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Sports Biz
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Charlie Weis |
Last week, 59 percent of you said Weis should be fired (up 14 percent from last year’s vote). But only 38 percent of you thought he would actually be bought out.
The buyout number is much disputed. After the Chicago Tribune reported it was in the $4 million to $5 million range, the closer to $20 million range number came back.
We tend to believe the latter and that leaves us wondering: If many Irish fans can’t stand Weis, and think it’s his buyout that’s behind him coming back in 2009, why don’t they spend any energy blaming Bob LaMonte?
LaMonte is Weis’ agent, who represents the likes of Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress, Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden as well as Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, among others.
He’s the one that structured what has turned out to be, and what might go down in history, as the most phenomenal deal in all of coaching.
In 2005, Weis signed a six-year deal that would have ended in 2010. But that season, Weis’ team almost knocked off USC and had them ranked as high as No. 9. LaMonte had the foresight to negotiate an extension before the season was over and, seven games in, got another five years for Weis. That included the legendary buyout--even though there’s dispute that there might be two numbers (one for another team and one for a firing.)
What was the impetus for the contract? The only bit of buzz was from the NFL Network’s Adam Schefter, who said that one team was “quietly investigating” Weis.
My point here is that agents that are good often get the wrath of fans. They get angry at Drew Rosenhaus when his clients sit out camp to get a bigger deal and they get mad at Scott Boras for fleecing their owner of the cash. So why not LaMonte?
My sense is that, since he’s coach’s agent, fans don’t really know him. So Golden Domers, have at Mr. LaMonte. But I’ll remind you that it’s misdirected anger. Wouldn’t you want him to negotiate your own deal?
Questions? Comments?
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