Following the contract negotiated by No Limit Sports'
Leland Hardy for Saints RB Ricky Williams, one agent said
Hardy "will never get another high-profile football client
again and if I'm competing against Hardy [for a player] next
year, this contract is coming out," according to
CNN/SI.com's Pat Kirwan, who wrote that he is "more than a
little surprised that Williams agreed to this club-friendly
deal." Another agent "kiddingly said, 'Ricky should sue for
negligence.'" Kirwan: "All kidding aside, Saints' contract
negotiator Terry O'Neil should be named front office
executive of the year." Kirwan added that the NFLPA "is not
happy about this contract and the potential rippling effect
it will have" (CNN/SI.com, 5/19). SI's Peter King adds that
the NFLPA "will bemoan the fact that Williams didn't get
enough in base salary" (SI, 5/24). CBS SportsLine's Ray
Buck: "Ironic how the agency of ... Master P -- No Limit
Sports -- that NFL owners fretted so much about, turns out
to structure a contract amenable to a team, and a menace
only to other agents" (CBS SportsLine, 5/19).
TAKING IT TO THE LIMIT? ESPN.com's Greg Garber writes
that critics of the deal say that Hardy's and No Limit's
"desire to be daring and different will hurt the athlete in
the long run." Garber notes that NFL teams "love" the
contract because it "places the burden of performance on
Williams." One agent, who calls the contract a "very, very
bad" deal: "Look at the facts: the Saints cleared the decks
to get him and proclaimed him as their saviour. Basically,
he had all the leverage and then he goes and signs in the
middle of May. What is that?" ESPN's John Clayton called
it a "bad deal" and a "rookie mistake by Hardy." But Hardy
defended the deal: "I didn't give any leverage away. I got
him the largest signing bonus available" (ESPN.com, 5/21).
ESPN.com's Tom Oates calls the deal "far too risky," and
adds that Hardy's "naivete in negotiating NFL contracts, and
his inability to convince Williams what was best for his
long-term interests, left the Saints with a better deal than
they ever could have hoped for" (ESPN.com, 5/21).
