falconeyed
Footballguy
Here's the link.
The interesting thing, to me, is this quote: "Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the Patriots were able to fine Branch $14,000 per day during his absence from camp, and he has accumulated more than $500,000 in fines. With the start of the season, New England can no longer impose daily fines, but can withhold Branch's game checks, beginning this week. His base salary for 2006 was to have been $1.05 million."
If this is the case, and the team cannot impose daily fines once the season has begun, I'm a bit lost. It would seem to make a hell of a lot more sense for someone in this situation to report, play out preseason, and then sit at the end of preseason and just forfeit the game checks. Other than the injury concern, am I missing something? Why not avoid the $500k hit due to the fines but then just forfeit 9 game checks?
The interesting thing, to me, is this quote: "Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the Patriots were able to fine Branch $14,000 per day during his absence from camp, and he has accumulated more than $500,000 in fines. With the start of the season, New England can no longer impose daily fines, but can withhold Branch's game checks, beginning this week. His base salary for 2006 was to have been $1.05 million."
If this is the case, and the team cannot impose daily fines once the season has begun, I'm a bit lost. It would seem to make a hell of a lot more sense for someone in this situation to report, play out preseason, and then sit at the end of preseason and just forfeit the game checks. Other than the injury concern, am I missing something? Why not avoid the $500k hit due to the fines but then just forfeit 9 game checks?
