In truth, we get sick of this crap. One organization, or website claims an anonymous source about some behind the scenes stuff, that's generally refuted or never followed up. The former is generally appropriate and happens all the time. The latter is terribly lazy. It happens all the time, from mainstream media to one-hit wonder websites. Politics is nasty with it, sports comes in a strong second. Furthermore, it's cheap; from both the source and the site/channel. You can make up damn near anything to promote ratings/hits that would be believable enough to accept. More times than not, it's fluff from the author(s) that simply add that little bit (anonymous source with knowledge, or close to the situation) to an already "known" situation. Granted, I promote what others say (I wouldn't be doing my job providing you with all available information if I didn't). But when names aren't given, and accountability is eliminated, then it's simply five-grade girlie gossip.
Enough about all that.
Originally Adam Schefter reported that the Cincinnati Bengals wouldn't use their franchise tag on T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Schefter used a "league source". Who? A league source? Maybe an agent? Anyway.
Marvin Lewis said that Schefter's report is "untrue". Which means, knowing Lewis' history, that the report is closer to true than untrue.
Houshmandzadeh doesn't want to be tagged. You know when a divide between professional sports and blue collar workers, most of whom are losing jobs at a record pace, is when an athlete bulks at one-year salary that could reach $10 million. I highlighted that because it's just silly how much athletes are getting raises in all sports, while a 30-year old GM plant in Moraine, Ohio closed two days before Christmas.
"I've always been open to that because I've been here so long and I'm comfortable here," Houshmandzadeh said of a long-term deal. "If everything is fair, it would be done. I just want what's fair."
So do a lot of people. And being pouty because of a one-year, nearly $10 million deal, all of which guaraneted, is misplaced as hell. In truth, it's the system available to the player, so why not milk the high-salaries profession for all its worth? Any one of us would.
However, whatever you do, don't call a one-year deal worth nearly $10 million, unfair.