Goodell says player salaries will keep growing

[CCBoy]

Goodell says player salaries will keep growing
Posted Sunday, Feb. 07
The Associated Press

MIAMI — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell predicts players' salaries will still grow under a new labor agreement, even if their share of revenue is reduced as owners have proposed.

Appearing Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" hours before the Super Bowl, Goodell said the owners need more money to cover rising costs for international ventures and infrastructure projects such as new stadiums.

"You have to invest in these stadiums that we're in today," Goodell said. "You need to find new ways of creating revenue, whether it's international or otherwise. And that takes investment. And we need to make sure that the owners have the capital to be able to do that. And then the pie grows, and everyone benefits."

The union has said management wants players to reduce their share to 41 percent of applied revenues from about 59 percent. Goodell counters that of the $3.6 billion in incremental revenues since 2006, players received $2.6 billion.

"We want to structure something that really is going to lead us into the next decade in a way that's constructive, so the players benefit, the teams benefit, and most of all, the game," Goodell said.

The league's current labor contract expires in March 2011. NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said Thursday the chance of a lockout next year is a "14" on a scale of 1 to 10.

"I don't agree with that," Goodell said. "The owners don't win by having a lockout. Shutting down your business is not good for anybody. And it's certainly not good for the players. It's certainly not good for the fans."

Addressing the issue of concussions has been another priority for the commissioner, and he said the league will continue to look for ways to make the game safer. He didn't rule out the idea of getting linemen out of their three-point stances to reduce the ferocity of collisions at the line of scrimmage.

"As you'll see tonight, you'll see a lot of players that never get down in a three-point stance," Goodell said. "So it's possible that would happen."

While science is still trying to determine the long-term effects of concussions, Goodell said, the league has made progress in increasing awareness about the severity of such injuries.

"For many years the culture had been quite different - that concussions weren't serious injuries," he said. "I think we have changed that culture and made sure that people understand they are serious, and they can have serious consequences if they're not treated properly."

 

[iceberg]

Goodell says player salaries will keep growing
Posted Sunday, Feb. 07
The Associated Press

MIAMI — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell predicts players' salaries will still grow under a new labor agreement, even if their share of revenue is reduced as owners have proposed.

Appearing Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" hours before the Super Bowl, Goodell said the owners need more money to cover rising costs for international ventures and infrastructure projects such as new stadiums.

"You have to invest in these stadiums that we're in today," Goodell said. "You need to find new ways of creating revenue, whether it's international or otherwise. And that takes investment. And we need to make sure that the owners have the capital to be able to do that. And then the pie grows, and everyone benefits."

The union has said management wants players to reduce their share to 41 percent of applied revenues from about 59 percent. Goodell counters that of the $3.6 billion in incremental revenues since 2006, players received $2.6 billion.

"We want to structure something that really is going to lead us into the next decade in a way that's constructive, so the players benefit, the teams benefit, and most of all, the game," Goodell said.

The league's current labor contract expires in March 2011. NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said Thursday the chance of a lockout next year is a "14" on a scale of 1 to 10.

"I don't agree with that," Goodell said. "The owners don't win by having a lockout. Shutting down your business is not good for anybody. And it's certainly not good for the players. It's certainly not good for the fans."

Addressing the issue of concussions has been another priority for the commissioner, and he said the league will continue to look for ways to make the game safer. He didn't rule out the idea of getting linemen out of their three-point stances to reduce the ferocity of collisions at the line of scrimmage.

"As you'll see tonight, you'll see a lot of players that never get down in a three-point stance," Goodell said. "So it's possible that would happen."

While science is still trying to determine the long-term effects of concussions, Goodell said, the league has made progress in increasing awareness about the severity of such injuries.

"For many years the culture had been quite different - that concussions weren't serious injuries," he said. "I think we have changed that culture and made sure that people understand they are serious, and they can have serious consequences if they're not treated properly."

when millionaires whine due to not making enough money, i lose a lot of interst in the sport.

i don't watch hockey or baseball anymore cause i got tired of it.

there should be a rule, if you make more then $1mil a year, you can't go on strike but you're welcome to get a real job and see how you do.

in my mind, there's only so far these salaries can go before people will stop paying to watch. i said it a few years ago and i still think it's true - pay per view isn't far off.

 

[CCBoy]

I really agree....as absolute power just corrupts. We saw in the financial arena, where money only excellerated, that ethics left the picture.

