NFL fans don't cheer for business.

[nathanlt]

Yes, watching backups would be riveting television and would delight fans from coast to coast.

Not all talented players would walk away from a million + every year. They do love the game to some point beyond the ridiculous amounts of money. The system allows them to play simply for the money, and the system needs to change. Many great players will still play because they are great at what they do.

 

[Jarv]

Not all talented players would walk away from a million + every year. They do love the game to some point beyond the ridiculous amounts of money. The system allows them to play simply for the money, and the system needs to change. Many great players will still play because they are great at what they do.

Lets see, according to your system, with the salary cap at $109 million...each player would get over 2 million a year (Maybe even more if we pay kickers less, eh Hos).

Thats a whole lot less than they get now, or some players, which is always a problem you ask someone to take a pay cut. Then again others would make more.

Might some prima donna stars hold out ? Maybe, but I wouldn't care to tell you the truth.

I'm a diehard fan since 1970, but its not the same game that I grew up playing.

Count me in the minority here but I'm siding with nathanlt. I could do without the commercialism and prima donnas. Give me the Roger Staubachs, Ron Springs, Robert Newhouse, Billy Joe Duprees and even the hated, but respected Franco Harris, Mel Blount and that crazy guy Lambert.

Those were some of the best football days I've ever watch. Those guys did not make millions and gave me the best entertainment I could ever hope for, with half of the darn commercials.

Whatever, go ahead and rip me now because I'm old school.

 

[Mavs Man]

Yeah, the NFLPA will just love that!

It's bound to be a huge hit - we'll watch it spread to the private sector. No longer will workers be rewarded for advancing their skills, working harder than the other guy, showing up on time, producing results, etc. - everyone gets paid the same!

 

[Clove]

When it comes to purchasing a jersey, I wait until the player is proven before I purchase. You can almost tell the players Jerry will keep. You can basically book on a Ware Jersey.

 

[Catch-22]

When it comes to purchasing a jersey, I wait until the player is proven before I purchase. You can almost tell the players Jerry will keep. You can basically book on a Ware Jersey.

yeah, and the Julius Jones jerseys I bought after his rookie year are in jeopardy :laugh2:

 

[nathanlt]

Yeah, the NFLPA will just love that!

It's bound to be a huge hit - we'll watch it spread to the private sector. No longer will workers be rewarded for advancing their skills, working harder than the other guy, showing up on time, producing results, etc. - everyone gets paid the same!

Who cares about the NFLPA?? The people who would really hate it would be the sports agents!!! They would be out of a job. So would capologists. No holdouts... there would be no reason. Don't care... Quality football is the goal.

It won't spread to the private sector, the NFL can restrict this to millionaires playing a game for their livelihood. The NFLPA would still exist, but solely for the purpose of negotiating the increase of the salary cap each year.

 

[Crown Royal]

This can't be serious. The NFL is the best & most watched sport in the nation, and has only grown with free agency and the draft. I guess all the rest of those fans disagree with you.

 

[Alexander]

I bought an Antonio Bryant jersey that is worthless

A fool and his money are soon parted.

 

[gbrittain]

I think the best thing the owners could do is allow home grown players contracts to not count against the cap.

It would allow teams to keep the stars they developed at a price if they wanted too without jeopardizing the future of the team.

There would cleary be a competitive advantage to drafting well.

It looks like a win-win-win to me. The players get paid, the owners get flexibility, and the fans get a chance to see homegrown players stay at home.

I guess the NBA version has some sort of soft cap or whatever they call it, but I am not all that familiar with it and how it works specifically.

 

[Alexander]

This can't be serious. The NFL is the best & most watched sport in the nation, and has only grown with free agency and the draft. I guess all the rest of those fans disagree with you.

This is the same melodramatic Nancy who was threatening to hang himself from the rafters when Terrell Owens was signed.

Consider the source.

For someone who is so disgusted about the way the team and sport has deteriorated, he certainly appears to be spending an awful lot of time complaining about it.

Rage, rage against the dying of your romantic vision of what the NFL is all about, nathanlt.

I am sure the powers-that-be in the league care.

 

[Clove]

yeah, and the Julius Jones jerseys I bought after his rookie year are in jeopardy :laugh2:

Let's hope so... Just playing.

 

[superpunk]

End Free Agency. Now. All players recieve 1/53 rd of the salary cap. No options for bigger bonuses, no reason to move from team to team, No. Play for the love of the game, and that's it. Those who don't, GOODBYE! For the rest, stay with your team, and develop your skills. That will make the game on the field better. And fans will have favorite players again. Loyalty will be back in the NFL.

http://img139.*************/img139/412/incomredze2.gif

 

[burmafrd]

Its clear the product is not as good as it was 15 years ago. No arguement. But that is reality. The NFL made a conscious decision to destroy the possibility of real dynastys in the interest of parity and giving every team a chance to make the playoffs. So far it has worked- more casual fans and more interest by the less then die hard fans. Money talks. I loved the NFL in the 70's to the 90's even when the Boys were not winners and ready to go to the SB. Because there were great TEAMS and watching them was sufficient while I waited for the Boys to rebuild. Now, watching the slop that is the current NFL product hurts sometimes. I remember how it was and that is my problem. the younger fans from the late 90s on know nothing about great teams- some of them think the Pats are a great team and dynasty. Please. The Bills, 9rs, Boys, Packers, Broncos from the mid 90s would have ate the current pats right up. 35-10 average score. As more and more of us older fans die off - in 10-15 years only a small fraction of older fans will be left. Just the way it is.

