ESPN held a poll yesterday around NFL hold outs and their reader’s thoughts. I thought it was fairly interesting to post the results (Man, did I get the Shaun Alexander question wrong at the bottom):

Vote: Do players have a right to hold out?

SportsNation

Thank you for voting. See below for the results from across SportsNation.

Your responses in bold text below.

  1. Do you feel there is a legitimate difference between teams saving money by cutting players for performing below expectations and players holding out for more money after exceeding expectations?

53.6% Yes

46.4% No

  1. Given that the average NFL career lasts just 3.2 years and NFL contracts aren’t guaranteed, what do you think about players who hold out to renegotiate a contract?

66.1% They’re being selfish and should honor the contract they signed.

33.9% It’s a business, and they have to look out for themselves first.

  1. Are there instances where you’ve supported a player holding out for a new contract?

59.9% No

40.1% Yes

  1. How important do you think training camp is for rookies?

97.7% Very important

2.2% A little important

0.1% Not important at all

  1. How important do you think training camp is for veteran players?

55.8% A little important

39.9% Very important

4.3% Not important at all

  1. What do you think of Terrell Owens’ contract situation?

86.8% He signed a deal which made him one of the highest paid receivers, so he should play.

13.2% He earned a better deal through his performance last season.

  1. What do you think of agent Drew Rosenhaus?

62.9% He’s a greedy SOB.

37.1% He’s just trying to do what’s best for his clients.

  1. Which of these potential holdouts would be the biggest loss to his team?

40.1% Terrell Owens

33.9% Edgerrin James

17.1% Javon Walker

6.9% Richard Seymour

2.1% Sean Taylor

  1. What do you think of Brett Favre’s criticism of Javon Walker holding out in Green Bay?

76.4% Favre is right, and as a team leader, he has an obligation to speak out and get a key player back.

23.6% Favre has always been taken care of; he should support a teammate trying to secure a better deal or say nothing.

  1. Which of the following franchise or transition players who hasn’t signed is most likely to be a long holdout?

60.2% Shaun Alexander (Seahawks)

19.2% John Abraham (Jets)

14.1% Corey Simon (Eagles)

6.5% Bubba Franks (Packers)

Total Votes: 31,056