Gary Sheffield Quotes

The two major things that changed the makeup of all professional sports are money generated by television and courts that players went to in order to win their freedom as free agents.

It's kind of tough as you're playing you kind of wonder what is going to happen to you as you go through arbitration or as you go through free agency.

I don't have a no-trade clause. I figure someone is going to pick me up.

The people who run the game, they are the ones who want to change it and make people believe that it's different somehow. It's not different, the only difference is that some ballplayers today have a chance for a four- or five-year contract and they can make big money.

Unfortunately, there are no mulligans when it comes to pro football contracts.

Free agency screws everybody's allegiances up. Whether it be football, baseball, hockey, basketball, whatever it may be. It's really hard.

I've got to play free agency out, and I've got to look at all of my options.

I went out as a free agent in Boston and had a great year and I priced myself out of there market, at the time.

A lot of players know I've been around 13 years and this is my second lockout. I got a lot of respect. I know what's going on both for the league and the union.

To be candid with you, free agency hurts all sports. It's great for athletes making an enormous amount of money. But to say it helps the sports, I don't believe that.

A lot of people talk about clubs but if something happens the club will know and will inform me. If one club wants to buy me we will have to sit together to take the decision.

You cannot talk to a player who has a contract. It's not in my code.

You don't want to get to the point where you play out your contract and you get to those complicated situations where they can put the franchise tag on you and things like that.

It's not very wise to keep a player who has just one year left on his contract and really wants to leave.

I don't think it's right to think ahead to free agency.

Free agency is free agency. I love when NBA players get paid.

Look at all of the pitchers getting six- and seven-year deals at 30, 31, and 32. You see what's going on and the money that's out there. You'd be a fool not to try to benefit from that, or at least try to get what you feel you're worth.

This is the business of football and nothing is guaranteed to you as a player, coach or anybody else. They don't have to give you the money. They don't have to give you a longterm contract.

I can't speak on anybody else's free agencies, how that's going, but for myself, it helps to kind of be patient and let it happen.

Some people want to stay with one team but they get traded.

The NBA believes if you play for a team and get paid by a team, you're the property of that team for 24 hours a day.

I learned about the market's power when I was traded to the Buffalo Bills for $100.

The owners said that they wanted the salary cap and refused to promise that they would abide by the rules of the just-expired contract after the season ended. Believing we had no choice, the players went on strike in August of 1994.

I'm realistic. And realistically, I'm not that type of player that earns that type of money any more. So I'd be willing to take a little cut to get a couple of extra years.

I signed a very modest $3,000 bonus with the Braves in Milwaukee. And my old man didn't have that kinda money to put out.