Mr. Laz
01-15-2007, 10:24 PM
Wow ...
POSTED 5:04 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007
WEIS BUYOUT? $21 MILLION
Peter King of Sports Illustrated reports in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column that the contract between Notre Dame and coach Charlie Weis contains a whopping $21 million buyout if Weis were to bolt to the NFL.
King describes the number as "rock-solid, no-exceptions."
Prior published reports suggested that the number is a large one; King is the first one to track down a specific figure.
And a provision like this is the answer to all of the questions we've received recently regarding the ability of guys like the Nicktator and Falcons coach Bobby Placebo (thanks to the reader who suggested the nickname) to disregard the balance of a contract with a pro or college team.
Nick Saban requested a term that allowed him to leave the Dolphins for a college program without financial penalty. Placebo did the same thing at Louisville.
It's a matter of basic contract negotiation. With Weis, the Irish were willing to give him a very long-term extension (based on only a handful of games coached at the time) in exchange for his agreement to include the monstrous buyout provision.
Of course, based on the performance of Notre Dame in 2006, we're not sure anyone would really want Weis at this point. Also, don't forget that there's still a fairly strong (and primarily subconscious) bias among NFL owners regarding portly coaches, and Weis is still on the large side despite gastric bypass surgery that nearly claimed his life.
POSTED 5:04 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007
WEIS BUYOUT? $21 MILLION
Peter King of Sports Illustrated reports in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column that the contract between Notre Dame and coach Charlie Weis contains a whopping $21 million buyout if Weis were to bolt to the NFL.
King describes the number as "rock-solid, no-exceptions."
Prior published reports suggested that the number is a large one; King is the first one to track down a specific figure.
And a provision like this is the answer to all of the questions we've received recently regarding the ability of guys like the Nicktator and Falcons coach Bobby Placebo (thanks to the reader who suggested the nickname) to disregard the balance of a contract with a pro or college team.
Nick Saban requested a term that allowed him to leave the Dolphins for a college program without financial penalty. Placebo did the same thing at Louisville.
It's a matter of basic contract negotiation. With Weis, the Irish were willing to give him a very long-term extension (based on only a handful of games coached at the time) in exchange for his agreement to include the monstrous buyout provision.
Of course, based on the performance of Notre Dame in 2006, we're not sure anyone would really want Weis at this point. Also, don't forget that there's still a fairly strong (and primarily subconscious) bias among NFL owners regarding portly coaches, and Weis is still on the large side despite gastric bypass surgery that nearly claimed his life.