 

[Vintage]

when millionaires whine due to not making enough money, i lose a lot of interst in the sport.

i don't watch hockey or baseball anymore cause i got tired of it.

there should be a rule, if you make more then $1mil a year, you can't go on strike but you're welcome to get a real job and see how you do.

in my mind, there's only so far these salaries can go before people will stop paying to watch. i said it a few years ago and i still think it's true - pay per view isn't far off.

Exactly.

Not sure why, but the thought of a strike really doesn't bother me as much as it used to. Its entertainment. I'd obviously much rather have an NFL season as opposed to a lockout, but if there is a lockout, I'll find another form of entertainment to occupy my time.

Its not a year's salary (player) or revenue (owners) that I'll be out.
Its not a year wasted of my playing career (player) or wasted year contending/developing players (owners) that I'll be out.

 

[BHendri5]

I do not want a lockout. They need to come to an agreement in a hurry. One thing I wish they would do is let the players enjoy some of the revenue when fans buy individual jerseys. They also need to help the older players that have long since retired, some only get about 200 dollars a month, I'm talking about the guys that played back when I was a child, the late 60s, 70s, and even the 80s players a lot of them need help.

A rookie salary cap really really needs to be put in place like yesterday, their first 4yrs should be capped so the owners willnot be robbed like so many Jarmacus Russels have done in the past and present.

They should keep the revenue sharing of all the teams to help the small market teams, but maybe lower the percentage, and make it to wear the teams and organizations can market their own team stuff make their own deals with whatever shoe, soda, beer, naming rights to the stadiums, etc as they want. The small market teams may need to look to do like the Packers have done since the beginning by letting everyone share in the team

 

[tunahelper]

If they cannot figure it out then the fans should walk away.

 

[jswalker1981]

If they cannot figure it out then the fans should walk away.

I think that the NFL, even as popular as it is, really would allow itself to go through a work stoppage. It is one of the reasons it has become so popular is that in recent years it hasn't gone through a strike. It needs to keep that up. It is set up perfect when compared to other major sports. They don't have 80-162 games a year. You can almost always watch your team play, someway, somehow. And every game counts.

 

[mbanx]

when millionaires whine due to not making enough money, i lose a lot of interst in the sport.

i don't watch hockey or baseball anymore cause i got tired of it.

there should be a rule, if you make more then $1mil a year, you can't go on strike but you're welcome to get a real job and see how you do.

in my mind, there's only so far these salaries can go before people will stop paying to watch. i said it a few years ago and i still think it's true - pay per view isn't far off.

I agree 100% and that real job can't be doing wrestlemania or just trying to sell autographs or books...or charging appearance fees.

 

[Hoods]

I agree 100% and that real job can't be doing wrestlemania or just trying to sell autographs or books...or charging appearance fees.

How are athletes, wrestlers, and authors not real professions? Are they paid with pretend money?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Addressing the issue of concussions has been another priority for the commissioner, and he said the league will continue to look for ways to make the game safer. He didn't rule out the idea of getting linemen out of their three-point stances to reduce the ferocity of collisions at the line of scrimmage.

"As you'll see tonight, you'll see a lot of players that never get down in a three-point stance," Goodell said. "So it's possible that would happen."

Wow. Just freaking WOW! This guy is the biggest disaster to ever hit the sport.

He is going to ruin the game I love, and it makes me absolutely SICK.

Oh, and a lockout is a certainty. That's a huge reduction they want the players to take, and the players have so much more money than they used to that they can afford to wait it out. You could see this coming even several years ago.

 

[Royal Laegotti]

when millionaires whine due to not making enough money, i lose a lot of interst in the sport.

i don't watch hockey or baseball anymore cause i got tired of it.

there should be a rule, if you make more then $1mil a year, you can't go on strike but you're welcome to get a real job and see how you do.

in my mind, there's only so far these salaries can go before people will stop paying to watch. i said it a few years ago and i still think it's true - pay per view isn't far off.

Every bubble has to burst sometime. I don't know why these owners can't be happy with the stadiums they have or pay for their own new stadiums instead of tax payers paying for some of it.

I won't be paying to watch football in my house, if they go to PPV I think they'll lose money, many will go to one location to watch the games, they won't make much money that way, right now I don't even have the NFL network and don't really care to. When the Cowboys play on the NFL network I just go to my dad's to watch or I listen on the radio. I'm growing to like the NFL even less than I used, I used to eat, sleep and breathe the NFL/Cowboys, so I dang sure won't pay to see an inferior product, inferior compared to 10-20 years ago.

 

[BrassCowboy]

I know my opinion of baseball went way south after their last work stoppage due to salary concerns.
The NFL players make millions per year, understandable some for the risk of injury but come on!!! enough is enough and the economy as it is has to play a part in determining the worth of these contracts.

