them.
Now, it might be in the Dolphins’ best interest to trade for great future talent, as the team needs to rebuild, and it’s not good to get “nothing” for Taylor, as he has to decline performance-wise at some point. But to just be disrespectful and dismissive of his Dancing with the Stars commitment — during the off season! — is troubling, and shows Parcells’ cockiness.
Taylor is right here.
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June 1st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
As a lifelong Dol-fan, I am saddened to see the JT debacle getting all ‘blowed up’ (thanks Emitt Smyth) like a a train running a stop light and hitting an Ocean Liner (man, what has happened to my IQ - is this what becomes of all PFT readers?!). With that being said, JT put his “future” career (assuming he has one, which I doubt will last beyond a couple of flops) ahead of his present one by signing on to do Dancing with the ‘Uranuses’ last December, PRIOR to Bill Parcell taking over (a show which is presently for “C List” entertainers who’s careers are all washed up - not for up and coming actors!). That was a bonehead move allowed by Cam Cameron (Man, how do our fired, previous coaches always find a way to F things up even after they are gone?!). Latest rumor has him giving up an EIGHT MILLION DOLLAR FOOTBALL SALARY for only (only??!!) FOUR AND ONE HALF MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE SALARY for this next year. He may have always planned on Hollywood (how can anyone who is lucky enough to go from the U of Akron to being a borderline Hall of Fame player in the NFL think they will continue to be lucky by being the next Will Smith/George Clooney??!!), but I think that is Pie In The Sky dreaming (or California Dreaming for the Mamas and Papas fans out there).
JT, get your head outta your anus and play out your current contract. Once this contract is done, then you can think about life after the NFL. Just because Gary Wichard is filling your head with crap, doesn’t mean you have to all of a sudden become a piece a crap (see Ocho Stinko). You have gas in the tank, you can make a difference, you can be part of the rebuilding process, you have value (if only to the dolphins at this point), but you are not INVALUABLE. Football made you into the star you are today. Do not think you are bigger than the game - ask Jim Brown, Brian Bozworth, etc about how fickle Hollywood is!
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June 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 am
Where is the Tuna? As usual, bullying and intimidating everyone he doesn’t like. He may turn the franchise around but he will not bring in a superbowl. Fact of the matter, all his superbowl success can be attributed to Belichick.
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