It isn't your money

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I just don't understand how anyone who watched that Green Bay game can ever feel good about any of these guys getting big time long term deals. I mean they literally folded up the tent and went some in the second quarter of a playoff game.

Have to feel sorry for them. They were tired. You know planning victory parties. lol

 

[Montanalo]

NFL teams (and other leagues) have proven over and over again they can manipulate the salary CAP in multiple ways to build the teams with the players they want. So any excuse that involves insufficient funds is just an excuse. Having said that, every team makes different strategic choices when it comes to managing the salary CAP.

As for player salaries, even the lowest paid players make salaries that are mere fantasies to 99.9% of fans. So, I’ve never understood why fans take sides when it comes to disputes between millionaires and billionaires. I’ve worked for 36 years as an engineer, and haven’t made as much as Dak Prescott will make in 2 games. I’ve supported my family, sent 3 children to college, and am paying for a 2nd wedding this year. And it’s been enough.

Bottom line: it’s not my money. It isn’t your money either. Arguing over salary CAP dollars and player salaries is really among the most useless things a fan can do. We cannot relate to wealth at that level.

Does CeeDee, or Dak, or Micah “deserve” the money they’ll get? Is it fair that they make so much more these days than players like Larry Allen or Emmitt Smith made back in the day. WHO CARES? It’s not my money.

And it isn’t yours either. Pretending it matters to fans is just another psychological fantasy to engage fans. I won’t be sucked into those arguments anymore. I prefer to discuss football, not finances.

It may not directly be my money or your money, and teams may be able to manipulate the cap to manage their player pool of talent.

The issues for me, and perhaps a lot of fans, are the decisions the team's FO makes regarding players. The player's contracts are sometimes a reflection of those decisions.

It's a pride thing, I guess. You hate to see your team make stupid personnel decisions and be "strapped" to a player with an out-of-wack contract.

 

[jazzcat22]

They get tv money because of fans watching.

And they will not stop watching. But they still have their money even if they do stop.

 

[OGSixshooter]

NFL teams (and other leagues) have proven over and over again they can manipulate the salary CAP in multiple ways to build the teams with the players they want. So any excuse that involves insufficient funds is just an excuse. Having said that, every team makes different strategic choices when it comes to managing the salary CAP.

As for player salaries, even the lowest paid players make salaries that are mere fantasies to 99.9% of fans. So, I’ve never understood why fans take sides when it comes to disputes between millionaires and billionaires. I’ve worked for 36 years as an engineer, and haven’t made as much as Dak Prescott will make in 2 games. I’ve supported my family, sent 3 children to college, and am paying for a 2nd wedding this year. And it’s been enough.

Bottom line: it’s not my money. It isn’t your money either. Arguing over salary CAP dollars and player salaries is really among the most useless things a fan can do. We cannot relate to wealth at that level.

Does CeeDee, or Dak, or Micah “deserve” the money they’ll get? Is it fair that they make so much more these days than players like Larry Allen or Emmitt Smith made back in the day. WHO CARES? It’s not my money.

And it isn’t yours either. Pretending it matters to fans is just another psychological fantasy to engage fans. I won’t be sucked into those arguments anymore. I prefer to discuss football, not finances.

True, but time is money and is our time collectively...and that's what pays the bills...eyeballs. So as long as my eyeballs are on the game...I'll have one of them on the money.

 

[Creeper]

The salary CAP is real and people need to stop saying it isn't. Yes, it's true that teams work around it using some tricks and gimmicks, but if not for those tricks and gimmicks, what would happen? At the end of the day, when the new season starts every team has to be under the salary CAP one way or another. Often that means veteran players get cut and replaced by rookies or someone else's vets who will plays for minimum wages. Teams make decisions on who to pya every off-season. That is the CAP in action.

Teams must have a plan or strategy to deal with the CAP. Maybe they don't spend on free agents. Or maybe they do not retain their own draft picks after their rookie deals expire. Whatever their plan, they have one and it means they cannot load up on all-stars every year. The fact that some teams are really good at managing the CAP does not mean there is no real CAP. It is unfortunate that the CAP is such a big part of the game, but it is, and I think we can all see why. If not for the CAP some teams would spend $500 million or more to fill their rosters while others would spend as little as possible just to get a team on the field. Perhaps it should be that way. Let the success of the team drive the spending strategy.

