Though we're not saying it was a bad move for Parker to take less money right now, he could have been in line for a deal in the range of five years and $25 million, which is the going benchmark for backs not named Edgerrin James or Shaun Alexander, if Parker had made it through 2006 healthy and effective.True that. Whatever the case, I'm glad to see Willie re-up with the Steelers.
So in exchange for taking less money than he might have gotten in the future but getting more security than he otherwise would have had in the present, we don't want to hear Parker or his agent talking about how Willie has "outperformed" his deal if he churns out 1,500 yards and/or 15 touchdowns over each of the next two seasons. His job is to perform to the best of his ability, regardless of compensation. If he turns out to be another Amos Zereoue, Parker doesn't have to pay back the $3.75 million signing bonus. If he turns out to be another Jerome Bettis, Parker likewise has no right to hold up the team for a raise.
Word on the street is that Ike wants an 8-figure signing bonus but I don't think that's happening unless Heinz Field adds 20,000 more seats or so.
In totally unrelated news, I was happy to see that maybe the best show on television has two brand new episodes mysteriously posted on the internets. Sure, they're training mockumentaries and were never intended for television, but it's still funny as hell. And oh yeah, this show still sucks.
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