"As general manager of the Chargers back in 1990, Bobby Beathard played the bad guy.

Popular linebacker Junior Seau from USC held out for a more lucrative rookie contract, and it was Beathard who heard it from fans.

He stood his ground, however, and after 34 days, Seau finally signed. For Beathard, it's not a pleasant memory.

"The great thing about being a general manager is building the roster, evaluating players and doing the draft,'' he said. "But unfortunately the contract negotiations come with the job. I went through them and I couldn't stand them. They're awful."

While public opinion seems split on which side is more to blame in the complicated stalemate between Tennessee Titans General Manager Mike Reinfeldt and holdout running back Chris Johnson, former front-office executives contacted by The Tennessean leaned, perhaps not surprisingly, toward the team's stance.

All agreed Johnson should be paid — and paid well — but said the Titans have to draw a line with a player who wants elite-player money, not just best running back money."