The truth is that we don't know the whole story, but clearly if this was all about money, Richie would have said so. The OP does not even mention that Richie was already suspended for a racially sensitive incident in Miami and was openly called out for alleged racist remarks last year. How do you even know that the commisioner didn't tell him to retire or be called out for those remarks? You are assuming facts not in evidence. Richie has also been behaving very strangely and no other team will touch him. That doesn't sound like a McBeane manufactured crisis to me. If it were, he'd be playing for another team right now.