OT: NFL may come uncapped

[JCD]

FOR ONCE they have leverage! The owners are systemically and actively tight-knit, the players have the worst arrangement of any of the four majors and yes that includes the NHL despite the recent shafting the NHLPA got.

I dont think they can finagle guaranteed contracts or anything too crazy but they can certainly get the shift to total revenue and the percentage they want.

An uncapped season means serious trouble and a strike would be totally disastrous.

You are too young to remember this, but the last time the players thought they had the leverage, they went on strike mid-season. Owners brought in scabs in a matter of hours. The NFLPA came to their senses and the cap era was born. The strike was disasterous, but not for the owners.

From the sounds of things, a good number of NFLers are quite happy with the current situation and think Upshaw is fighting the wrong fight. Instead of fighting over % of revenue, he should be putting a cap on rookie salaries and going for more guarenteed money (something he didn't bother to fight for).

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Rookie salaries are just out of control, and really do need to be reigned in - that would mean more money for the non-rookies, but it's not a big deal in terms of what's being argued from what I can tell.

The other big part of the fight is on the owners' side: the big-money owners still want their team-specific revenues excluded from the pot that's shared because that's money those few teams don't have to spend on salaries and can just line the pocketbooks as a result, the small-money owners and players want that money kicked into the revenue-sharing deal (owners b/c they *don't* have access to that kind of revenue sources, players b/c that would mean more money to be paid in salaries).

Ultimately, the fight is over what counts as revenue for the purpose of paying the players, and how much is paid to the players. The union would probably take a lower percentage if the team-specific stuff was in the pot, but if it isn't then they want a higher percentage. It's mostly owners vs. players, but it's not entirely.

But if Gene Upshaw keeps going down this road, he'll lead the players off the cliff like he did in 1987. Unfortunately, many of the players will just blindly follow him on over instead of demanding he get a deal done.

 

[Egil]

The NFL is offering a lower % of revenues than the NHL. At $2.4 Billion, the NHL will give the players 56% of revenues. At $2.7 Billion, the NHL will give the players 57% of revenues. Your telling me the NFL can only afford 56% of revenues? Give me a break.

And that is before you consider that the NFL doesn't even want to count some of their revenues. Nope, the players association is correct here, its the NFL owners who are being greedy pigs.

 

[Troy McClure]

they lose all Health Insurance coverage from the league, and the league no longer puts money into Pension and 401k. Each team is given a 2nd Franchise Tag. And with no Cap, there is no penalty in franchising a player over and over and over, as long as you are willing to pay him. Free Agency years climb from 4 to 6 years experience.

You also forgot that the minimum salaries drop out as well. To me, that's the biggest kick to the crotch because when you combine that with the loss of health insurance, those crappy fringe players will suffer the most. And those are the players a union is really supposed to protect. The superstars don't need protection. They'll always get paid.

 

[Troy McClure]

Nope, the players association is correct here, its the NFL owners who are being greedy pigs.

Both sides are. The players are richer now than ever before, yet they're fighting for a few more % points.

 

[JCD]

The NFL is offering a lower % of revenues than the NHL. At $2.4 Billion, the NHL will give the players 56% of revenues. At $2.7 Billion, the NHL will give the players 57% of revenues. Your telling me the NFL can only afford 56% of revenues? Give me a break.

And that is before you consider that the NFL doesn't even want to count some of their revenues. Nope, the players association is correct here, its the NFL owners who are being greedy pigs.

That is a misrepresentation. The NHL cap only extends to those levels if it grows form it's current 1.8 bil revenue. A >25% increase.

More so, the NFL system has allowed for every team in the league to be both profitable and competitive. The NHL is trying to recover from a system that had half the league operating in the red.

 

[Egil]

That is a misrepresentation. The NHL cap only extends to those levels if it grows form it's current 1.8 bil revenue. A >25% increase.

More so, the NFL system has allowed for every team in the league to be both profitable and competitive. The NHL is trying to recover from a system that had half the league operating in the red.

If NHL revenues become $2.4 Bil (which is only a $200 mil or so increase from pre-lockout levels), the players get 56% of revenues. NFL revenues are WAY, WAY, WAY higher than that, yet they can only afford to give up 56% of SOME revenues?

I also suspect that using the NHL revenue definition the NFL players get LESS than the 54% NHL players get.

 

[JCD]

If NHL revenues become $2.4 Bil (which is only a $200 mil or so increase from pre-lockout levels), the players get 56% of revenues. NFL revenues are WAY, WAY, WAY higher than that, yet they can only afford to give up 56% of SOME revenues?

I also suspect that using the NHL revenue definition the NFL players get LESS than the 54% NHL players get.

That is a might big "if" you are tossing in there. If somebody was to increase my revenue by >25%, I would toss them an extra percent or two as well.

Furthermore, you do realize that the NHL sets it's numbers using only "hockey related revenue" same as the NFL, right? Both sides tuck away spin-off revenue that doesn't hit those numbers. If Lurie rents the Linc or Snyder rents the Wachovia Center to the Rolling Stones, not a dime of that will be accounted for. If Lurie or Snyder own the parking lot adjacent to the facility, that money is going into his pocket and not the league's.

NFL Revenues are WAY WAY higher than NHL revenues. As are their expenses. And their risk. The NFL has a fix expense (a high cap floor, high operating expenses, high taxes, high maintenance costs), I would wager that their fixed expenses dwarf that of the NHLs. Additionally, the cost of to purchase those franchises is FAR greater than in the NHL. It is just a much more expensive game to play. For example, Wilf bought the Vikings last year for a reported 700 million dollars. That is damn near enough to buy an entire NHL division. For that 700 million purchase, he made <$30 million last year and is being asked to invest roughly 150 million more if he wants a new stadium.

 

[Transported Upstater]

From the sounds of things, a good number of NFLers are quite happy with the current situation and think Upshaw is fighting the wrong fight. Instead of fighting over % of revenue, he should be putting a cap on rookie salaries and going for more guarenteed money (something he didn't bother to fight for).

Excellent post.

 

[Egil]

Looks like the NFL and the NFLPA have been unable to come to an agreement. This should be interesting!

 

[X0ssbar]

NFL free agency put off until Thursday

NFL labour negotiations took yet another surprising turn late Sunday when the league and union agreed to postpone free agency another 72 hours, giving the sides more time to try to reach agreement on an extension to their contract.

http://tsn.ca/nfl/news_story.asp?id=157326

You go...no your turn....lets extend..now your turn.ok..

Rinse, wash, repeat.

 

[Ar-too]

They would be so freaking dumb to let this end badly.

 

[iAvs]

NFL labour negotiations took yet another surprising turn late Sunday when the league and union agreed to postpone free agency another 72 hours, giving the sides more time to try to reach agreement on an extension to their contract.

http://tsn.ca/nfl/news_story.asp?id=157326

You go...no your turn....lets extend..now your turn.ok..

Rinse, wash, repeat.

This is starting to feel like the movie "Groundhog Day".