[legendsport]

June 13, 1943: Detroit, MI:

"I'd like to strangle Yurik," Rollie Barrell griped to his wife.

Francie, busy making breakfast, rolled her eyes and replied, "Don't be so dramatic Rollie. You own the most shares in the club and you are the managing partner. Your opinion matters more than Yurik's."

Rollie sighed. "True, but I've always let Frank have the last word on personnel. He's the coach after all, and has been since we started. The fans love the guy."

Francie scoffed and said, "Only because they don't know how prickly a personality he has."

"True again, but nevertheless, if he goes to the papers with our disagreement, it could be disastrous."

Francie turned and locked eyes with her husband. "Roland, why on earth would he do that?"

"He has this thing about being 'respected' - he sees me as a businessman and himself as a pure football man."

"Well, he has a point about you being business-oriented. And that's a good thing because what he's trying to do here is outright stupidity." Francie didn't like Frank Yurik, and as usual, she made no bones about it when talking with Rollie.

Allie walked into the kitchen. Now 13, she was what Rollie's father would call, "coltish" - long-legged and lean, as she transitioned from the girl she was to the woman she'd ultimately be.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked pointedly. This frank openness too was a new development for her - she sounded more like her older sister Marty every day.

"Yurik's wool-headed desire to low ball Stan Vaught," Rollie groused.

"That's dumb," Allie said.

Rollie smiled and looked at Francie. "She's got it boiled down to the essentials right there," he told her.

"Undoubtedly," Francie said with a half-smile. She plopped a plate of eggs and toast in front of Rollie.

"Where's the bacon?" Rollie asked.

"You don't need bacon. I read that it's bad for you," Francie replied.

Rollie shook his head. How was he supposed to get through his meeting with Vaught without having had bacon with his eggs?

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Rollie found himself behind his desk in the executive offices of the Detroit Maroons an hour later. The club had relocated to a new building situated across the street from Thompson Field due to Powell Thompson's increase in the rent for office space within the ballpark. Rollie had taken matters into his own hands by constructing his own building across the street. He held aspirations of purchasing the ballpark in the event that Thompson sold the Dynamos or passed away. The stark contrast between "Big Eddie" Thompson's younger half-brother and the previous owner of the Detroit Dynamos was so striking that it was hard for Rollie to believe they shared a father. The latter had been affable, generous, and large in every way.

Rollie appreciated the fact that the new offices were modern and spared him from running into Powell Thompson in the hallways. As he was deep in thought, his secretary Betty interrupted, announcing the arrival of Stan Vaught. Rollie had a great deal of respect for Vaught, not just for his skills on the football field, but as a person as well. However, Rollie was concerned about the ongoing conflict with Yurik, which was causing him to feel apprehensive.

After exchanging pleasantries and declining coffee or water, Vaught took a seat. Rollie then delved into the topic at hand, which was Vaught's contract for the next year. Rollie was honest with Vaught, mentioning that the team needed to balance his salary with their budget as they were experiencing financial constraints due to the war.

Vaught's lips thinned as he listened and he replied, "I understand that, but I also know my value. I want to be the highest-paid player in the league, and I think I deserve it."

This was new to Rollie. Yes, in his opinion Vaught clearly was the most valuable player in football. But highest paid? That was going to be tough.

"I hear you, but we also have to consider the team's needs. Coach Yurik thinks we need to cut costs, and he's suggesting that we offer you less than what you're asking for," Rollie said, grimacing inwardly at having to mention Yurik's desire to cut Vaught's pay.

"Less? That's ridiculous! I'm the best receiver in the league, I've broken records left and right, and I deserve to be paid for my past accomplishments as well as my current value."

Rollie decided honesty was the best policy, so he replied, "I agree with you, Stan. But we also have to consider what's best for the team. We don't want to offer you more than we can afford, and we don't want to lose you either. So, what do you think would be a fair offer?"

Apparently Stan wanted to play hardball, because he said, "I think a fair offer would be what I'm asking for. I know my worth, and I don't want to settle for less. If you can't meet my demands, I'm afraid I'll have to retire."

Not what Rollie wanted to hear. "I don't want to see you retire, Stan. You're an important part of this team, and we want to keep you here. Let's try to find a middle ground between what you're asking for and what Coach Yurik thinks we can afford. How about we offer you a slightly lower salary but with some performance incentives that could potentially earn you the same amount?"

Stan sat back in surprise. This was a new tactic, and one that had been suggested by Allie, of all people. Maybe his daughter would make it as a club executive some day.

"Hmm, I suppose that could work. But the incentives would have to be realistic and achievable," Vaught said after a moment.

"Of course, we'll make sure they're fair and achievable. We want to keep you happy and motivated to play at your best."

"Alright, I'm willing to consider your offer. But I want to make sure that I'm being valued and respected for my contributions to this team," Vaught replied, and he seemed a lot more upbeat than he had just a moment ago.

Rollie was just as relieved. He knew he'd have to sell Yurik on it, but the fact that Vaught's play would help determine his salary would appeal to the old warhorse, Rollie believed. He said, "You have my word, Stan. We value you and want to keep you here. Let's work together to find a solution that works for everyone."

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