nyc;2888454 said:
I think fixing the rookie salaries would be a huge step forward. I also believe that long term guaranteed money is for the birds. No signing bonuses. Every year you play in, that year is guaranteed money. If you sign a 2 year $20M contract, then only $10M is guaranteed until you play in the first game of the second season. This also eliminates the lazy bum players who only play for contracts.
They want guaranteed money to protect their futures. To me? I say, "Hey if you want a safer job, then you're in the wrong business!" Besides, they get paid plenty of money due to the risks without needing to guarantee tons of extra money.
I don't see the soldiers in Iraq or Afganistan getting $10M a year and $30M guaranteed if they get hurt or killed.
This I completely disagree with. The NFL is the only major sports league without a guaranteed contract and one of the reasons for a lack of continuity on teams. If players had guaranteed contracts owners would be more frugal in their attempts to secure the RIGHT player rather than tossing money around to guys like Haynesworth who decide to start playing when their up for a new contract. If Snyder had to guarantee Fat Albert his $100 million then he would have never even sniffed that kind of money. Some would argue that performance clauses would be the answer. The only problem with that is that you've taken a team player and made him an individual player. I say guarantee them and the players who deserve the contracts (Ware, Peterson, Ward) get what they deserve and the pretenders (Haynesworth, Walker, Hall) also get what they are worth.
I may be in the minority, but I think the salary cap is good for the game. Without it the likes of Tampa Bay, or Seattle never would gave even sniffed Super Bowl appearances. I think it's good for the competitive spirit of the game. Something definitely needs to be done with rookie salaries, though. There's no way busted #1 draft pick should be able to cripple a team against the salary cap. The draft is too much of a gamble for that type of junk.
As far as the soldiers' reference, the same argument could be made about many professions. Teachers, police officers, firemen. The fact is if any of those people could be in the entertainment business, they would. If for nothing more than lucrative financial impact. Unfortunately, the same people that complain about the injustice help feed the machine. What was the last teacher's jersey you or I ever bought? Ever go out to sports bars and pimp your local fire department? Yet most of us (myself included) would drop $25.00 for a baseball cap with a simple "D" on the front of it. It's the entertainment business. Reserved for the elite of the elite. Not just anyone can sing, act, play football, or golf on a world class level. That's why everyone knows Tiger and very few know Mrs. Brooks. As long as we (collectively) demand to be entertained, we (collectively) will line their pockets. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
Wow that went on a little longer than I intended. :laugh2:
