If it was announced even three weeks ago that Matthews signed for even $10 million per over five years, leaf fans would have lost their collective minds in pure genuine fury. Even the usual suspects that defend everything this team does (even during the Burke/Nonis years) would be outraged at that contract.
So mlse knew just what to do. They leaked some “speculations” as high as $13 million over 5-6 years as a means of pouring gasoline on the fire. Some of mlse controlled media outlets released some propaganda trying to explain that $13 mil/6 isn’t that unreasonable. All the fans get scared and furious.
Then they drop their bombshell of $11.5x5 or something, and the easily controlled leaf fans all breath a sigh of relief and say “It’s not perfect, but could have been so much worse.”
You’re all being controlled. You’re all behaving precisey how they knew you would.