Gates to Report on Sunday (1 Viewer)

[BoltzNBrew]

Link

By Kevin Acee

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

2:44 p.m. August 20, 2005

SAN DIEGO – All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates will report Sunday to the Chargers, his agent said Saturday afternoon.

After a morning of negotiations between agent Andre Colona and the team, the sides were no closer in agreement on the length or monetary details of a contract, and Gates missed the team's 12:30 p.m. deadline Saturday to report.

The team promptly issued a statement saying Gates would be placed on the Roster Exempt List when he reported, which the team says means he will miss the Sept. 11 season opener against Dallas.

According to the "NFL Management Handbook," however, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue could lift the exemption sooner than the usual three games.

"Antonio and I believe (the Chargers) backed themselves into a corner," Colona said. "No one said Antonio wasn't going to report. For them to impose the Roster Exemption and say he had to miss games, they didn't have to do that.

"Our interpretation is they could call the commissioner and request he lift the roster exemption. The big issue is if Antonio reports, is San Diego going to punish its fans and Antonio and his teammates by not requesting the commissioner lift the exemption."

 

[P Boy]

"Antonio and I believe (the Chargers) backed themselves into a corner," Colona said. "No one said Antonio wasn't going to report. For them to impose the Roster Exemption and say he had to miss games, they didn't have to do that. "Our interpretation is they could call the commissioner and request he lift the roster exemption. The big issue is if Antonio reports, is San Diego going to punish its fans and Antonio and his teammates by not requesting the commissioner lift the exemption."

LOL! Welcome to the bigs kid. Now sit down & shut up, you looked pretty silly swinging so wildly & missing so badly your last time up.

 

[BoltzNBrew]

AG and Colona were trying to see if AJ was bluffing. He was not.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

AG and Colona were trying to see if AJ was bluffing. He was not.

After the Eli Manning drama, I will never assume that AJ is bluffing.

 

[Gr00vus]

AG and Colona were trying to see if AJ was bluffing. He was not.

After the Eli Manning drama, I will never assume that AJ is bluffing.

No doubt. I just hope this ends well. This agent sounds a bit sketchy to me - the Chargers backed themselves into a corner and then he tumbled like a house of cards when they did? Something aint right about that thinking junior.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

"Antonio and I believe (the Chargers) backed themselves into a corner," Colona said. "No one said Antonio wasn't going to report. For them to impose the Roster Exemption and say he had to miss games, they didn't have to do that.

Uh, okay. So why didn't Gates just report today instead of tomorrow and save himself a $24,000 game check?Kind of funny for Colona to say "They didn't have to do that" when it appears to be the only thing that's getting him into camp. Looks like they did have to do that.

 

[LHUCKS]

Gates is getting ripped off.

 

[cstu]

Gates is getting ripped off.

Yeah, but it's his decision not to sign a long-term deal. If he get injured now he'll feel like a complete fool.

 

[Babu Bhatt]

Gates is getting ripped off.

Yeah, but it's his decision not to sign a long-term deal. If he get injured now he'll feel like a complete fool.

Yea, hide the knives.

 

[Capella]

at "they didn't have to do that".who is this tool?

 

[Gr00vus]

Gates is getting ripped off.

They'll sign him to deal that's reasonable if he's open to it - I'm sure negotiations will now continue in good faith (by the Chargers at least). They just don't negotiate with people who aren't in camp. Maurille has pointed this out before.

 

[Ron the Don]

The Chargers have said they don't negotiate during the year. They did last year and called is a "special exception" or something - they made a point of saying this over and over.I do appreciate that Gates is going in now. He could have sat for 10 games and still gotten his year of service in (just like Bitc......Joey Galloway did - I still get mad at that punk).Edit: I can't tpye too well

 

[Tyrion]

Gates is getting ripped off.

Yeah, but it's his decision not to sign a long-term deal. If he get injured now he'll feel like a complete fool.

Yea, hide the knives.

