Travis Haters

[Alaska Darin]

Perfect example how the word great is used too often in sportswriting these days

290231[/snapback]

You're not kidding. OJ Simpson, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Steve Tasker, Kent Hull, and Bruce Smith were great players. Travis was pretty good for a couple of seasons. That's about it.

[1billsfan]

why can't they do the same for Travis?

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...ha.henry/1.html

290155[/snapback]

 

The Cards are trying to unload Shelton and it seems as if the Bills are the only takers. The Bills have a proven runningback that right now in their respective careers is heads above what Shelton has proven. Henry isn't regarded as the "stiff" Shelton is throughout the league. Don't hate on Donahoe for expecting a fair value trade offer. A player for player swap is simply not a fair trade for the Bills.

[Mikeleelop]

He spoke out in the offseason because and I think he is entitled to do so.  The main thing is that he wasn't a cancer during the season.

290193[/snapback]

 

by speaking out in the offseason he reduces his value and undermines the trade he wants to see accomplished. he was foolish to wine and complain at this point. the draft is 4 weeks away. What is the rush?

 

Drew Bledsoe was released so they did not have to make a bonus payment. there was no trade market for him, since everyone knew this. Henry has value. TD is trying to maximize value, no thanks to henry or his agent. That is my problem with him now.

[Dr. Fong]

The Cards are trying to unload Shelton and it seems as if the Bills are the only takers. The Bills have a proven runningback that right now in their respective careers is heads above what Shelton has proven. Henry isn't regarded as the "stiff" Shelton is throughout the league. Don't hate on Donahoe for expecting a fair value trade offer. A player for player swap is simply not a fair trade for the Bills.

290281[/snapback]

 

Exactly. Especially considering if TD is patient he can probably get Shelton for free after Arizona cuts him. That's the scenario I'd really like to see. TD trades Henry for a pick, and gets Shelton anyway. Screw Arizona and all these sports writers expecting the Bills to just roll over and GIVE TH to Zona.

[Arkady Renko]

You are not allowed to link to any articles critical of TD. Please apologize.

[Alaska Darin]

Exactly.  Especially considering if TD is patient he can probably get Shelton for free after Arizona cuts him.  That's the scenario I'd really like to see.  TD trades Henry for a pick, and gets Shelton anyway.  Screw Arizona and all these sports writers expecting the Bills to just roll over and GIVE TH to Zona.

290308[/snapback]

Getting him for free means a much bigger contract than his current deal. Something to ponder.

[PromoTheRobot]

How is the article accurate?  They're basically telling the Bills to cut bait and take whatever Arizona will give them for Henry.  Why the hell should the Bills do that?  They have a player under contract that has value on the market.  Part of this negotiation is determining what that value is.  Just because the time frame isn't to SOME people's liking why should the Bills be painted as the bad guys?

290161[/snapback]

I was going to make the same point. Who the f*** does this writer think he is? Is the media supposed to decide a player's value and what he is worth in a trade? I think the guy is buddies with TH or his agent and was just looking to stir up sh**.

 

PTR

[Bill from NYC]

Exactly.  Especially considering if TD is patient he can probably get Shelton for free after Arizona cuts him.  That's the scenario I'd really like to see.  TD trades Henry for a pick, and gets Shelton anyway.  Screw Arizona and all these sports writers expecting the Bills to just roll over and GIVE TH to Zona.

290308[/snapback]

 

Now, reverse the situation and this is what we will get for Travis.

Nothing.

[d_wag]

You are not allowed to link to any articles critical of TD. Please apologize.

290313[/snapback]

 

ain't that the truth.....

[Arkady Renko]

I don't see anything in this article that is worth throwing a hissy fit over.

 

Fact: There was little to complain about TH's performance, but we drafted McGahee anyway.

 

Fact: No one on this board was hoping to even get Shelton until TH spoke out. We were hoping to be get something like than a 4th or 5th rounder from TH. Now we are expecting to get Shelton and improve our standing in the second round.

