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It’s hard to be impartial in regard to the Crabtree vs. 49ers salary dispute when one Michael Crabtree happens to be this “columnist’s” all-time favorite collegiate football player (well if Crabtree is number 1, then Kliff Kingsbury would be 1A). What’s not to love about a classically brash and flash wide receiver with glue for hands, the strength of a thoroughbred, and the personal stamp of approval from Deion Sanders? Not to mention, he was famously recruited by Bob Knight (Oh the Red Raiders could have used some help as their basketball program leaves much left to be desired) to play basketball for him? Nevertheless in the name of journalistic integrity and much to the chagrin of readers who don’t give a flying flip about Texas Tech, we’ll just have to make do with my attempts at objectivity and space-fillers until the NFL season officially kicks off.

From a team’s standpoint, paying an unproven rookie (especially that at a skill position like wide receiver) at least 23 million guaranteed while half of the other battle-worned veterans are getting only base salaries of 500k or so, which happens not to be guaranteed, do not constitute much as kosher. This means if said team cuts that player under most base contracts, not only is he without a job/team, but his contract is worth as much as the quilted double ply that sits in my bathroom. Unlike the NBA or MLB where contracts are guaranteed no matter if you are cut, or traded (hence the glut of expiring contracts that are candy to GM’s eyes in the NBA looking to unload money to sign marquee players), NFL contracts operate as such on top of a salary cap system. Honestly it’s a lesson for any uber-athletic youngster out there trying to choose which sport to excel in. Pssst… the answer is the MLB, where not only is it guaranteed but there’s no salary cap so teams can spend as much as they think you’re worth. Besides, there’s no age limit in baseball like the NBA where even though you can vote, go fight and die for our country in war; God forbid you are allowed to make an embarrassment of riches because you’re “too young”, and your body is not “mature” enough handle the rigors of playing a boy’s game.

But I digress… NFL teams would naturally be wary to sign a player who hasn’t even logged one regular season game to such a preposterous amount of money. The advent of signing bonuses (the alternative/loophole to NFL contracts as guaranteed stipulations) has also changed the face of business in professional football. Crabtree is demanding at least 23 large because he feels that he was the undisputed number one WR. The first WR taken, Darrius Heyward-Bey, was picked 7th and received 23.5 million reasons to induce Crabtree’s camp to ask for the same or more. For the most part, rookie salaries have become a subject of ridicule for their ridiculous scale amounts given to young men who have yet to take a snap. Holding out or threatening to hold out as Michael Crabtree has done (he’s already missed the start of training camp) only hurts his development and stunts his potential to make an impact in the 2009 season. That is if one were to be solely concerned with the well-being of the overall team.

In truth, with Crabtree’s perceived troublesome reputation, his holdout certainly doesn’t come out smelling like roses in a public-relations point of view. The 49ers are prudent to call his bluff and not allow one player to dictate terms when he has little leverage. Losing a year of earnings be it 20 million or even 1 million would still hurt the young receiver who still isn’t a millionaire even if he deserves as much. The possibility of a rookie salary cap next season would also tell any poker face Crabtree and his agent/family might try to pull off. Then again, if he turns out to be the 2nd coming of Jerry Rice, then locking him up to a 5 year contract now would be the smart, financial move. At this juncture, the risks outweigh the rewards given the many top 10 WR draft picks that have been busts. Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, and Roy Williams to a certain degree (author’s note: unless he resurrects his career in Dallas) are just a few examples… and they were all drafted by the Detroit Lions! Nevertheless for every Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, there are multitudes of Ted Ginn Jr.’s, Troy Williamson’s, Reggie Williams’, and David Terrell’s to be had too early and for too much money.

In Michael Crabtree’s defense, he has only one person to answer to: himself… well soon after he’ll have agents, managers, posse, trainers, cooks, more posse, family members, bodyguards, accountants, lawyers, and any entourage left unaccounted for to also answer to, or in this sense, afford to pay their due percentage. The average career of a professional player in the National Football League is roughly 3 1/2 seasons. I would venture to guess that 90% of the reasons that players don’t last long in the league is purely physical, and the other 10% are mostly probable cause, but thats another demon. Above it all, you can see why a premier NFL rookie would want to squeeze as much lemon as possible before he sets foot on the field to play a very violent sport. Is he justified to demand money based off of mock draft boards that had him going as high as 5th, but as the top WR? Especially when the top WR taken, Heyward-Bey, nabbed 23 million frijoles, is Crabtree right to want the same if not more when many if not all teams had him the highest rated wideout? The answer to that question may be yes, but ultimately it will be answered based on what the 49ers decide to do. If he ends up in camp soon or by the start of the regular season, then San Francisco had decided he was worth the wait. The only question left would be was it worth it for Michael Crabtree to wait.