I respect it. Knowing SD, I doubt they were offering him top TE money so if you believe yourself to be a top TE why accept a 5 yeard deal when you can test the market next season. SD's WRs are the worst in the league so I bet they either lift the suspension or lose the first game.

 

[Gr00vus]

I respect it. Knowing SD, I doubt they were offering him top TE money so if you believe yourself to be a top TE why accept a 5 yeard deal when you can test the market next season.

SD's WRs are the worst in the league so I bet they either lift the suspension or lose the first game.

They were offering to make him the 3rd highest paid TE in the NFL, for 6 years.He wanted less years and more money.

And their receivers are better than you think.

 

[cstu]

at "they didn't have to do that".

who is this tool?

From the Chargers board:An Andre Colona/Mike Vick timeline:

Andre Colona HAD Mike Vick in '01 going INTO the draft (after vick switched to HIM after 1st signing with Andrew Joel/Dan Kelley/Jim Kelly)

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/...22/daily25.html

Then in '03 Andrew Joel sued Octagon/Andre Colona - claiming Colona "stole" Mike Vick away from his/their agency.

http://www.prosportsgroup.com/Sport...ews/octagon.htm

Then in late '03 early '04 Mike Vick "dismissed" Octagon/Andre Colona and hired Joel Segal.

From ESPN Jan 6th '04:

>>>"Noted for his incredible change-of-direction skills, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has now transformed those abilities to his off-field dealings as well, with the three-year veteran switching agents.

Vick has retained veteran agent Joel Segal, having quietly dismissed Andre Colona of Octagon in recent weeks."<<<

Scroll down to Atlanta Falcons for the above quote:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1701722

Confused Yet??? - I Am .......... but then that's not unusual

This DOESN'T have anything to do with A.G. - but it does provide some background on his agent - Andre Colona.

As a side note, Andre Colona was the agent who represented Michael Vick. The Chargers decided they weren't going to be able to get a deal done with Vick and traded down to get Tomlinson. I don't know if the Chargers have had other dealings with Colona, but as far I can tell, they are 0 for 1 in successfully getting a major deal done with this agent.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/in..._insider_apr18/

 

[B-Deep]

I respect it. Knowing SD, I doubt they were offering him top TE money so if you believe yourself to be a top TE why accept a 5 yeard deal when you can test the market next season.

SD's WRs are the worst in the league so I bet they either lift the suspension or lose the first game.

They were offering to make him the 3rd highest paid TE in the NFL, for 6 years.He wanted less years and more money.

And their receivers are better than you think.

Got a link for the claim about being the third highest paid tight end?From what Ib heard the deal he was offered was less then gonzo's, less then Heap's, and less then K2's.

And why should he settle for the 3rd best TE contract when he just broke the NFL record for TDs in only his second year? If the Chargers let him go they'll be sorry, pony up the money and do the deal. If he signs this and performs at this level for 2 more years then he'll be underpaid and bound to 4 more years. If they want him for 6 years they have to pay him top $$$, if they want to pay less because he only has one great year then they'd better damn well give him a shorter contract. Why lock him in for 6 years if you are not convinced he's that good?

 

[Gr00vus]

Got a link for the claim about being the third highest paid tight end?

From what Ib heard the deal he was offered was less then gonzo's, less then Heap's, and less then K2's.

And why should he settle for the 3rd best TE contract when he just broke the NFL record for TDs in only his second year? If the Chargers let him go they'll be sorry, pony up the money and do the deal. If he signs this and performs at this level for 2 more years then he'll be underpaid and bound to 4 more years. If they want him for 6 years they have to pay him top $$$, if they want to pay less because he only has one great year then they'd better damn well give him a shorter contract. Why lock him in for 6 years if you are not convinced he's that good?

There's plenty of info in this other thread, according to Maurille the Chargers were offering $4 million for 5 years - I thought someone said that would put him 3rd, but 3rd/4th isn't that big a difference, I'll see if I can find another reference about it.As for the rest, people keep making the same arguments. The counter is, what if he doesn't perform at that level for the duration? From the organization's perspective you have to consider that.

