Thought you guys may find this interesting, BALTIMORE -- With the The NFL Players Association planning to fight Terrell Owens' trade from the 49ers to the Ravens, the receiver said Sunday he would not show up for a Ravens' physical. Owens is scheduled to report to the Ravens on Monday to take the physical. On Sunday, the receiver told WCAU-TV in Philadelphia that he would not report. The statement came after several days of maneuvering. Gene Upshaw, executive director of the players' union, said Sunday that he had informed Harold Henderson, the league's executive vice president for labor relations, of his intention to try to get the trade overturned. If the matter isn't resolved, the union will ask Stephen Burbank, who is in charge of settling collective bargaining agreement disputes, to have Owens' contract voided so he can be declared a free agent, Upshaw said. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that Henderson spoke to Upshaw about the case, but said there has been no resolution. In the interim, the Ravens likely will have a chance to rescind the trade. Since all players must pass a physical before trades are complete, the Ravens could choose to reject the trade if Owens does not take the exam, or they could waive that provision. The players' association plans to file what is known as a "special-master case" in the next few days, Upshaw told The Washington Post for Sunday's editions. A special-master case is a trial-like proceeding and differs from the usual grievance process, in which the parties present their cases to an arbitrator. Burbank would then have the power to void Owens' current deal, allowing the receiver to negotiate with any team he chose, the newspaper reported. "We think, at this point, that's the only case we can file," Upshaw said. "That's what we'll do the early part of next week. I want to talk to Harold Henderson in the early part of next week to see if there's something the parties can work out short of that proceeding. If not, that's what we'll do." The Ravens, if the trade is nullified, would have the second-round pick in the upcoming draft, which they sent to San Francisco for Owens, returned to them. At that point, Owens would also become an unrestricted free agent. The Ravens said they expect Owens to wear their uniform this season. "We made a trade that was OK'd by the NFL," Ravens spokesman Chad Steele said Sunday. "We have a valid contract with Terrell and we expect him to play for the Ravens this season." Owens failed to become a free agent when he and his agent, David Joseph, missed a Feb. 21 deadline to exercise a clause in Owens' contract that would void the final three seasons of his deal. Owens said in an interview with ESPN on Friday that he wants to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, who are desperate for No. 1 receiver. He reiterated that desire to the Philadelphia station Sunday and said he expects to be an Eagle. Owens' agent, David Joseph, did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press on Sunday. The Eagles reportedly agreed to a contract with Owens that included a signing bonus believed to be worth about $10 million and would have paid Owens more than $6 million a year. That deal was supposed to be a precursor to a trade that would have sent Owens from San Francisco to Philadelphia in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick and likely wide receiver James Thrash. Before Philadelphia could complete a trade, Owens was traded to the Ravens for a second-round pick Thursday. Under Owens' current contract, he is due to make $17.7 million in base salary over the next three seasons: $5.3 million next season, $5.9 million in 2005 and $6.5 million in 2006. The Ravens said Thursday they would try to negotiate a new deal with Owens, but those efforts have been impeded by the Eagles' proposal, according to the Post.. Upshaw refused to elaborate on the details of the union's case Sunday, but a source familiar with the proceedings told the Post that the union would concede that Joseph made a mistake by failing to file the paperwork in time to make Owens a free agent. According to the Post's sources, the union intends to argue that Owens should be declared a free agent because it had been known his intention was to leave the 49ers. League sources, however, have said the NFL considers Thursday's trade legal and a done deal, and sees no reason to overturn it. According to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the special master's decision is subject to review by U.S. District Judge David S. Doty, who over sees the CBA. Owens caught 80 passes for 1,102 yards and nine touchdowns last season -- his lowest totals since 1999. He has been selected to the last four Pro Bowls but has feuded with teammates, coaches, the 49ers' front office and the media. He has spent all eight of his NFL seasons with the 49ers, who drafted him in the third round in 1996. He and Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison are the only receivers with more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns over the past four seasons. Owens is known for a series of on-field celebrations and off-field conflicts. Two years ago, he pulled out a pen and signed a ball after scoring a touchdown in Seattle. He wasn't fined for the move but was chastised by commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who said he would be disciplined for any future stunts. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
He better hope he fails his physical, because Ray Lewis will kick his pansy ass if he shows up for camp...
The more I read about this guy the more annoyed I get at his attitude. So he and his agent screw up, but he wants the NFL to say "we'll void out your contract and let you be a Free Agent anyway". Then the prospects of that happening start looking dim so he says "just trade me". San Francisco does just that and now he whines because they didn't trade him to the team he wanted. How asinine can you get. I hope it goes to arbitration and the person hearing the case tells him to grow up and quit acting like a 5 year old jackass. And if he doesn't show up for camp I hope the team suspends him without pay, and makes him sit out until his contract runs out. It would serve him right.
