Bengals: Marvin Has Strong Words on Pollack Holdout

[traderumor]

Holdout tests Lewis creed
8-15-05, 12:40 p.m.
BY GEOFF HOBSON

GEORGETOWN, Ky. _ With David Pollack’s holdout stretching to 18 days and 20 practices Monday morning, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis had his harshest words yet for one of three unsigned first-round draft picks left in the NFL.

A visibly frustrated Lewis chose a news conference to discuss how Pollack’s holdout has flown in the face of the unselfish culture he’s created in his three seasons running the Bengals.

“I think we’ve really fought very hard to eliminate these kind of actions around here and it’s a shame that it occurred,” Lewis said. “We have other guys who have chosen to be here and we’ve eliminated selfishness that occurs. I’ve said it many times. If that’s what it comes down to, a dollar here a dollar there, they’re on the wrong football team. This football team will never, ever be guided by one guy. . .We’re not going to be compromised by one player or one person and that’s not going to change.

“That’s been important. It’s important to the guys who sit in these chairs every night that we do not change that because we believe in that,” said Lewis in a room that doubles as the team’s meeting space here at Georgetown College. “It’s been proven around the league that’s what wins.”

Lewis reiterated that he feels the club has “given in every way,” to Pollack’s agents, and “then it’s not good enough.”

Marvin, as pseudo GM, appears to be fed up with agents. He also had some strong words for Adam Kieft's agent. This one is baffling to me and all reports seem to be Pollack holding out for a comparatively small couple hundred thousand. I don't think he's making any friends anywhere in the organization by doing so, either, including his teammates. Bad start, IMO.

[Jeremy Piergallini]

Sounds as if the agents are being greedy. Good thing is that Odell looked good and Landon and Brian can man the outside. Depth is the only issue and with a position change, not sure how much he would have contributed anyway. That being said, being in camp on time would have most certainly helped him. Now, not only is he behind as far as football goes, he also is probably going to be in the doghouse for awhile.

[WMR]

He's really screwing up. You don't want to be in Marvin's doghouse on this football team.

[SunDeck]

Funny how much difference one person can make. In pre-Marvin days, this holdout would be portrayed quite differently in the media IMO.

[WMR]

SunDeck, you are SOOO right. This would be another evil Mike Brown misstep back in the day. LOL, glad those days are past. What a nightmare. (the entire situation)

[zombie-a-go-go]

In other news, P-Dub was cleared for practice Sunday.

[traderumor]

In other news, P-Dub was cleared for practice Sunday.

If he's healthy, the receiver corp is scary. The likes of Cliff Russell, Jamaal Broussard, Kevin Walter will be looking for employment elsewhere if so. And those are not players without plusses that might be good backups, but I sure wouldn't keep any of them over Kelly Washington or Tab Perry (who is prob going on the developmental squad, I'm guessing/hoping). If I had my druthers, if it comes down to one place with receivers, I keep Walter just to have a possession type receiver in the mix.

[Playadlc]

Marvin Lewis will not back down. Pollack can either go get his 7 mil, or watch football this fall on DirectTv.

[redsfan30]

This really surprises me from David Pollack. I remember seeing a piece on him and his girlfriend on SportsCenter back before the draft and I came away with an overwhelming feeling of "this really seems like a good guy".

He really seemed like he was someone who loved football and loved life. He seemed like a very morally sound person. He did not seem like someone that would hold out this long over this amount of money, but aparently he is.

He is really putting his career in jeapardy before he even steps on the field for the first time. Even if he does wind up reaching an agreement with the Bengals, he is in Marvin's doghouse....that much is evident. Will he still see signficant playing time at a new position over someone who has busted thier butt in camp from day 1? I don't know. Nobody will make out winners in this situation.

Get your butt to camp, David and earn that extra money. If you play up to your potential, you will make that money and so much more. But it's awful hard to prove your worth from your living room in Georgia.

[flyer85]

From what I have read the picks before and after Pollack got a 15% bump from the 2004 draft. The Bengals are offering only 10%. The NFL has a slotting system and an agent never wants to look bad especially by agreeing to a substandard deal(in their view) after the surrounding picks have come to terms.

At this point I wouldn't expect a solution quickly. His value to the 2005 Bengals has lessened considerably and is unlikley to be rescued at this point.

Seems to me that the Bengals have returned to their old ways of doing business, that is holding the line for a pittance(~400K) to the detriment of the team.

[traderumor]

Seems to me that the Bengals have returned to their old ways of doing business, that is holding the line for a pittance(~400K) to the detriment of the team.

While I do not consider Marvin infallible, it seems more like the agents keep on moving the target:

Lewis reiterated that he feels the club has “given in every way,” to Pollack’s agents, and “then it’s not good enough.”

Since Pollack seemed enthusiastic, it sounds to me like he's simply toeing the line with the agents giving him the "we've done this before, and you haven't, so trust us." Earlier, the agents were quoted with respect to the holdout that "the first contract is the most important one to get right." I see both sides, and I also consider the player to be holding out for a comparative pittance compared to the entire contract. But, with limited guaranteed money in NFL contracts, you'll have these squabbles, unlike baseball who must pay guys the full amount of the contract come hell or highwater.

[registerthis]

From what I have read the picks before and after Pollack got a 15% bump from the 2004 draft. The Bengals are offering only 10%. The NFL has a slotting system and an agent never wants to look bad especially by agreeing to a substandard deal(in their view) after the surrounding picks have come to terms.

At this point I wouldn't expect a solution quickly. His value to the 2005 Bengals has lessened considerably and is unlikley to be rescued at this point.

Seems to me that the Bengals have returned to their old ways of doing business, that is holding the line for a pittance(~400K) to the detriment of the team.

Seems to me like it's become a p@ssing match between management and Pollack's agent.

If, as Lewis indicates, the Bengals have given in to contract demands made by the agent, and still the deal is held up for a few hundred $'s--peanuts in professional sports--then the blame seems to rest mor eon the agent at this point than on the Bengals.

[flyer85]

It seems that there is all the talk of this being a playoff year, not getting your first pick to camp until after they will be of little help over a few hundred thousand dollars is the old Bengals way of doing business.

Training camp is almost over and 2005 is likely to be a wasted year for Pollack even if he signed today. From my point of view the prudent thing(for the long-suffering Bengals) would have been to bite the bullet and overpay instead of standing on principle while shooting yourself in the foot.

[flyer85]

If, as Lewis indicates, the Bengals have given in to contract demands made by the agent, and still the deal is held up for a few hundred $'s--peanuts in professional sports--then the blame seems to rest mor eon the agent at this point than on the Bengals.

It is a PR battle going on but make no mistake, it is the Bengals 2005 football team that will suffer the biggest hit.

[registerthis]

It is a PR battle going on but make no mistake, it is the Bengals 2005 football team that will suffer the biggest hit.

I'm not sure Pollack is the missing link between this team and a playoff birth.