IMO, the CAP is a self-destruct mechanism. Look at QB salaries, and now a WR is getting $35 million. There is a haves and have nots striation occurring in the NFL. RBs are getting screwed on the deal. RB has one of the shortest careers in football, but are not considered as critical so they get paid squat. In the meantime receivers are getting the money RBs are not getting. Then QBs are getting a bigger and bigger slice of the pie. An aristocracy is forming among the players. I wonder how that plays out over time.

 

[blueblood70]

NFL teams (and other leagues) have proven over and over again they can manipulate the salary CAP in multiple ways to build the teams with the players they want. So any excuse that involves insufficient funds is just an excuse. Having said that, every team makes different strategic choices when it comes to managing the salary CAP.

As for player salaries, even the lowest paid players make salaries that are mere fantasies to 99.9% of fans. So, I’ve never understood why fans take sides when it comes to disputes between millionaires and billionaires. I’ve worked for 36 years as an engineer, and haven’t made as much as Dak Prescott will make in 2 games. I’ve supported my family, sent 3 children to college, and am paying for a 2nd wedding this year. And it’s been enough.

Bottom line: it’s not my money. It isn’t your money either. Arguing over salary CAP dollars and player salaries is really among the most useless things a fan can do. We cannot relate to wealth at that level.

Does CeeDee, or Dak, or Micah “deserve” the money they’ll get? Is it fair that they make so much more these days than players like Larry Allen or Emmitt Smith made back in the day. WHO CARES? It’s not my money.

And it isn’t yours either. Pretending it matters to fans is just another psychological fantasy to engage fans. I won’t be sucked into those arguments anymore. I prefer to discuss football, not finances.

It should always be that way fancy worry about football and players and who they like and don't like on the team talk about football plays and how they hate their referees as soon as Google and the Internet put every damn thing online and fans now play fantasy football in Madden they all think they're professionals.. This stuff just created monsters know it all fans now think they get to have a say or feel like they're involved to a point where everything they say they think they can do a better job they truly think it's that easy that it's open and shut black and white and there is no Gray area and it should be just done quickly everything should be done easily and smoothly...

that's the bigger problem it isn't even discussing contracts it's the fact that they think that the Dallas Cowboys don't have very expensive lawyers CPA's capologist, a whole team of people working on this stuff they understand what's ahead of them and they'll get it worked out this stuff is a lot more complicated than some people around here want to make it believe they all experts you know who I'm talking about bringing up what the quarterback percentage is of what he's taking up the salary cap and you just can't have that blah blah blah blah..

I'm with you just stop the team will be the team game one we will see what the roster looks like and that goes for being upset about free agency in the offseason again let's see how the actual roster turns out and plays some games y'all just nitpick and cherry pick every little thing is set online and the people who buy most of that stuff it's not even coming from the Dallas Cowboys it's not official it's clickbait news the Dallas Cowboys sell good news bad news all news every player every free agent every trade it's linked to the Cowboys it's like 6° of separation the story always comes back to the Cowboys.. If they need content and they need to get some ratings they just bring up the Cowboys they make up stories that get everybody upset and none of it is true they're just guessing it's all rumors you have people out there act like they're professional sports writers they are social media content creators they don't know Jack.. Their job is to increase the viewership so they satisfy whoever that may be advertising with them or whatnot or get them money I have no idea but I'm really sick of it myself...

Let me be clear,

not a single person on this board and I don't know all of y'all have ever ran a professional football team or a professional sports franchise of this level....

We're talking about 32 billionaires who paid a lot of money to be part of this league, and the league is probably $100 billion franchise, they have so many layers of management on each team it is not Jerry Jones and Stephen over there rolling dice and throwing darts at the board...

The one thing they know is business, they have several successful billion dollar franchises not just the Dallas Cowboys and they know how to hire professionals, the people you probably don't even know that helped them with contracts and the cap..IE there is lawyers , CPA's, and professionals that do this and they are on the staff. I guarantee it are working on this stuff year-round it just because they aren't acting on it right away and in a fans time frame everybody's up in arms,

like you should just leave an open check and an open contract that's like generalized and you ask the player in agents to go fill in whatever you want let's get this done,LOL just fill it in ,don't worry about it...lmao

 

[atlantacowboy]

How can they improve when the last "first day" free agent they signed was Brandon Carr in 2012. 2012.