 

[Ozymandias]

Got a link for the claim about being the third highest paid tight end?

From what Ib heard the deal he was offered was less then gonzo's, less then Heap's, and less then K2's.

And why should he settle for the 3rd best TE contract when he just broke the NFL record for TDs in only his second year? If the Chargers let him go they'll be sorry, pony up the money and do the deal. If he signs this and performs at this level for 2 more years then he'll be underpaid and bound to 4 more years. If they want him for 6 years they have to pay him top $$$, if they want to pay less because he only has one great year then they'd better damn well give him a shorter contract. Why lock him in for 6 years if you are not convinced he's that good?

There's plenty of info in this other thread, according to Maurille the Chargers were offering $4 million for 5 years - I thought someone said that would put him 3rd, but 3rd/4th isn't that big a difference, I'll see if I can find another reference about it.As for the rest, people keep making the same arguments. The counter is, what if he doesn't perform at that level for the duration? From the organization's perspective you have to consider that.

The people who say that he ought to get Gonzo/Heap money, are probably the same people who say the jury is still out on Drew Brees.One year doesn't make a career. All kinds of players have had one great season, and then flamed out.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Gates is getting ripped off.

Yeah, but it's his decision not to sign a long-term deal. If he get injured now he'll feel like a complete fool.

Yea, hide the knives.

I respect it. Knowing SD, I doubt they were offering him top TE money so if you believe yourself to be a top TE why accept a 5 yeard deal when you can test the market next season. SD's WRs are the worst in the league so I bet they either lift the suspension or lose the first game.

SD's WR's are not even close to worse in the league.On a side note, looks like it is getting resolved. Too bad it took a threatened suspension to get it done.

Sounds like Gates will play week 1 with the commish ruling.

 

[cstu]

Gates is getting ripped off.

Yeah, but it's his decision not to sign a long-term deal. If he get injured now he'll feel like a complete fool.

Yea, hide the knives.

I respect it. Knowing SD, I doubt they were offering him top TE money so if you believe yourself to be a top TE why accept a 5 yeard deal when you can test the market next season. SD's WRs are the worst in the league so I bet they either lift the suspension or lose the first game.

SD's WR's are not even close to worse in the league.On a side note, looks like it is getting resolved. Too bad it took a threatened suspension to get it done.

Sounds like Gates will play week 1 with the commish ruling.

I have a feeling that Gates realized that his agent was screwing him over and decided to come back so he could play. I'm still hopeful that they will come to some sort of agreement on a new contract and make Gates a Charger for a long time. I met him at last year's Fan Fest before anyone had an idea of what he would become (except those of us on the board ) and he seemed like a genuinely good guy. He's very popular with the players on the team and it's best for everyone involved to get him signed to a long-term deal that works for everyone.

 

[buck naked]

As for the rest, people keep making the same arguments. The counter is, what if he doesn't perform at that level for the duration? From the organization's perspective you have to consider that.

This is a bad argument. Have you ever seen him play? He is uncoverable with an LB. There is no way this guy is a one year wonder.

 

[Ron the Don]

This is a bad argument. Have you ever seen him play? He is uncoverable with an LB. There is no way this guy is a one year wonder.

Agreed. No one has ever gotten the money and lost their motivation.Your heavyweight champion always,

Buster Douglas

 

[Irish]

This is a bad argument. Have you ever seen him play? He is uncoverable with an LB. There is no way this guy is a one year wonder.

Agreed. No one has ever gotten the money and lost their motivation.Your heavyweight champion always,

Buster Douglas

Buster, you always had a lack of motivation. You just put it all together that night in Tokyo. Gates is the real deal. AJ is a moron.

 

[Tyrion]

This is a bad argument.  Have you ever seen him play?  He is uncoverable with an LB. There is no way this guy is a one year wonder.

Agreed. No one has ever gotten the money and lost their motivation.Your heavyweight champion always,

Buster Douglas

Buster, you always had a lack of motivation. You just put it all together that night in Tokyo. Gates is the real deal. AJ is a moron.