Ray Lewis was begging him to come to Baltimore the whole time during the Pro Bowl. He's probably doing the same now.
guess TO thinks he is above to rules and regulations that every other player/coach/ref plays by in the NFL what a complete a-hole his agent missed a paperwork deadline, tough **** TO, you go where you are traded to, thats how it works...the Ravens have a valid 3 year contract with you Ray Lewis has already killed one f00l, he won't hesitate to smoke your ass TO
his dispute should be with the agent...sue the freaking agent for negligence. i'm sure the agent has an e&o policy, though i'm not sure what damages would be if the contract figures from Baltimore and Philly were roughly the same. but making this a union matter???? i don't understand that. no one screwed up but his agent.
sadly he will probably get his way..... just like francis not wanting to play for the grizzlies etc.. the players know that if they dont' want to be on a team all they have to do is cause a little trouble..
What an ass. Baltimore is a great city and Ravens fans are some of the most loyal and vocal in the NFL.
Francis has already stated once that he would have played in Vancouver, he played the hand he was dealt and he won. Do threads in this forum now have to turn into Francis bashing? Geesh. Did you know that Elway and Ferry did the samething? I guess you have to criticize your team's player though at every turn. I'm sorry, but I come to this forum to partly get away from the needless constant Francis bashing.
I agree with Castor, suspend his ass without pay. Given the choice between playing for the Ravens (a team that went to the playoffs last year and won the Super Bowl not long ago) and getting paid nothing for three years, I bet he would show up for his Ravens' physical lickety split.
I hate to defend ths a-hole but we all know how bad we hate to get screwed on a technicality. He told everyone and everbody he would not take the option from SF and would become a free agent. His intent was common knowledge. Aw forget it, if he wasn't an a-hole SF probably would have let himslide,
Seems to me it could have been handled much better on both sides. But the bottom line is that Owens should be in Philly. So that's the way it should go down. And funny part is everybody knows it. The Rules are put in place for fairness. And the fact of the matter is that nobody is hurt if Owens ends up in Philly... Because everbody in their right mind knows that is where he is supposed to be.
pgabriel .. I am aware of Elway and Ferry and they are also examples that the player can pretty much decide where he wants to go. I love francis and I have memorbilia of him on my desk as I type this. It wasn't meant as a criticism of owens or francis as much as just the fact that it is a shame that the unions etc are so strong that a player can pretty much choose where he wants to go. As long as they can do this and it works, I would do it as well. At least Francis made is clear that he didn't want to go to the grizz, which owens should have done before being traded to the ravens. I am a fan and a supporter of Francis, I used his name because I'm more of a basketball guy and he is the most recent player I could think of from the NBA.. (did Kobe ask to be traded from charlotte or did they trade them because they wanted to?). I apologize for bringing up his name, I don't think I have ever "bashed" him on the Rockets board. I just think you go into sports knowing that if you are undercontract you can be traded anywhere or drafted by anywhere. If you aren't willing to have your fate determined in those ways you should not go into the professionals.
"supposed" to be? why because thats where he wants to be? that doesnt make it a supposed to he is under contract with the Ravens...he doesnt show up for his physical, they can cancel the trade, sending him back to SF who can work out a deal with Philly if they want to, or Ravens can keep em... TO agreed to follow by the league rules when he took a paycheck...he doesn't get to be above to rules now that he is unhappy.. this is the type of crap that makes me HATE professional athletes now
don't tell the Ravens that's where he's "supposed to be." they have a contract which says otherwise. he's supposed to be acting in accordance with his contract.
Goof for TO. that's right I've said it. This is the NFL for goodness sakes, players get cut for contract reasons, with no penalty to the teams. I've said it before, NFL has a lot more hold outs and things of that sort because the of the fact that teams aren't bound to the players like other pro sports. So if a player aint happy, why shouldn't he cause trouble if he has the power because he knows the organization wouldn't think twice about cutting him if they find it beneficial.
I guess because the rules allow for the owners to do what they do. Rules that the Players Union agreed to, by the way. TO isn't playing by the rules. He's specifically flouting the rules. If the Players Union has a problem with the way owners behave, they need to work that out in the collective bargaining agreement. Owens doesn't get to fight the battle himself by pretending the rules don't exist during a time when he has a valid contract and the union has a valid collective bargaining agreement. But I'm sure there are punishments built into the agreement that will allow the Ravens to take action against Owens if he goes through with his attempts to fight the agreement he agreed to in the first place. And if he wants to hold out for the next three years and not get paid and not perform on the field, I suppose that's his perogotive.