We need cap room just to sign our own guys, let alone top tier free agents. Right now our top 6 paid guys are Dak, Diggs, Steele, DLaw, cooks, and Zach. There is no room to add CD and pay Dak 60M, let alone give Micah a new deal. Bland is making next to nothing. He needs to get paid too.

 

[Flinger]

NFL teams (and other leagues) have proven over and over again they can manipulate the salary CAP in multiple ways to build the teams with the players they want. So any excuse that involves insufficient funds is just an excuse. Having said that, every team makes different strategic choices when it comes to managing the salary CAP.

As for player salaries, even the lowest paid players make salaries that are mere fantasies to 99.9% of fans. So, I’ve never understood why fans take sides when it comes to disputes between millionaires and billionaires. I’ve worked for 36 years as an engineer, and haven’t made as much as Dak Prescott will make in 2 games. I’ve supported my family, sent 3 children to college, and am paying for a 2nd wedding this year. And it’s been enough.

Bottom line: it’s not my money. It isn’t your money either. Arguing over salary CAP dollars and player salaries is really among the most useless things a fan can do. We cannot relate to wealth at that level.

Does CeeDee, or Dak, or Micah “deserve” the money they’ll get? Is it fair that they make so much more these days than players like Larry Allen or Emmitt Smith made back in the day. WHO CARES? It’s not my money.

And it isn’t yours either. Pretending it matters to fans is just another psychological fantasy to engage fans. I won’t be sucked into those arguments anymore. I prefer to discuss football, not finances.

Preach!

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

This team is a bunch of overrated/overpaid losers feeding off bottom dwellers while folding like cheap tents vs any playoff-caliber team.
Bravo to management, All-In translates into the following..............You want the $$$$ then prove that you are worth it and can get the job done in the playoffs (if they make them that is) or else you're out the door!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Cap talk is irrelevant when winning is a non-factor esp in the playoffs!!

What?

 

[ChuckA1]

The trick is on us. The owners put a cap on what players can make ..but there is no cap on what owners can make. And that allows the players to stay in the crosshairs of fans...who blame players because owners make fans believe they can't win because of greedy players. The owners make more and more every year whether they win or lose. And they sit back and watch fans cuss and fuss over a players demands. It's comical to me. Fans don't ever complain when players are underpaid. But hate when players want market value after being underpaid for years. Wake up fans .. you've been had.

Cowboy nation should have long ago risen up against this nonsensical org structure that has held us back for the last 30 years. So until we unite and do something drastic to force the Jones family to make changes...I don't care what the players make. Jerry should not be the only person allowed to rob cowboy fans!

Lastly, I'm so jealous that the Commanders finally got their owner to sell. If only we could be so lucky.

I believe the CAP was placed on the league to protect the lower income teams from the higher income teams. It was initially established to create equality amongst the teams, I believe.

 

[cmoney23]

NFL teams (and other leagues) have proven over and over again they can manipulate the salary CAP in multiple ways to build the teams with the players they want. So any excuse that involves insufficient funds is just an excuse. Having said that, every team makes different strategic choices when it comes to managing the salary CAP.

As for player salaries, even the lowest paid players make salaries that are mere fantasies to 99.9% of fans. So, I’ve never understood why fans take sides when it comes to disputes between millionaires and billionaires. I’ve worked for 36 years as an engineer, and haven’t made as much as Dak Prescott will make in 2 games. I’ve supported my family, sent 3 children to college, and am paying for a 2nd wedding this year. And it’s been enough.

Bottom line: it’s not my money. It isn’t your money either. Arguing over salary CAP dollars and player salaries is really among the most useless things a fan can do. We cannot relate to wealth at that level.

Does CeeDee, or Dak, or Micah “deserve” the money they’ll get? Is it fair that they make so much more these days than players like Larry Allen or Emmitt Smith made back in the day. WHO CARES? It’s not my money.