The man wanted a 3 year deal instead of a 5-6 year deal. Seems like a 3 year deal would motivate him more than the other since he was actually playing for a new contract. Its interesting to me how players get ripped for not signing a contract that they don't agree with and also get ripped for wanting out of bad deals when they do sign. They cant really win either way.

And if SD does not have the absolute worst wrs in the league then they are definitely neck to neck in the running. I challenge anyone to name 5 teams with a worse group of WRs.

 

[Family Matters]

Gotta think he gets in camp and the suspension goes away. I hope they get a contract worked out soon so it's not a distraction. They need each other. Is there a better match that these two needing each other?

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

The man wanted a 3 year deal instead of a 5-6 year deal. Seems like a 3 year deal would motivate him more than the other since he was actually playing for a new contract.

He's playing for a new contract now, too, and the Chargers are only paying him $380,000.Here's why a three-year deal is ridiculous from the Chargers' perspective. The Chargers already have him locked up for two years for a total of about $4.3 million. (That's $380,000 this year and less than $4 million next year by using the franchise tag on him. Alternatively, if they don't use the franchise tag, they can just match whatever qualifying offer another team gives him.)Gates wants a 3-year deal in the neighborhood of $12 million.So the Chargers could either pay him $4.3 million for two years or $12 million for three years. Do you really think Gates is worth ~$8 million just for the 2007 season alone? He's not. No tight end is worth that much. That's top-tier QB money.So the talk about a three-year deal is insane.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I have a feeling that Gates realized that his agent was screwing him over and decided to come back so he could play.

That's what the local radio station is saying. Gates told the agent that he is reporting Sunday; the agent did not tell Gates to report.I would not be surprised at all if Gates has a new agent within the next few days.

 

[BoltzNBrew]

The Latest Link

Gates gives, plans to report today

Chargers say TE will miss season opener

By Kevin Acee

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

August 21, 2005

Antonio Gates wants to cash in after his record-setting season with the Chargers.

The Chargers drew the line in the sand, and Antonio Gates has reluctantly stepped across.

He did not bow to the Chargers' demand, but he did alter his plan.

Gates is back in the fold, although his relationship with management is frayed and his actual debut is weeks away.

The All-Pro tight end did not report to camp yesterday by the Chargers' afternoon deadline, but he plans to board a plane this morning and arrive in time for the team's exhibition today at Qualcomm Stadium against the St. Louis Rams.

He will watch the game from the sideline, which is where he will apparently stay through the season opener because the team will place him on the Roster Exempt List.

Perhaps more important in the long term, it appears negotiations between him and the club have deteriorated to the point Gates is leaning toward trying to leave after the season.

"Antonio will come in and we're moving toward restricted free agency," said Andre Colona, Gates' agent. "Antonio and I have moved on. We tried to get something done. We've accepted we disagree on what market value is. We're going to play for the $380,000. We're willing to negotiate up until the first game of the season. After that, Antonio doesn't want to deal with it."

The Chargers are required to pay Gates $380,000 for 2005, the minimum for a third-year player. The sides have been discussing a multiyear contract since the middle of last season.

Colona and the Chargers have faced some complications in the negotiations because it is unprecedented that a player undrafted out of college (signed as a free agent for $7,000) would set an NFL record and become a Pro Bowler in his second year, as Gates did. Gates' 13 touchdown catches in 2004 were the most-ever by an NFL tight end.

Colona is not optimistic a contract will get done before the season, as the sides remain too far apart on the average salary, guaranteed money and length of the pact.

"We're of the opinion it's dead in the water," he said.

Gates would become a restricted free agent after the season. That means he could shop around but the Chargers will have the right to match any offer from another team. Should the Chargers choose not to match the offer, they would receive a first-and third-round draft pick as compensation.

"We can't wait until free agency," Colona said. "We believe there are teams out there that feel like we do (regarding) what Antonio's market value is."

