Monday, June 30, 2008
Commish Goodell blames "the system" for rookie pay...
He cannot publicly blame his employers, the NFL owners, for offering and paying these salaries, no. It's "the system." And while I agree that many of the contracts are ridiculous,why do owners have to have protection from their own collective stupidity? Don't offer what you are not willing to pay. Everyone has to play by the same salary cap rules, so let each team offer what it thinks is in it's best interest and have the balls to let a number one pick sit out the season if he won't sign for what you consider reasonable, and quit bitching about how much you "have" to pay players. I have no sympathy for whiny players, and even less for whiny owners.
The NBA has a rookie cap. If the NFL owners want one, they will need to find a way to drive a wedge between the veteran players and high-dollar rookies. Before such a strategy can be effectively pursued, however, the big-market and small-market owners will have to come to some agreement on revenue sharing that both can live with and stick to for 5-7 years (the likely length of any new collective bargaining agreement).
Wojchiechowski nails it.
Teams and players should be thinking about a two-year window. The 2011 season looks less likely all the time. Just because a strike would be stupid for both owners and players does not mean it won't happen. I still the chances of a 2011 season as being above 50%, but not by much.
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