And it isn’t yours either. Pretending it matters to fans is just another psychological fantasy to engage fans. I won’t be sucked into those arguments anymore. I prefer to discuss football, not finances.

Completely agree with you... but you are going to upset the "my taxes pay your salary" guys!

 

[Jumbo075]

Honestly, I don't have a problem with fans discussing the salary CAP. Heck, I used to keep a spreadsheet showing all of the player salaries, and how they were allocated both for cash outlays, and salary CAP implications. I'm not in the habit of trying to restrict anyone else's freedom to discuss whatever they want to discuss.

What bothers me is when fans opine as if the money being used is "owned" by them, and that the Cowboys are somehow obligated to consider fan opinions. The royal "WE", as in "How much can WE afford to pay Dak?", or "Can WE afford to pay Micah, Dak and CeeDee?" Seriously, there is no "WE." There is the Cowboys team, and we fans. We fans don't own anything. And pretending we own the Cowboys is a serious delusion.

We fans can make choices on how we spend our resources. If we choose to spend time offering opinions on the Cowboys, or attending games, or watching games on TV, or buying merchandise, those are choices we make about how we want to use OUR individual resources. Tickets to game are offered at a price. Time spent watching sports, or on opinion boards are choices we make for ourselves. Offloading responsibility for choices we make with our time and resources to Jerry Jones and his management team, or to the players for being "greedy" is a kind of juvenile irresponsibility. Jerry isn't to blame for the choices you make with your entertainment and clothing budget. You can always make other choices.

I CHOOSE to continue to offer opinions. But I don't refer to the Cowboys team, which is completely separate from me, as "WE." There is ME, and them. Two separate entities. I can refer to myself as part of WE fans.

If Amazon Prime or Netflix or the Disney channel or Paramount raise their streaming service rates, you can choose to pay the higher rate, or cancel the subscription. Or you can choose "FREE" services that make their revenue via advertising, if you have the patience to sit through the ads. Or you can go outside for a walk, or go play pickleball, or read a book. There is no "WE" if Amazon raises their rates. You choose to pay for the service or find other things to do with your time.

So why do fans insist on talking about the Cowboys and other local sports teams as if they are publicly owned entities. Sports has NEVER been anything but an entertainment choice. Sports is an enticing choice because the outcomes are not 100% predictable. Years ago, I stopped watching the NBA after I perceived the games to be rigged after the Mavericks lost to the Miami Heat in 2006. I just started watching the games again this past week because the Mavericks are doing so well, and the games are more entertaining. For years, I bought 100 tickets to go see Rangers games. I took my children, family and friends. But I NEVER thought about the teams in terms of "WE."

I don't mind anyone's opinion on any topic concerning the Cowboys. I have never posted trying to control other people. But seriously, the level of delusion that some fans have, as if they are owed team success, is totally irrational. It's like going to the movies, and spending the entire time discussing how unfair it is that Tom Hanks makes millions per movie, while the gaffer on set makes just a few dollars, and the production assistant is so poorly paid. I DON'T CARE. What I care about is whether the movie is good, and if it entertains me.

What I care about with the Cowboys is whether it is a good use of my entertainment time and resources. The fact that I prefer to discuss the entertainment value to me doesn't restrict anyone else. I LIKE watching Micah, and Dak, and CeeDee play. I LIKE watching the blocking schemes. I LIKE watching DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs intercept passes and return them for touchdowns. I LIKE watching Ka'Vontae Turpin use his speed. I LIKE watching Donovan Wilson take someone's head off when he has spectacular open field tackles. And if and when the Cowboys get new players, I'll watch them for their entertainment value - or I won't. But I haven't watched a live game in real time (except when at a group gathering) since 2013. Tevo was great. You can record a game, and watch a 3 hour broadcast in about 45 minutes or less if you fast forward through the commercials, huddles, and useless talking head babble, and still enjoy watching football without missing a play.

