Those numbers and figures have to be based on something attainable. The weaker you are, the lower the baseline for those figures. In typical contract negotiations regarding compensation, there's a concept referred to as "the box". The goal of both sides is make that box initially as big as possible in the hope of moving the middle point closer to their side. There was no box here, nor true negotiation. Parker feels he simply has to establish himself as a tough negotiator NOW to maintain leverage in the future, even if he should not have it in a particular situation and thus yes, there is a "bottom line ", but there also is an emotional component in play.

Even APA admitted it in some of their valuations of Parker quibbling over 50 million when they're projected to rake in 12 billion in 2014/15. Considering how weak and out of control we are projecting ourselves to be, Parker would be a fool to go any lower then necessary which is not likely his bottom line. Remember, that we are being told that there was still "negotiating room", but that Parker balked because of APA's "overreach" in their counter-counter which was in and of itself fairly modest.