Commitment to what? A team that can cut him in less time than it takes the GM to go to the toilet? A players commitment is to the paycheck first and foremost and it's up to the player to keep himself in shape during the offseason. Whether he does that in the stadium with team personell or on his own on the other side of the world is irrelevant as long as he shows up in shape.

 

Very true. That's what it really boils down to. I don't care what these players do during their time off or during the off season. Just as long as they show up ready to play and don't show any signs of laziness. Players like Lewis. Especially Lewis. I have no problems with him.

 

He's been one of the longest tenured Jaguars in our franchise's history now. He's played in 154 games in 10 seasons. And he's managed to keep his job here despite a change of ownership and three or four different coaches and general managers. 

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

I kind of lean towards the team(s) in this case.  In my opinion, your employer has the right to dictate when you are and are not "off" of work.  Just because it is the off-season, a player is still employed by the team that they are attached to
, and still has an obligation to that team.

 

By the same token, players probably prefer to use their own doctors/therapists in their own home towns, and I certainly understand that.

 

The bottom line though is that players need to conform to their employer's rules.

That is a tricky thing to figure out...Are they really still employed by the team during the off season? They do not draw a salary and can draw unemployment, so they are not compensated by the team during the off season, they are only compensated through the league year...Then, even under contract, there is no 100% guarantee they will be with the same franchise or even in the NFL when the next league year begins...Not to mention the "off season" is well defined and dated...The NFL franchise owners can not say "ok I know it's the of season but you are still employed by me and during the off season you will do this and that and that and you will do it from this day to this day in Po Dunk Holler and then report to our next team oriented even ..."

 

To me this would be more of a "seasonal employment" than general employment...Not to mention no employer has the right to tell you where you can go and what you can do during non working time...NFL players (most anyway) don't live in their home state...Does your employer have the right to say you can not go home for the time you are off work? No...

 

Some NFL contracts do contain specific clauses that have been controversial such as (the only one I remember and it's fuzzy) Big Ben's contract had a stipulation. something about riding his motorcycle, and then he crashed it, and I never heard anything more about it...  

 

EDIT: If a regular employee is injured on the job, the company sends them to "their Drs." Wouldn't that be the same for the NFL teams? 

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They are under contract so yes, still an employee.

 

It all depends on what is in their contract and if it follows the CBA guidelines.

 

It's not uncommon for athletes to have clauses in their contracts that forbid them from dangerous activities on their own time.  So yes, there are some boundaries set for employees even when "off work."

 

So, I don't think they could control what doctors the do/do not see unless it's in their contract and falls under CBA allowances.

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"You do your own thing in your own time. You should be proud."

They are under contract so yes, still an employee.

I would still claim "seasonal employee" as no compensation is given


 

It all depends on what is in their contract and if it follows the CBA guidelines.

​No employer has the right to tell employees they can not go back to their home when they are off work...Commuting would be another situation in which I would agree with you 


 

It's not uncommon for athletes to have clauses in their contracts that forbid them from dangerous activities on their own time.  So yes, there are some boundaries set for employees even when "off work." I agreed with this...Sky diving, race car driver, hang gliding, and other dangerous activities can and do have special clauses in certain contracts


 

So, I don't think they could control what doctors the do/do not see unless it's in their contract and falls under CBA allowances.

When someone is hurt on the job, the employer send the employee to "their" doctors...Whether they have a choice to see their own Drs or not under workman's comp i have no idea...Never filed a claim..

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They are under contract so yes, still an employee.


It all depends on what is in their contract and if it follows the CBA guidelines.


It's not uncommon for athletes to have clauses in their contracts that forbid them from dangerous activities on their own time. So yes, there are some boundaries set for employees even when "off work."


So, I don't think they could control what doctors the do/do not see unless it's in their contract and falls under CBA allowances.

One difference I can think of when comparing their employment to the Jaguars with employment for most of us:


Most of us as employees have the option to "shop" for the best employment opportunities for us as individuals. If you have a job, but another company grants you better benefits, vacation time, etc, you have that choice to go elsewhere if you want to.


Most of these players, especially the younger ones, are bound to the team that drafted them. They can't just decide to "go to another employer" if the benefits are better elsewhere.

They work for the NFL,, and are bound to an individual team. IDK if every team operates exactly the same way (probably not). But, it's not like a player can say "The Giants offer better benefits (time off) than the Jags do. I'm going to try and go work over there."


Example:

Player 1 gets drafted to the Jags.

Player 2 gets drafted with the very next pick somewhere else.


Player 1 adheres to one set of rules (maybe stricter than other franchises), while Player 2 adheres to more lenient rules.


It's not Player 1's fault who picked him. He had no choice in the matter.


**Don't get me wrong. I'm definitely not pitying the players that get to make large sums of money as an athlete. I'm just trying to put some of their options/employment in perspective.

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They work for the NFL,, and are bound to an individual team. IDK if every team operates exactly the same way (probably not). But, it's not like a player can say "The Giants offer better benefits (time off) than the Jags do. I'm going to try and go work over there."


Example:

Player 1 gets drafted to the Jags.

Player 2 gets drafted with the very next pick somewhere else.