Gates wants to be paid on par with Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez and Baltimore's Todd Heap. Gonzalez, a six-time Pro Bowler, signed a seven-year contract in 2002 that guaranteed him $10 million. Heap is entering his fifth season and has played in two Pro Bowls. He signed a six-year extension in June that guaranteed him $11 million.

Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith did not return phone messages yesterday. A team spokesman said the Chargers had not officially heard that Gates will report today.

Smith has said Gates deserves more than $380,000. But he does not think Gates deserves "Gonzalez money" because he is "a one-year player."

After a morning of negotiations, the sides were no closer in agreement on the length or monetary details of a contract, and Gates missed the team's 12:30 deadline. The team promptly issued a statement saying Gates will be placed on the Roster Exempt List when he reports, which the team and league say means he will miss the remainder of the preseason and the Sept. 11 season opener against Dallas.

NFL spokesman Steve Alic said a member of the NFL Management Council familiar with the Gates situation told him Gates cannot be activated before he spends three games on the Roster Exempt List. (Today's game does not count.)

"In this case there is no way around the three games," Alic said.

However, according to a section of the "NFL Management Handbook" viewed by the Union-Tribune, it is possible that Commissioner Paul Tagliabue could lift an exemption sooner than the three games.

"Our interpretation is they could call the commissioner and request he lift the roster exemption," Colona said. "The big issue is if Antonio reports is San Diego going to punish its fans and Antonio and his teammates by not requesting the commissioner lift the exemption."

Regardless of the team's options, even Smith acknowledged the team did not have to place Gates on the list in the first place and risk him missing any of the regular season.

"Antonio and I believe (the Chargers) backed themselves into a corner," Colona said. "No one said Antonio wasn't going to report. For them to impose the Roster Exemption and say he had to miss games, they didn't have to do that.

Placement on the Roster Exempt List is not technically a suspension, but it amounts to one in this case.

"It was an option we had," Smith said this week, explaining he did so in order "to know who our tight ends are" for the Dallas game.

"Antonio took it as a punishment," Colona said.

Still, after talks broke down yesterday, Gates and Colona decided to report sooner than what had been their early September drop-dead date.

Said Colona: "Antonio told me, 'I might as well go ahead. I need to be there for my teammates.' He respects the fans and his teammates. That really was important to him."

Gates, who caught a team-high 81 passes for 964 yards in 15 games, is important to the Chargers as well.

"He's a big part of the offense," LaDainian Tomlinson said. "We obviously need him. But it is a business first, and if Antonio's not here, we're going to have to hold the fort down until he gets back."

While Drew Brees seemed to be in denial about the magnitude of missing his favorite target, the quarterback's wait-and-see take yesterday might be the correct one.

"I don't know all the details of it so I'm not worried about it right now," Brees said. "Ask me in four weeks."

It won't take that long to sort out. But stay tuned.

 

[buck naked]

This is a bad argument.  Have you ever seen him play?  He is uncoverable with an LB. There is no way this guy is a one year wonder.

Agreed. No one has ever gotten the money and lost their motivation.Your heavyweight champion always,

Buster Douglas

Try to stay on topic. I'm talking about him being uncoverable, talented, and not a one-year wonder. You apparently are talking about motivation after signing a contract.Gates is and will be a stud. He set records last year in only his 2nd season. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE ACTUALLY GETS A FEW YEARS EXPERIENCE?

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Team had the leverage and exercised its muscle

Tim Sullivan

August 21, 2005

Make no mistake: Antonio Gates has blinked.

If the holdout tight end reports to the Chargers today, as his agent has promised, he will be closer to crawling than to crowing.

He has not scored the $10 million in guarantees he had sought. He has not reached a compromise resolution on a long-term contract. He has not missed most of training camp without adverse consequences.

He has succeeded, mainly, in blowing a $22,352.94 payday (before taxes), to say nothing of the promotional possibilities of a season-opening showcase against the Dallas Cowboys.