 

Fact: TH is reasonable in wanting to move on. He is not going to make any money next year if he backs up WM this year. He hasn't been a good change-up back to show anything more here.

[Alaska Darin]

Fact: There was little to complain about TH's performance, but we drafted McGahee anyway.

290323[/snapback]

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[Arkady Renko]

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

290325[/snapback]

 

It would be nice to see the posts back in April 2003.

 

While a fair number of people got excited about the sexy name, how many were blasting TH when we drafted WM? People were complaining that he was just an alternate for the Pro Bowl a couple months prior.

 

In retrospect he had and still has problems with breaking the big run, being a threat in the passing game and picking up the blitz but most people hadn't noticed that at the time.

[Dr. Fong]

Now, reverse the situation and this is what we will get for Travis.

Nothing.

290317[/snapback]

 

Why would the Bills get nothing for him? At the very least they'll get a veteran backup RB at a discount rate for a year. That's what everyone loses sight of in this. The Bills hold all the cards. Travis can throw a tantrum and cry about how he's not happy, but at the end of the day he has no choice but to play out the contract and try to score big in free agency.

 

Getting him for free means a much bigger contract than his current deal. Something to ponder.

 

Now I could be wrong, but I think Shelton on the open market wouldn't garner more than $3 million a year (what he's currently making). Like I said I could be wrong, but I think if the market for Shelton was hotter Arizona wouldn't even be sweating this trade.

[1billsfan]

Now, reverse the situation and this is what we will get for Travis.

Nothing.

290317[/snapback]

 

There were many here that wanted TD to not place the franchise tag on Peerless Price and let him go elsewhere in fear of having to pay him top 5 money. Well, we now have Willis McGahee to show the folley of the people who wanted to just let Price go.

 

I see the TH situation as very similar. There are many here who think we'll be lucky to get anything for Henry and to just swap players with Arizona. This is just fear and paranoia. The closer the draft comes the more Henry's value will rise. Henry is the ONLY bargain proven runningback available. Everyone knows that James' and Alexander's salary hits are through the roof. They also know how many 1st round runningback busts there've been in past NFL drafts.

 

I doubt very much we'll be getting nothing for Henry.

[respk]

It would seem to me the best way for Henry to get his butt out of town would be to keep his mouth shut in public. He just reduced his trade value by spouting off. His agent isn't any smarter it seems. They both fail to realize that Henry has a much better chance of being traded if his trade value is higher.

 

Henry is a good back and deserves to be traded. I hope he goes on and has a long and lustrious career. I just don't want to see anymore stupid statements in interviews to the press.

[Albany,n.y.]

I'm not a Travis Henry hater, I just feel that he's not the brightest guy on the team, his agent is an idiot & he signed a contract that he is obligated to honor, whether he likes it or not. Here's my response to a guy who probably has never seen Henry play and has no idea of any of his off the field troubles.

 

The antidote to the SI Story:

 

Henry Should Keep Quiet and Let The Bills Deal Him On Their Own Terms

 

Travis Henry feels the Buffalo Bills have been dragging their feet in trading him to the Arizona Cardinals and he's mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. My question to Travis Henry is: "Who appointed you GM of the Buffalo Bills, or even the Arizona Cardinals?" These two teams are negotiating a trade that would involve Henry and Arizona tackle L.J. Shelton. Both players have lost starting jobs and want a change of scenery. While we who follow the Buffalo Bills are getting used to hearing Travis Henry's almost daily rant about how he'll never again don a Bills uniform, we don't hear much from Shelton, maybe because he understands that getting traded today or the day of the draft has very little effect on the upcomming season.

 

The national media (nationals) has leaned towards Henry's side, not comprehending how the Bills could treat this loyal player. We here in Bills Country know a little bit more about Travis Henry. I'll call it the Henry that the national Jack of All Trades, Masters of None reporters see versus the Buffalo side of Henry.

