Written by 7:58 pm Sports

Michael Crabtree, Get Over Yourself

Dear Michael Crabtree,

Congratulations on flushing away an absolutely golden opportunity that has virtually condemned you as a completely greedy and ego-inflated moron to the rest of the world. Michael, you have it all.

For the past two years, you have without a doubt, been the best wide receiver in college football. As a two-time First Team All-American, you accumulated a staggering 231 catches, 3,127 receiving yards, and 41 touchdowns in only two years of play.

You won the Biletnikoff Award, an honor presented to college football’s best wide receiver every year, twice and put your team Texas Tech on the national stage last year, coming one victory away from playing for the National Championship.

Michael, it is safe to stay you have quite the resume for a college football player. So it makes sense that you felt it was time to enter the pros and declare for the 2009 NFL Draft where you were predicted to be a high first-round pick, a position that essentially guarantees you a monster payday from an NFL team.

On top of that, you have lucrative endorsements with Subway, EA Sports, Nike Jordan shoes, three separate trading card companies, and MogoTXT.

You were even on the cover of a video game. And when April 25 rolled around, the San Francisco 49ers selected you with the 10th overall pick.

Michael, you have everything right now in the palm of your hand.

Unfortunately for you, Michael, something happened after April 25, 2009 that severely impaired your good judgment and rationale. The 49ers training camp began on July 28 and you were not present with the team when it started.

Now granted I understand that generally many rookies do not report to training camp on time until a contract has been signed (a term called holding out). If something were to happen to you, like an injury, the 49ers would technically owe you nothing because you had not officially signed.

But the reasons you have decided to hold out are simply too much.

Michael, the problem I have with you is simple. You are probably in the top 99.9 percent of athletes in this country and certainly one of the most accomplished college football players in the last ten to fifteen years in the NCAA.

Yet for some reason the 49ers contract offer of $22.5 million (with $17.7 million in guaranteed money) somehow just isn’t going to pay the bills or feed the family.

Life is so rough dude.

Your justifications for it are absolutely ridiculous. You feel “disrespected” that you weren’t a top five pick?

Get over it Michael.

I felt disrespected making $8.50 an hour this past summer. You want to be the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL draft?

Unfortunately for you, the Oakland Raiders made Darrius Heyward-Bey from the University of Maryland, the 7th overall pick based mostly because of his speed. Get over it.

You are NOT the 7th overall pick.

Michael, what you are doing makes no sense. We are currently living in recession with millions of people losing their jobs, houses and money. People are dying of hunger and disease all over the world. The United States is fighting two separate wars.

But for some reason, Michael, you feel like it is necessary to hold out for that extra $15.75 million.

You have been quoted by the NFL Network’s Deion Sanders as saying you weren’t in “dire need” of money. If you don’t need the money then what on earth is the problem?

Is it the “disrespect” issue?

I bet the 49ers feel pretty disrespected by your immature and ungrateful attitude. In the long run is it really going to make a huge difference? Is life going to be so much more glamorous with that extra amount of money then what it would be if you just signed the damn contract?

Perhaps the dumbest thing you’ve threatened to do is to simply not play this year if a contract is not reached by November 19 and re-enter the draft next year.

I don’t know if you know anything about the history of NFL holdouts but it’s not promising.

The last first round draft pick to hold out an entire season was Kelly Stouffer in 1987. (Yeah I don’t know who this is either. I had to look it up, which doesn’t bode well for you Michael).

Stouffer was traded after his holdout year to the Seattle Seahawks and threw an amazing seven touchdown passes in five seasons before injuries and bench-riding forced him into retirement.

Does this sound good Michael? Is this what you want?

You cannot go a whole year without playing football not to mention your attitude makes no team want to work with you. Two recent college players, Maurice Clarett and Mike Williams, did just what you are threatening to do. Both took a year off between college and the NFL because they lost their eligibility after signing agents too soon.

Clarett is currently incarcerated for federal weapons and robbery convictions while Williams hasn’t amounted to anything and has been unsigned for over a year now. Also by re-entering the draft after not playing football for a year, you virtually guarantee you will be drafted much lower than 10th overall and thus making less money if you just signed the contract now.

Michael, I sincerely hope you get your act together.

You were a dynamic and exciting player in college and much of the country (especially 49er fans) would love to see what you could do at the next level.

Frankly Michael you need this football thing to work out. Your Wonderlic test, an exam used to measure the learning and problem-solving capabilities of prospective NFL players, was a dismal 15 out of 50, a score that puts you below that of an average security guard and on par with your basic warehouse worker.

And I’ll bet good money you weren’t exactly going to class everyday at Texas Tech either being a stud athlete and all.

You get the picture? I don’t believe too many warehouse workers have $22.7 million contracts.

That being said Michael, please humble the ego, sign the contract, and play some football.

Sincerely yours,

Sam Perley

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