I really do side with the owners and the NFL on this one in that they should stand firm and do what maintains the integrity of the league. Salaries do not need to rise any faster and I am sorry if 10 million a year is not enough to feed your family.

And I agree with a few other posters here that say a work stoppage would not bother me, I have plenty of other things that can occupy my time.

 

[Royal Laegotti]

Wow. Just freaking WOW! This guy is the biggest disaster to ever hit the sport.

He is going to ruin the game I love, and it makes me absolutely SICK.

Oh, and a lockout is a certainty. That's a huge reduction they want the players to take, and the players have so much more money than they used to that they can afford to wait it out. You could see this coming even several years ago.

On the concussion issue, it's not really Goodell's fault that their moving toward these weird steps to reduce head injuries. If he doesn't address this issue in some way the government will get involved and probably will anyway. So he has to take some steps toward reducing head injuries, whether he wants to or not. I don't like it myself, I think the game is becoming weak as far as the game being physical but this is the world we live in today, it sucks plain and simple. It'll be flag football before you know it.

 

[Hoofbite]

Wow. Just freaking WOW! This guy is the biggest disaster to ever hit the sport.

He is going to ruin the game I love, and it makes me absolutely SICK.

Oh, and a lockout is a certainty. That's a huge reduction they want the players to take, and the players have so much more money than they used to that they can afford to wait it out. You could see this coming even several years ago.

You think he is acting alone? Everything is brought to a vote.

I bet owners would go for this type of crap. Likely means more points, fewer injuries and more playing from their high paid stars.

They whole lot of em are going to screw it all up.

 

[dadymat]

Wow. Just freaking WOW! This guy is the biggest disaster to ever hit the sport.

He is going to ruin the game I love, and it makes me absolutely SICK.

Oh, and a lockout is a certainty. That's a huge reduction they want the players to take, and the players have so much more money than they used to that they can afford to wait it out. You could see this coming even several years ago.

i dont think the majority of the league can afford to wait out billionaire owners....some can , but alot of these guys dont make the big money ..there are alot of guys playing for minimum ..and lets face it even alot of the high paid guys arent that smart and blow money like its free.....poor financial planning and rockstar life styles will humble them pretty quickly without that pay check to cover it......you take a guy making $900,000 a year and add up his bills for his million dollar house payments, luxary car payments and it wont go far

I tend to side with owners on this one....the players are over paid and a high percentage dont earn it...rookies get WAY too much before they prove themselves....the owners are the ones who put up the money to put these guys on stage...they have to build billion dollar stadiums and pay all the salaries and dont see the return they should ...i think i heard that the best organizations may make 30 million profit yearly...the less popular organizations make less.....yet there are rookies who get more than that as a signing bonus and havent invested a dime into the team...

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Wow. Just freaking WOW! This guy is the biggest disaster to ever hit the sport.

He is going to ruin the game I love, and it makes me absolutely SICK.

Oh, and a lockout is a certainty. That's a huge reduction they want the players to take, and the players have so much more money than they used to that they can afford to wait it out. You could see this coming even several years ago.

 

[jswalker1981]

I think they need to adapt the NBA's method of handling rookie contracts. They are cheap, but only last a few years. And almost every player signs their contract within a couple of weeks max.

 

[Sarge]

At least someones' salary will keep growing.

 

[iceberg]

Every bubble has to burst sometime. I don't know why these owners can't be happy with the stadiums they have or pay for their own new stadiums instead of tax payers paying for some of it.

I won't be paying to watch football in my house, if they go to PPV I think they'll lose money, many will go to one location to watch the games, they won't make much money that way, right now I don't even have the NFL network and don't really care to. When the Cowboys play on the NFL network I just go to my dad's to watch or I listen on the radio. I'm growing to like the NFL even less than I used, I used to eat, sleep and breathe the NFL/Cowboys, so I dang sure won't pay to see an inferior product, inferior compared to 10-20 years ago.

how much are we as fans willing to pay for tickets? i used to think $100 would get you a good ticket, but now it's parking.

PARKING.

sure you have cheaper options, like a private limo to and from the game, but when you get to the point to where you have to charge that to get back your own investment because you have to keep having more and more - sooner or later everything falls down.

sooner or later you have to charge higher prices to simply make up for people who quit paying and at this point, you got a world of hurt coming at you.

as long as i can watch football from my home on my tv and have to just put up with commercials, i'll keep watching. if i have to subscribe to a channel to watch it, well, how much a month? if ppv and it gets crazy like WWE, pass.

 

[CATCH17]

If they go away from linemen in a 3 point stance than I wont watch football anymore.