 

The nationals start with the fact that the Bills took a gamble on Willis McGahee in the 2003 draft, after Travis Henry had rushed for 1,438 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2002 adding another touchdown catch for a total of 14 tds. They say Henry took it like a man, came back to rush for 1,356 in 2003 and even played with a broken leg, when he could have sat out the last few games in a meaningless December. They continue on the "good soldier" bit by citing Henry's lack of complaining after he lost his job to Willis McGahee early into the 2004 season.

 

We in Bills Country, who follow the team a lot closer than the nationals, have seen the many sides of Travis Henry, and he doesn't shine as brightly as portrayed by his latest supporter in SI. We recall the Travis Henry who has exhibited poor judgement throughout his 4 years in the NFL. Heck, if he had always exhibited sound judgement, he wouldn't even find himself in the fix he currently perceives himself to be in. We remember that Travis Henry signed a 4 year contract after being selected by the Bills in round 2 of the 2001 NFL draft. If you do the math, that would make Travis Henry a free agent after the 2004 season. Unfortunately, Henry squandered his money and was flat broke after the 2002 season and agreed to extend his contract an extra year in order to get much needed cash in his pocket.

 

Lets go back to the Travis Henry that the Bills had on the day of the 2003 draft when they drafted Willis McGahee. In his rookie year (2001) Henry was handed the starting job before he ever played a down in the NFL. The Bills cut former 1st round pick Antowain Smith to make room for Henry. I don't recall Henry shedding any tears for Smith when he was cut to open the door for Henry. Henry responded on the field by rushing for 739 yards in the 1st 13 games of the season. He injured his knee and missed the last 3 games. At some point in the season, Henry threw up the 1st red flag that he wasn't a Boy Scout. He was arrested for having sex with an underaged girl who he met at a gas station. Although he served no time, he was placed on probation and therefore was one crime away from being lost to the team. Henry came back his sophomore year with a good season, if you excuse his double digit fumbling in 2002. Then after the 2002 season, Henry came to the Bills asking for money because he had spent all his 2001 & 2002 earnings. In spite of the legal troubles in 2001 and the fumbling in 2002, the Bills extended Henry's contract an extra year and bailed him out financially. So when the 2003 draft comes around, Henry has shown poor judgement (that's putting it mildly) off the field and was a fumbler on the field. So the Bills take Willis McGahee in the draft and Henry immediately cries that he's been "slapped in the face", even though it is obvious to most observers that Henry's starting job, at least for 2003, is in no danger.

 

Now it's the 2003 season. The season starts and Henry is in a funk even though he's the starter and Willis McGahee is on the PUP list. He starts the season's 1st 6 games rushing for a paltry 260 yards (2.71 yds per carry) in 5 games, missing game 4 with a rib injury. He comes back and after fracturing a bone in his leg gains credit for being a warrior by not going to the sidelines. He finishes the season with 1,356 yards rushing in spite of the leg fracture, earning praise from just about every Bills fan.

 

Then 2004 arrives. Even though Henry is the starter, his agent is already grumbling about the Bills treatment of him and promises to "f*** the Bills over" in a photo documented drunken rage while downing shots out of a bowling ball in the parking lot of Ralph Wilson Stadium (The documentation and photos were on a Bills Fan web site that is not this one). After the Bills go 0-4 Henry is injured and Willis McGahee gets his first start as the Bills win their 1st game of the season. Still, Henry is named the starter the following week in Baltimore. After the Bills lose, to go to 1-5, McGahee replaces Henry as the starter. Henry then gets hurt in the season's 11th game and never gets on the field again in 2004. Rumors are that Henry is not going out of his way to hasten his return, since he is no longer the starter.

 

As soon as the 2004 season ends, the "good soldier" turns into "the mouth". He and his agent are given permission to seek a trade, but the minute there is a delay, both Henry and his agent are running their mouths off to the nationals, playing the poor hurt soldier.

 

I have a recommendation to Henry and his agent. JUST SHUT UP. The Bills are trying to trade Henry and will likely get it done before the draft. Henry is threatening to sit out if not traded. Well, unless Henry has suddenly turned around his financial act since 2003, he probably can't afford to sit out. How many average fans could afford to threaten to sit out rather than get paid a million and a quarter million dollars? Henry and his agent have both shown poor judgement in their 4 years in Buffalo. It's time for Henry and agent to let Tom Donahoe do the GM's work and wait until the trade is completed.