 

[Doomsday101]

I'm so sick of everyone saying football is just a business. This cut was just a business decision. Baloney!!!

NFL fans are being left out in the cold with the musical chairs that goes around. I know that with millions of dollars on the line, and making personnel moves seems critical for success. But owners better realize that fans need to be happy, not just the players. The fans pay the bills.

Hey, fans don't cheer for cutting an iconic star, or a key starter because of cap reasons!! They don't whoop and holler... "He could... sign... on... the dotted line!!!" "Franchise Tag! Franchise Tag!, Franchise Tag!!" They don't cheer for multimillion dollar deals or collective bargaining agreements.

No, they cheer for touchdowns and sacks, and hard tackles. They like a team because they have favorite players, and tradition, and feel a connection to the team. People make a team, and owners should strive to keep a cohesive unit together, one that doesn't flip 30% of it's roster every year, one that doesn't do a 90% swapout every 5 years. That's ridiculous!

Owners should start putting the fans first, because the NFL is slipping into more chaos and complexity than ever before. The ship needs to be righted. I can't even buy a jersey anymore. I used to like doing that.

Owner? Players are the ones who went on strike and forced the system we are in. You want blame someone at least put it where it belongs.

 

[kTXe]

End Free Agency. Now. All players recieve 1/53 rd of the salary cap. No options for bigger bonuses, no reason to move from team to team, No. Play for the love of the game, and that's it. Those who don't, GOODBYE! For the rest, stay with your team, and develop your skills. That will make the game on the field better. And fans will have favorite players again. Loyalty will be back in the NFL.

Horray Communism!

EDIT: Damnit, superpunk, I see you already posted this exact same thought. Bastage! I swear, about 90% of the stuff I am going to say on this board, I scroll down the thread only to find that you have already said it...great minds, I guess.

 

[FLcowboy]

Hey, fans don't cheer for cutting an iconic star, or a key starter because of cap reasons!! They don't whoop and holler... "He could... sign... on... the dotted line!!!" "Franchise Tag! Franchise Tag!, Franchise Tag!!" They don't cheer for multimillion dollar deals or collective bargaining agreements.

No, they cheer for touchdowns and sacks, and hard tackles. They like a team because they have favorite players, and tradition, and feel a connection to the team. People make a team, and owners should strive to keep a cohesive unit together, one that doesn't flip 30% of it's roster every year, one that doesn't do a 90% swapout every 5 years. That's ridiculous!

First of all, you are right, fans cheer the touchdowns and victories. If those two things cease, the fans will go elsewhere. It is up to the owner to keep the team productive in scoring touchdowns, and assuring victories, just so you as the fan will be happy. In order to bring new talent onto the field, the owner has to shed some old talent. Hopefully he gains in the exchange.

Players on their own decide to make a few more bucks, and leave to play for another owner. The salary cap is a device that keeps the teams on an even playing field. There are no New York Yankees in the NFL.

When you figure all this out, you'll understand why the NFL is the way it is.

 

[superpunk]

Horray Communism!

EDIT: Damnit, superpunk, I see you already posted this exact same thought. Bastage! I swear, about 90% of the stuff I am going to say on this board, I scroll down the thread only to find that you have already said it...great minds, I guess.

you should wake up earlier.

 

[Hostile]

More interesting?? How about more chaotic and complex? My point is that the owners need to make the business more transparent to the fan, in that players don't change teams. The draft is good, free agency and cap cuts are complete crap. Jersey sales are a declining business, because of the overexposure and lack of value when a player leaves the team.

I bought an Antonio Bryant jersey that is worthless, and the only jersey that has value is Staubach, Randy White, Dorsett, and any other retired career Dallas Cowboy. I can't rely on ANY player for today's roster that will be a career Cowboy. That's WRONG.

What needs to happen, and I DON'T CARE what naysayers respond with, is this:

End Free Agency. Now. All players recieve 1/53 rd of the salary cap. No options for bigger bonuses, no reason to move from team to team, No. Play for the love of the game, and that's it. Those who don't, GOODBYE! For the rest, stay with your team, and develop your skills. That will make the game on the field better. And fans will have favorite players again. Loyalty will be back in the NFL.

The NFL is headed in the wrong direction. Overexposure, instability. Fans will get tired of this in a few years.

Yes, the NFL is more interesting than ever. It stays in the sports news almost all year round now whereas before it used to fade into memories.

What you propose above about 1/53rd is insulting. There is no way on this earth that a Pat McQuistan is worth as much as a Demarcus Ware. To think differently is to not understand what the game is about.

 

[nathanlt]

Yes, the NFL is more interesting than ever. It stays in the sports news almost all year round now whereas before it used to fade into memories.

What you propose above about 1/53rd is insulting. There is no way on this earth that a Pat McQuistan is worth as much as a Demarcus Ware. To think differently is to not understand what the game is about.

Demarcus Ware... ridiculously overpaid... soon to be more ridiculously overpaid.

Pat McQuistan... ridiculously overpaid.

There is no insult in making them both equally ridiculously overpaid. In fact the fans would know that the only reason a player stays with a team is that he actually likes the guys he works with, and the city he lives in. That would be really good for the fans. That's what's really important in my mind, and all the players are millionaires twice over, every year.

Hey, and imagine this, a large bonus can be had for every player that makes the Pro-Bowl. That will continue to make players strive to be the best they can be. The system can still reward talent without destroying loyalty.

 

[WoodysGirl]

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