Player 1 adheres to one set of rules (maybe stricter than other franchises), while Player 2 adheres to more lenient rules.


It's not Player 1's fault who picked him. He had no choice in the matter.


**Don't get me wrong. I'm definitely not pitying the players that get to make large sums of money as an athlete. I'm just trying to put some of their options/employment in perspective.

This is why they have a player's union that bars the employer from over-stepping a pre-determined guideline for the team rules you mentioned. 

 

That union is very likely to persuade the NFL to shut down this move by the Jags. 

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I'm not really sure I see the connection between this and building a culture of toughness.


Separate issues in my eyes, I think some reaches are being made here.

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I'm not really sure I see the connection between this and building a culture of toughness.


Separate issues in my eyes, I think some reaches are being made here.

 

Yeah, and that usually never happens on this board.     

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I'm not really sure I see the connection between this and building a culture of toughness.


Separate issues in my eyes, I think some reaches are being made here.

 

I'm going to jump back a little bit, and not talk about this specific issue Per se.  I think there is a difference between a well disciplined team, and a chain gang.  My concern is that formerly mentioned dress code, and the current issue does not make a player not jump offside.  Too many hard core rules start to blend together IMO.  Show up 5 min before the meeting time?  Good. Keep a pair of completely non-needed dress pants?  Not Good.  There is a perfect blend between 'player's coach' and 'dictator,' and either way using a strict rule on grown men, should be carefully evaluated.

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They get paid millions of dollars. And under contract. The health is the well being of the team.


The investment. Would not be worth the pay. If during time to recoperate does nothing.


So reporting to local specialist. And checkin in. The team has that right to do so.


If poor people can get doctors signoffs on stuff. How much easier is it for rich men?

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Bleeding Teal since 1995. The Icon Teal Time Radio aka ctjags

  #Gojags

They want you to go the their doctors because their doctors are operating in their best interest not yours. Speaking of when it comes to normal employment that is

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I'm going to jump back a little bit, and not talk about this specific issue Per se.  I think there is a difference between a well disciplined team, and a chain gang.  My concern is that formerly mentioned dress code, and the current issue does not make a player not jump offside.  Too many hard core rules start to blend together IMO.  Show up 5 min before the meeting time?  Good. Keep a pair of completely non-needed dress pants?  Not Good.  There is a perfect blend between 'player's coach' and 'dictator,' and either way using a strict rule on grown men, should be carefully evaluated.

 

This is something that many people don't understand, and is what makes Coughlin so good.

 

We are talking about what I call "kids" or young adults here.  It's teaching many life lessons that they should carry with them after they leave football.

 

Your first issue is the dress code.  These are "professional" football players.  Professionals dress and act appropriately.  While I agree with you that it doesn't teach them not to jump offside, but it is teaching them discipline, and teaches them to act as professionals.

 

The second thing that you point out is meeting times.  I personally was taught in the Navy to "never be later than 15 minutes early".  That's a life lessen that has served me well over the years.  It instills maturity, discipline and professionalism in these young players.

 

The approach with the rules isn't about "dictatorship" or "chain gang", it's about teaching.  Many of these young men have never been taught or exposed to something like this.  That approach is what actually creates MEN.

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

I think the issue is simply that they are allowed ask the players to come in and rehab with them, they just can't mandate that it happens

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I think the issue is simply that they are allowed ask the players to come in and rehab with them, they just can't mandate that it happens

Yeah its not that complex. This is the players time, you cant force that.

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Yeah its not that complex. This is the players time, you cant force that.

 

Some are still missing the point.  It's not about whose "time" it is.

 

It's about asking for mandatory activities that aren't part of an agreement.  All mandatory activities and rules around them are spelled out and/or otherwise covered in the CBA.

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"You do your own thing in your own time. You should be proud."

I have a grievance against the Jags too.. Win more than 3 games damnit..

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Some are still missing the point. It's not about whose "time" it is.


It's about asking for mandatory activities that aren't part of an agreement. All mandatory activities and rules around them are spelled out and/or otherwise covered in the CBA.

And while that is true. How does a team know an investment is being treated properly. If injured and have to base on a simple doctors write off.

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Bleeding Teal since 1995. The Icon Teal Time Radio aka ctjags

  #Gojags

Some are still missing the point. It's not about whose "time" it is.


It's about asking for mandatory activities that aren't part of an agreement. All mandatory activities and rules around them are spelled out and/or otherwise covered in the CBA.

this is pretty much no different from what i just said, you can just swap the words time and activities

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It doesn't matter what we think, it matters what the players think. Multiple media people have mentioned that while it's not the biggest deal, having the NFLPA and several agents not so happy with the team on the eve of one of the most competitive FA periods we've ever seen isn't a great thing. 

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It doesn't matter what we think, it matters what the players think. Multiple media people have mentioned that while it's not the biggest deal, having the NFLPA and several agents not so happy with the team on the eve of one of the most competitive FA periods we've ever seen isn't a great thing.

While you are correct. Money talks at end of the day.

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Bleeding Teal since 1995. The Icon Teal Time Radio aka ctjags

  #Gojags