Newz Forum: FOOTBALL: NFL Players union files Carter grievance against Cowboys

WASHINGTON (AP) - The NFL Players Association filed a special master proceeding against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday on behalf of quarterback Quincy Carter, saying he was released by the team "for reasons not permitted by the current NFL collective bargaining agreement."

"You don't go from being a starting, playoff quarterback in this league to someone not good enough to make the 80-man roster the next summer," Richard Berthelsen, the union's general counsel, said in a statement.

Under the special master provision in force, professor Stephen Burbank of the University of Pennsylvania Law School would hear the case. The union said the first step would probably be the taking of depositions from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Bill Parcells.

Carter, who started all 16 regular season games plus their playoff contest for the Cowboys last season, was unexpectedly released by the team Aug. 4. That leaves 40-year-old Vinny Testaverde as the team's only experienced quarterback.

The team did not give a reason for Carter's release, although there were reports that he had failed a drug test, something Parcells and Jones denied.

"We've made a decision to move in a different direction," Jones said when Carter was released. "We're not going to get in a lot of detail on the process."

The CBA does not permit teams to administer drug tests, although if Carter already was in the league's drug program by virtue of a previous positive test, he could be tested by the league.

Union spokesman Carl Francis said he expects the case to take at least a few weeks.



[Edited on 16/8/04 by TRD]

friggin Cowboys don't play by the rules...

was it the right decision to make though?

Originally posted by Ben
was it the right decision to make though?

You mean by the Cowboys? Mort Anderson just said that the reason that they put on the offical form to drop him was lack of skills.

Lack of skills? He started all 16 regular season and thier playoff game last year. Did he really lose that much in one off-season???

does anyone else have the google ad for drug test kits on the right side of the page...LOL

Originally posted by toejam
does anyone else have the google ad for drug test kits on the right side of the page...LOL

You remeber that one interview he was being very cocky saying that its his job over everybody else's and its his job and he has the upper hand cause of the year before. He was action very cocky in that interveiw with ESPN, and then the next day he is gone. Makes you wonder if being cocky around Bill is a no-no

But Bill still needs to play by the rules, even if he's with the Cawboys...

nobody plays by the rules now and days. the old saying now is if you arnt cheating you arnt trying.

Originally posted by Ben
nobody plays by the rules now and days. the old saying now is if you arnt cheating you arnt trying.

So why complain when athletes use drugs to improve thier perormance???

im complaining because thats not the way to cheat, during a game holding and stuff like that is good by me, but this is a different kindof cheating.

so, you're saying cheat by the rules?

At any rate, is marijuana a performance enhancing drug???

i think that marijuana is not a performance enhancing drug.

Im saying that cheating by using the use of performance enhancing drugs is wrong, but cheating during a game is wrong.

I just heard that saying from a football player in an interveiw.

since when does a team need permission or a reason to cut a guy, they never said they cut him because of a failed drug test, from what i have read the failure is still just a rumor, if they don't want him around, they don't want him around

i agree with you tj, no team has to give a reason why the cut somebody. And this is one of the things i dont like about contracts with teh NFL if a player isnt performing he can easlily stay with one team for his whole career because of his contract, and even if you do cut him he still gets money because of the penalties.

In college you have to work to play on the team or you get CUT, any team should be able to cut a guy if he is constantly late and stuff like that.

According to what i saw on sportscenter the other day, there is a form that teams fill out when a player gets cut, and on that form is a place for the reason they get cut. It's a part of the collective bargaining agreement.

It seems they have to provide a valid reason to cut a player, it can't be just on a whim. If you lost your job, you would expect a valid explanation, correct?

And if you were told it was because you weren't performing up to expectations, but you took the company further than it had been over the past 4-5 years, that would make you scratch your head, wouldn't it?

of course people would scrath their head, but its life and poeple get cut every single day.

My point is, there are rules and regulations that the NFL has made as far as the process for cutting players, this has been enacted due to the collective bargaining agreements with the players union over the years.

In this case, it appears that the Cowboys did not follow protocal, and therefore should either be penalized or give further explanation for thier actions.

I think I've been a bureaucrat far too long...