If Gates' decision to report one day after the team's deadline is not an abject capitulation, it comes pretty close. He has received no concessions and proved no points. That his tardy timetable has triggered a quasi-suspension (which the NFL and the Chargers insist is irrevocable) is ultimately the product of a conscious and counterproductive choice by the player and his agent, Andre Colona.

Granted, Gates is reporting grudgingly. Granted, he has been coerced rather than cajoled. But don't blame Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith for forcing the issue. Credit him for calling Gates' bluff.

Until the Chargers played the roster exemption card, they had no guarantee of when Gates would show up for work, except that he would need six games on the active roster to attain any form of free agency. If Smith's pre-emptive strike seemed premature, it is also the only move that has produced any movement in these negotiations. (Hours after Colona divulged Gates' intention to report, the Chargers were still withholding official comment pending formal notification.)

That the Chargers felt compelled to issue an ultimatum is unfortunate, and the long-term repercussions remain unclear, but the immediate impact is probably positive.

Though Gates' absence will surely hurt the Chargers against Dallas, the case can be made that it's better to have a player in camp four weeks before Game 2 than four days before Game 1.

This way, Gates is more likely to be playbook-savvy and game-sharp when he first takes the field in competition, and less likely to get hurt. This way, the Chargers have taken charge of a delicate situation instead of reacting to another's agenda.

Instead of laying back in a prevent defense, and ceding the initiative to Gates and Colona, Smith chose a more aggressive strategy. If his decision to go on the attack has caused casualties – compromising the Chargers' chances in their opening game, exacerbating the tension between management and a Pro Bowl player – it also reinforced the notion that the team's interests transcend those of individual players.

On balance, that's not all bad.

Gates is obviously entitled to seek the best contract he can negotiate. Based on his breakout performance last season, Gates clearly merits a huge contract. Even the Chargers concede that much. That the player and his employer disagree on the appropriate compensation was predictable. That both sides have wielded whatever leverage was available to them was inevitable.

That anyone would fret about the lasting impact of this impasse, though, is almost laughable. It is a rare athlete whose hard feelings can calcify in the face of a ponderous pile of cash. It is even more rare to find a football executive who can't be convinced by encore excellence.

If Gates can match last year's numbers – 81 catches, 964 yards, 13 touchdowns – the Chargers will be forced to try to lock him at up at terms more lucrative than he's currently asking. If Gates should fall short of those standards, Smith might be able to negotiate a discounted price. Both sides are gambling, but it's not the Chargers who are gambling guaranteed wealth.

The relevant question here is not whether Gates deserves to be paid as much as Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez, but whether he has the negotiating position to demand it.

Has he banked enough bucks to leave $6 million or $7 million on the table and play for the Chargers' $380,000 tender offer?

Can he acquire enough insurance to cover himself in the event of catastrophic injury, and at what price?

Bottom line: How much risk is he really prepared to run?

If Gates reports today, it would suggest a low level of risk tolerance. He may speak of his affection for his teammates and his fans, of his overwhelming desire to compete for a championship, but the fact is that he's short on appealing alternatives. A more committed holdout might have held out indefinitely and let fans remind management of how much he was missed.

With a season at stake and a new stadium to sell, the Chargers can ill-afford to alienate their customers. They need Gates every bit as much as he needs them. The difference is that the team has deeper pockets and a longer time horizon than a 25-year-old tight end within easy reach of lifetime security.

Bottom line: Bargaining is not about principle, but power. Might, not right.

 

[Ron the Don]

This is a bad argument.   Have you ever seen him play?  He is uncoverable with an LB. There is no way this guy is a one year wonder.

Agreed. No one has ever gotten the money and lost their motivation.Your heavyweight champion always,

Buster Douglas

Try to stay on topic. I'm talking about him being uncoverable, talented, and not a one-year wonder. You apparently are talking about motivation after signing a contract.Gates is and will be a stud. He set records last year in only his 2nd season. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE ACTUALLY GETS A FEW YEARS EXPERIENCE?