I used to LIKE researching college players skill sets and knowing every rookie coming into the NFL, and I still enjoy it to an extent. But other things take up my time now. I used to LIKE developing and updating my own personal power rating system. It appealed to the engineer/mathematician in me. I used to share all that on the DC.com website forum, and then on this comment board. But the endless complaints, and irrational "ownership" fetish of some of the fans here, and the increasingly small number of posters who dominate the conversations have made this forum less enjoyable. That's why I don't comment nearly as much as I used to do. It's also why I've made a couple of posts about the limit of the topics what I'm willing to join in conversation about. Inevitably, some other have accused me of trying to "control" the conversation, when all I'm doing is controlling myself, and my own conversation.

Commenting on this forum is ALSO and entertainment choice. It's become less entertaining to me over the last few years, which is why my comments have become more infrequent. I suspect that is the same experience for many others - which is why the comments have become more and more dominating by trolls and irrational fans who insist on having public arguments about insignificant things, and calling each other names. I despise the term "hater". I also despise the term "lover" when it refers to loving Jerry or any particular player. The ad hominem attacks on others bore the crap out of me. And they increasingly dominate this forum.

 

[Jumbo075]

I believe the CAP was placed on the league to protect the lower income teams from the higher income teams. It was initially established to create equality amongst the teams, I believe.

Prior to the CAP days, the Super Bowls were most often lopsided boring affairs. The CAP has actually increased the entertainment value of the NFL by creating more competitive playoff and Super Bowl games over the past 30 years. That is the reality for the NFL - even if the Cowboys have been frozen out of playoff success over that same period of time.

 

[Cowboys5217]

Capped league.
Cap and draft picks are your resources to build a team.
That's the NFL.
It's just bizarre that people can talk themselves into thinking the cap doesn't matter.

His motive was not that the cap doesn't matter. His motive was to talk down to fans that disagree with him.

 

[Denim Chicken]

I prefer to discuss football, not finances.

So roster building and asset allocation isn't related to football? Let's pretend the cap doesn't exist and these decisions don't matter to the success of the team?

 

[Jumbo075]

It should always be that way fancy worry about football and players and who they like and don't like on the team talk about football plays and how they hate their referees as soon as Google and the Internet put every damn thing online and fans now play fantasy football in Madden they all think they're professionals.. This stuff just created monsters know it all fans now think they get to have a say or feel like they're involved to a point where everything they say they think they can do a better job they truly think it's that easy that it's open and shut black and white and there is no Gray area and it should be just done quickly everything should be done easily and smoothly...

that's the bigger problem it isn't even discussing contracts it's the fact that they think that the Dallas Cowboys don't have very expensive lawyers CPA's capologist, a whole team of people working on this stuff they understand what's ahead of them and they'll get it worked out this stuff is a lot more complicated than some people around here want to make it believe they all experts you know who I'm talking about bringing up what the quarterback percentage is of what he's taking up the salary cap and you just can't have that blah blah blah blah..

I'm with you just stop the team will be the team game one we will see what the roster looks like and that goes for being upset about free agency in the offseason again let's see how the actual roster turns out and plays some games y'all just nitpick and cherry pick every little thing is set online and the people who buy most of that stuff it's not even coming from the Dallas Cowboys it's not official it's clickbait news the Dallas Cowboys sell good news bad news all news every player every free agent every trade it's linked to the Cowboys it's like 6° of separation the story always comes back to the Cowboys.. If they need content and they need to get some ratings they just bring up the Cowboys they make up stories that get everybody upset and none of it is true they're just guessing it's all rumors you have people out there act like they're professional sports writers they are social media content creators they don't know Jack.. Their job is to increase the viewership so they satisfy whoever that may be advertising with them or whatnot or get them money I have no idea but I'm really sick of it myself...

Let me be clear,

not a single person on this board and I don't know all of y'all have ever ran a professional football team or a professional sports franchise of this level....

We're talking about 32 billionaires who paid a lot of money to be part of this league, and the league is probably $100 billion franchise, they have so many layers of management on each team it is not Jerry Jones and Stephen over there rolling dice and throwing darts at the board...

