Villain Cook wasn't primary culprit in McNair saga

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by NewsGrabber, Mar 21, 2009.

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  1. NewsGrabber

    NewsGrabber Guest

    <em>Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky</em> <p>From what I've read and heard, Bus Cook hasn't handled the <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9597" target="_new">Jay Cutler</a> situation well. I think he should facilitate a Cutler-Josh McDaniels meeting and not insist on being part of it.</p> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" align="right"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="100%"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="http://a.espncdn.com/i/headshots/nfl/players/65/733.jpg" alt="" hspace="1" vspace="1" width="65" height="90" align="left" /></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <font face="Verdana" size="1" style="line-height: 1.5em"><font color="#808080">&nbsp;McNair</font> </font></td> </tr> </table> <p>But this week there has been a lot of talk about how Cook's been a central figure in three relatively recent quarterback fiascos involving three of his clients: Steve McNair, Brett Favre and Cutler.</p> <p><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/03/17/cook/index.html" target="_blank">Here's an interesting</a> piece from Don Banks on the topic from earlier this week.</p> <p>I covered much of the Titans-McNair battle in 2006, and I have to say Cook was not the guy who deserved the primary blame for what and how it unfolded.</p> <p>The Titans locked McNair out of their facility, fearing he could get hurt in the offseason and leave them with an albatross of a salary-cap number in the final year of his deal -- $23.46 million against a total of $102 million. They wanted to restructure his contract and until they could, they didn't want to risk anything by having him work out at their facility.</p> <p>That set off nine weeks of contract acrimony. McNair won a grievance against the team and the arbitrator ruled the team had to allow him back in, but he never went. The situation was ultimately resolved with a trade to Baltimore for a fourth-round pick. It saved the Titans $9 million against the cap.</p> <p>I'm not suggesting Cook handled McNair's exit flawlessly or was without sin.</p> <p>But the Titans were the primary culprit in what happened and set things off by the way they handled things. (Looking back, some Titans officials even admitted as much.) Cook and McNair were mostly reacting to what the Titans did, while posturing to get the quarterback the most money possible, which is what agents do.</p> <p>So while the agent may have been a catalyst in the Favre fiasco and seems to be reprising the role in the Cutler saga, lumping the McNair story in to make it a trifecta seems a stretch to me.</p>

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  2. GoT

    GoT Strength and Honor

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    value your opinion as much today as I ever have PK
     
  3. Deuce Wayne

    Deuce Wayne NOW Y'ALL GET THE MESSICH?!

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    McNair screwed himself. Really no one else to blame. I guess Cook would be next in line though.
     
  4. SEC 330 BIPOLAR

    SEC 330 BIPOLAR jive turkey

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    Paul Kuharsky is a donkey puncher.
     
  5. RavensShallBurn

    RavensShallBurn Ruck the Favens

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    AHAHAHA :lol:

    Speaking of donkey punching... there's a movie called "Donkey Punch" that was supposed to be coming out.
     
  6. SEC 330 BIPOLAR

    SEC 330 BIPOLAR jive turkey

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    isn't that movie about a sex boat party where some hottie gets her neck broken during an orgy?
     
  7. Gut

    Gut Pro Bowler

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    Well...

    If I remember correctly, McNair didn't normally work out there which is why the Titans were surprised when he showed up to work out at THEIR facility. If this is accurate...then Cook WAS the catalyst!

    Gut
     
  8. Deuce Wayne

    Deuce Wayne NOW Y'ALL GET THE MESSICH?!

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  9. Psychop1

    Psychop1 Big Tee

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    Yeah, maybe it was speculation, but that's what I had heard at that time as well. That Cook sent McNair to workout to drum up publicity, and also that he and McNair were both told well in advance that they didn't want McNair working out at BSP.
     
  10. GoT

    GoT Strength and Honor

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    which is why PK is a donkey puncher
     
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