You are right. If they really didn't believe they wouldn't be trying to lock him up at all. However.....putting into the Hall of Fame is a bit premature - that's all I was trying to point out.

 

[Ron the Don]

The man wanted a 3 year deal instead of a 5-6 year deal.  Seems like a 3 year deal would motivate him more than the other since he was actually playing for a new contract.

He's playing for a new contract now, too, and the Chargers are only paying him $380,000.Here's why a three-year deal is ridiculous from the Chargers' perspective. The Chargers already have him locked up for two years for a total of about $4.3 million. (That's $380,000 this year and less than $4 million next year by using the franchise tag on him. Alternatively, if they don't use the franchise tag, they can just match whatever qualifying offer another team gives him.)

Gates wants a 3-year deal in the neighborhood of $12 million.

So the Chargers could either pay him $4.3 million for two years or $12 million for three years. Do you really think Gates is worth ~$8 million just for the 2007 season alone? He's not. No tight end is worth that much. That's top-tier QB money.

So the talk about a three-year deal is insane.

And if they franchise him again in 2007, it would only be $4.8 (20% mandatory increase each successive year you franchise IIRC). So they can have him for 3 years at $9.1M. When the plumber come to fix the drain do you pay him 33% more just because he is a good guy?

I think Gates is smart. Go get a Lloyds of London insurance contract. Get in camp and show everyone you don't have an attitude. Play this year. Sign big next year.

 

[Weiner Dog]

Chargers | No Official Word on GatesSun, 21 Aug 2005 09:40:57 -0700According to a source close to the situation, as of Sunday morning, Aug. 21, the San Diego Chargers still have not been contacted by TE Antonio Gates, or his agent, Andre Colona, telling them he will report to the team during the day.

 

[H.K.]

Does anyone have a status update? Rams-Chargers just kicked off....I wonder if Gates is there....

 

[TheFanatic]

Does anyone have a status update? Rams-Chargers just kicked off....I wonder if Gates is there....

I'm watching it right now in St. Louis, but I missed the first couple of minutes watching the Cards/Giants baseball game. They haven't mentioned it yet. They may have mentioned it in the pregame. I'll try to report back at halftime. I'm sure they will discuss it then.....LT just busted off a 40 yard TD.....

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I've had the game on since the pregame show. I haven't seen them mention Gates being there, but I wasn't really paying attention until kickoff.Tomlinson just had a long TD run that we didn't see from him last year with the bad groin. I guess he's healthy.

 

[mydixie]

Gates to report tomorrow and roster exemption not liftable according to in game interview.

 

[mydixie]

sorry, interview with team president Dean Spanos.

 

[chedha]

Why didn't he just report yesterday??

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Why didn't he just report yesterday??

I don't think Colona believed AJ about putting Gates on the Roster Exempt list.People will eventually learn that AJ means what he says.

 

[chedha]

Why didn't he just report yesterday?? 

I don't think Colona believed AJ about putting Gates on the Roster Exempt list.People will eventually learn that AJ means what he says.

I see, well I think they should lift the exemption. With a player of Gates' caliber, you need him on the field, and we're only talking about one day here.. but then again maybe AJ needs to follow through to be taken seriously in the future..

 

[Joe Bryant]

at "they didn't have to do that".

who is this tool?

From the Chargers board:An Andre Colona/Mike Vick timeline:

Andre Colona HAD Mike Vick in '01 going INTO the draft (after vick switched to HIM after 1st signing with Andrew Joel/Dan Kelley/Jim Kelly)

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/...22/daily25.html

Then in '03 Andrew Joel sued Octagon/Andre Colona - claiming Colona "stole" Mike Vick away from his/their agency.

http://www.prosportsgroup.com/Sport...ews/octagon.htm

Then in late '03 early '04 Mike Vick "dismissed" Octagon/Andre Colona and hired Joel Segal.

From ESPN Jan 6th '04:

>>>"Noted for his incredible change-of-direction skills, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has now transformed those abilities to his off-field dealings as well, with the three-year veteran switching agents.