The one thing they know is business, they have several successful billion dollar franchises not just the Dallas Cowboys and they know how to hire professionals, the people you probably don't even know that helped them with contracts and the cap..IE there is lawyers , CPA's, and professionals that do this and they are on the staff. I guarantee it are working on this stuff year-round it just because they aren't acting on it right away and in a fans time frame everybody's up in arms,

like you should just leave an open check and an open contract that's like generalized and you ask the player in agents to go fill in whatever you want let's get this done,LOL just fill it in ,don't worry about it...lmao

One of the things that I always find amazing is how fans describe Jerry and Stephen as if they don't know anything about football. "Get a real football guy" they say. I've been an engineer since May 16, 1988. That is 36 years this past month. It is shocking to myself how much I know about engineering design, systems, and construction management. I've learned so much simply from my experience over the years. Stephen Jones has been a football executive since February of 1989 - for over 35 years. I guarantee that he knows more than 99.9% of fans about how to run a football team, negotiate contracts, and manage a salary CAP. The notion that he's not a "football guy" is laughable on its face.

Of course, people can have differing opinions on his talent, just like people can have differing opinions on my ability as an engineer. But to deny Stephen is a football guy is like denying I'm an engineer. It's just ridiculous.

 

[blueblood70]

Of course they're not because the majority of stadiums are paid for using "our money" too, in form of taxes raised and public funds used to build them (not all of them, but a super majority - very few owners own their stadium).

That's true in a lot of cases but you're missing the real point like say AT&T it was half paid by the Cowboys half by Arlington yes by the taxpayers however you're missing what this really means for the city the Dallas Cowboys are then paying the city of Arlington Elise to use the stadium and the city of Arlington uses a stadium for many other events and when all those big events like the world soccer championships are coming here I don't even know what it's called but there are so many activities that go on at these stadiums that the city benefits from and for sure the business owners of all the restaurants and the hotels and all that other stuff are getting lots and lots of revenue...

When you look at this in black and white ohh yeah the city paid for half and then see nothing else you really don't pay attention in this case Jerry Jones not only paid for half of it he's then leasing back the stadium for his use so technically it's owned by the city of Arlington, so they got a stadium for half price and all the benefits that come from it...

They literally are attracting big businesses like Lowe's hotel, PBA, Esports, and some of the other things that opened up since the stadium was built in 2009 that would never have been in Arlington it also cleaned up Arlington I live here I'm part of the Chamber of Commerce that area they crushed the build that and everybody was up in arms about all the way to 360 they cleaned it up there are no more real clubs or any these special bars if you know what I mean they're all gone it's almost all just restaurants now...​

 

[Jumbo075]

So roster building and asset allocation isn't related to football? Let's pretend the cap doesn't exist and these decisions don't matter to the success of the team?

How many fans on this site that talk about the CAP still think the Cowboys are paying Ezekiel Elliott $6.04 million in cash for the dead money CAP hit on the books this year related to past monies paid- not including his 2024 salary/Bonus that he will receive this year in cash is only $2 million? The ignorance on display is astounding. People don't understand the difference between CASH accounting and ACCRUAL accounting. And yet they claim to be knowledgeable about the NFL salary CAP and how it should be managed. Laughable.

 

[MyFairLady]

One of the things that I always find amazing is how fans describe Jerry and Stephen as if they don't know anything about football. "Get a real football guy" they say. I've been an engineer since May 16, 1988. That is 36 years this past month. It is shocking to myself how much I know about engineering design, systems, and construction management. I've learned so much simply from my experience over the years. Stephen Jones has been a football executive since February of 1989 - for over 35 years. I guarantee that he knows more than 99.9% of fans about how to run a football team, negotiate contracts, and manage a salary CAP. The notion that he's not a "football guy" is laughable on its face.

Of course, people can have differing opinions on his talent, just like people can have differing opinions on my ability as an engineer. But to deny Stephen is a football guy is like denying I'm an engineer. It's just ridiculous.

This is a terrible analogy. I am also an engineer. I have no doubt that you are great at what you do. Having said that I have seen more than my share of engineers who have been going at it for years and years and are flat out terrible at what they do. Just because these guys have been having fun playing with their favorite toy for a long time now in no way means that they are good at what they do. They have been building a turd year after year for a long long time now. If you consider their mandate to be "build a championship football team" then they are terrible at what they do.

 

[MyFairLady]

For what it is worth I would also add that in many many instances the longer that someone does something the worse they can get at it. Clearly management have not improved over time. I would contend that they have done nothing but build bad habits, take the position less and less seriously and lose sight of what is truly important to fans.