Collusion is running rampant in the NFL & I personally find it disgusting. If you're an NFL player today, you can't feel comfortable about your present or your future. The owners had this planned all along to regain financial control of there sport. This is the worst thing I have ever seen in professional sports.
First of all, the owners now and always have had control. Secondly, I think it's a great thing. When the inmates run the asylum, it ruins the game. The NFL is one of the most successful for a reason. If you or I don't like our boss or company, we look for a new job. If th eplayers don't like it, let them find a new job that pays 1 tenth as well.
The NFL structure was created with everyone knowing what was what, so this isn't a scandal like Pete Rose or steroids or whatever. What you are seeing is overpriced talent on the downside of their careers getting caught in the rain with no takers. It's the only reason people like Chad Pennington are even willing to discuss being paid what they are truly worth.
What you say is all true, but if you're playing a sport & the only pro sport I can think of, where your salary isn't gaureenteed, & you hav e a family & other financial needs & your career can be over during any one play......You might be humming a different tune about now !!!:breakdance:
If I had a salary that paid me 400-500k minimum for 3-4 years, trust me my family would be well taken care of -
Ok.....But reallity says.....Make more = Spend More...:lol: By the way...any pro players live in your neighborhood ? None live in mine !!!!!!!!!
Many of these guys earn more in one season or one signing bonus (which is guaranteed) than the average college educated person makes in his or her lifetime, and the average person's salary is not guaranteed. Assuming somebody averages $100,000 for their entire career of say 35 years. They'll earn $3.5mil. over that span. Poor JAbe was stuck earning only $6mil last year because of the franchise tag. Even much lesser guys can reach that $3.5mil figure within 4 or 5 years. I still have no sympathy for these poor players and their non-guaranteed contracts.
Thanks Patrick Ewing. We're supposed to feel bad for them, because they have the unfortunate inability to budget themselves?
I love this. It is like you were dropped on your head at birth. The players do get a guareenteed salary. In fact they get something even better, they get it all upfront. However, they like to hire agents who want to inflate their own ego (as well as their wallet) with contracts that no one has any intention of fulfulling. But of course it is easy to complain about your 500K a year when everyone forgot that you took home $10M two years ago in the form of a bonus. Or how about our man Chad who made over $22M in two years.
Signing bonuses are guaranteed. If the players didn't want this, then why did Upshaw insist on upping the players' percentage of revenues to 60% and refuse to move? I have no sympathy for the players.
So the fact that they choose to live in an exclusive neighborhood is our problem? Maybe they should live in your neighborhood and then they would be more willing to accept $1M a year. Our ticket prices could go down, advertising costs go down, and products are sold cheaper.
The collusion in the NFL often works both ways. Teams talk indirectly to potential FA's all the time.... it's one way that agents get a feel for what their client will bring in the FA market. It's also illegal for the Jets to be discussing Abaraham in a trade before the cap deadline.... but Abraham wants out, so it's wink-wink. I don't think any of this damges the integrity of the league..... Minnesota didn't go after Tice. As long as it doesn't get out of control, I don't have a problem with it.
Well, they get guaranteed signing bonues. A lot of first round picks can be pretty much set for life before playing a down. The worst players still make good money. So I'm not going to feel bad for the players, they should do what's best for the league. Salary cap, non-guaranteed contracts. If the players don't like it, they can go get a "real job."
Blame Gene Upshaw. Today is a direct result of the NFLPA not willing to come to terms. Forget this nonsense about 9 owners holding out. The easiest way to unite the 32 member owners fraternity is for the players and union to be stupid. The owners called the NFLPA union's bluff and today is the result. After all those guys got cut, is it really a suprise that a 3 day extension was agreed to??? Upshaw's boys are screaming at him right now after all those pink slips. He had to satisfy his contingency by holding firm. Now those same players are screaming for him to make a deal. If the NFLPA doesn't, these veteran players are screwed without an increase in the cap. The owners and the NFLPA are only about 4% apart anyway...they will cut a deal by Sunday after todays "I told you so" by the owners.
The story that Mort is telling is that the owners called for the 3 day extension to bring another offer to Upshaw. You got it backwards.
Just cause the owners are bringing another offer, doesn't mean the NFLPA won. Everyone has a vested interest in getting this done. But at the end of the day, the NFLPA has far more to lose than the owners. Owning a team in the NFL is the closest thing to owning a gold mine. Couple that with a sport that's violence requires constant turnover due to injury/age/etc, and you have an NFLPA that is at a distinct disadvantage. If you can't see that, you are very short-sighted.
If I can't see that I'm short sighted? I never even gave my opinion on the matter? All I said is your story and Mort's are ass backwards. No shit the owners of NFL franchises have it made, tell me something I don't already know. And yes I'm well aware they have the power and I for one am glad they do. If not, I'd be watching the NBA.