[Kelly the Dog]

I don't think a word that Henry OR his agent says in public has one iota to do with whether a team wants him or not, or will trade for him or not

travis doesn't need to shut up because it doesn't matter. There is no need for it, and he's going to make a lot more fans think less of him, so it does him no good. But it isn't going to change his trade situation one bit.

 

All 32 teams know what kind of guy Travis is, going all the way back to his high school and Tennessee days, especially after what has come out about him since then. They know he's not the sharpest tool in the shed but that he tries on the football field. They know of his off the field personal and monetary troubles. They have watched tape of him and either they like him for their team or they don't. Nothing he says now will add or subtract from it, and they know and understand why he is pissed. And when they talk to him or his agent now, he is not going to say these kinds of things, he's going to say, "Just put me in, coach, I'll show those bastages from the Bills!" What else do you want him to say? "This is the kind of guy I am and if you trade for me I will whine and pout on your team, too?"

 

Furthermore, one cannot believe ANYTHING at face value an opposing coach or GM says about Travis in the press as to whether or not they think he is great or terrible, because every single one of them (if they want him) is going to try like hell to give away as little as possible. They are never going to say he's worth a #2 or he's a top 10 or 20 back because the Bills will hold that against them and say so gives us what he's worth. All they will ever do is say what Dennis Green did, "he's a tough guy, a good runner, I like him a lot". That's as big a compliment as you're going to get from a team who is trying to swindle him away with the same fever as the Bills are trying to swindle their guys or picks away from them. It's all 100% posturing.

 

You can't trust anyone or anything in the press as gospel when it comes to this kind of negotiation and trading.

[Pac_Man]

I don't see anything in this article that is worth throwing a hissy fit over.

 

Fact: There was little to complain about TH's performance, but we drafted McGahee anyway.

 

Fact: No one on this board was hoping to even get Shelton until TH spoke out. We were hoping to be get something like than a 4th or 5th rounder from TH. Now we are expecting to get Shelton and improve our standing in the second round.

 

Fact: TH is reasonable in wanting to move on. He is not going to make any money next year if he backs up WM this year. He hasn't been a good change-up back to show anything more here.

290323[/snapback]

You say that Travis gave us little to complain about, but then you seem to imply that we should expect nothing better than a 4th or 5th round pick. If Travis is so great, he's worth at least a second round pick.

[Mikeleelop]

It would seem to me the best way for Henry to get his butt out of town would be to keep his mouth shut in public.  He just reduced his trade value by spouting off.  His agent isn't any smarter it seems.  They both fail to realize that Henry has a much better chance of being traded if his trade value is higher. 

 

Henry is a good back and deserves to be traded. I hope he goes on and has a long and lustrious career.  I just don't want to see anymore stupid statements in interviews to the press.

290373[/snapback]

 

 

Yes. This is exactly correct!!

[KOKBILLS]

This article is accurate.  Contrary to the popular belief on this board, Henry wasn't a locker room cancer when he was benched.

 

He was a great player for the Bills and hopefully will have the opportunity to land on his feet elsewhere.  Willis Mcgahee is simply beter, but that doesn't make swipes at TH justified.  If the Bills can treat Drew Bledsoe with so much class, why can't they do the same for Travis?

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...ha.henry/1.html

290155[/snapback]

 

Well...I certainly don't dislike Travis...But...The truth is there was no Willis to come in and snag Drew's Job either...Plus Travis has more Market Value than Drew...period...What I'm saying is, the "treating Drew with class" part was not exactly a grand gesture by TD...

 

Cancer or no cancer, I don't blame TD for holding out until the last minute to get the best deal possible for Travis...And though I habor no ill feelings towards Travis, the whole process would go much smoother if he just refrained from commenting to Reporters at all...It just does no good...

 

That being said, I think TD should do the Deal soon so the Bills (and TSW... ) can move on....