Vick has retained veteran agent Joel Segal, having quietly dismissed Andre Colona of Octagon in recent weeks."<<<

Scroll down to Atlanta Falcons for the above quote:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1701722

Confused Yet??? - I Am .......... but then that's not unusual

This DOESN'T have anything to do with A.G. - but it does provide some background on his agent - Andre Colona.

As a side note, Andre Colona was the agent who represented Michael Vick. The Chargers decided they weren't going to be able to get a deal done with Vick and traded down to get Tomlinson. I don't know if the Chargers have had other dealings with Colona, but as far I can tell, they are 0 for 1 in successfully getting a major deal done with this agent.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/in..._insider_apr18/

Great post cstu J

 

[Ozymandias]

at "they didn't have to do that".

who is this tool?

From the Chargers board:An Andre Colona/Mike Vick timeline:

Andre Colona HAD Mike Vick in '01 going INTO the draft (after vick switched to HIM after 1st signing with Andrew Joel/Dan Kelley/Jim Kelly)

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/...22/daily25.html

Then in '03 Andrew Joel sued Octagon/Andre Colona - claiming Colona "stole" Mike Vick away from his/their agency.

http://www.prosportsgroup.com/Sport...ews/octagon.htm

Then in late '03 early '04 Mike Vick "dismissed" Octagon/Andre Colona and hired Joel Segal.

From ESPN Jan 6th '04:

>>>"Noted for his incredible change-of-direction skills, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has now transformed those abilities to his off-field dealings as well, with the three-year veteran switching agents.

Vick has retained veteran agent Joel Segal, having quietly dismissed Andre Colona of Octagon in recent weeks."<<<

Scroll down to Atlanta Falcons for the above quote:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1701722

Confused Yet??? - I Am .......... but then that's not unusual

This DOESN'T have anything to do with A.G. - but it does provide some background on his agent - Andre Colona.

As a side note, Andre Colona was the agent who represented Michael Vick. The Chargers decided they weren't going to be able to get a deal done with Vick and traded down to get Tomlinson. I don't know if the Chargers have had other dealings with Colona, but as far I can tell, they are 0 for 1 in successfully getting a major deal done with this agent.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/in..._insider_apr18/

Great post cstu J

You're right, Joe.Looks like cstu did a Colonascopy.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I see, well I think they should lift the exemption.

I'm sure the Chargers would love to have Gates in uniform in week 1, but it's no longer up to them.

 

[chedha]

I see, well I think they should lift the exemption.

I'm sure the Chargers would love to have Gates in uniform in week 1, but it's no longer up to them.

So once a team suspends/exempts a player, only Tagliabue can reistate or retract the exemption? Even though it was the team that initiated it?

 

[BassNBrew]

If the Chargers lose a close one to the Cowboys in week 1 and end up missing the playoffs by a game, a lot of people are going to be looking very foolish

 

[Ozymandias]

If the Chargers lose a close one to the Cowboys in week 1 and end up missing the playoffs by a game, a lot of people are going to be looking very foolish

And if Gates gets injured during practice, the team will look very smart.If, if, if...

Coulda, woulda, shoulda....

 

[TheFanatic]

Nothing on the halftime show about Gates here in St. Louis. All they did was the local news....

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I see, well I think they should lift the exemption.

I'm sure the Chargers would love to have Gates in uniform in week 1, but it's no longer up to them.

So once a team suspends/exempts a player, only Tagliabue can reistate or retract the exemption? Even though it was the team that initiated it?

They didn't suspend him. They put him on the Roster Exempt list. Under the NFL rules, that means has has to miss three games.I don't know if Tagliabue can cut that short. Gates's agent suggested he might be able to, but I haven't heard anything from the team or the league about that.

 

[mydixie]

[i don't know if Tagliabue can cut that short. Gates's agent suggested he might be able to, but I haven't heard anything from the team or the league about that.

Spanos said during an in game interview that the agent said that the suspension could be cut short but that is the only source of that info. Meaning the agent is pulling that out of his ####.