NFL facing apocalypse!

masteen · Post by **masteen** » March 1, 2006, 8:21 pm

Well, maybe not, but if the CBA does not get extended, we're in for a 2006 with many of the top talents in the league not playing due to salary, and a draft that could end up being meaningless because teams will not have any cap room for rookies.

This would climax with an uncapped year in 2007, when teams with big markets and deep pockets will be basically buying as much talent as they can afford. So look for the 2008 Super Bowl to be Jets/Giants.

The player's union has said that if they ever get one uncapped year, they will never go back. Good thinking guys, look how well that worked for baseball.

The owners are already talking about a lockout before the 2008 season to prevent exactly that.

The deadline before teams will have to seriously jettison players to get under the restricted 2006 cap is midnight Thursday, but already, Denver, Miami, and Buffalo have ditched expensive veterans.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 1, 2006, 8:38 pm

Greed is long overdue to fuck up the NFL for a year or two. It will save me some money if I don't have to buy NFL Sunday Ticket for a year.

At least the NBA is set for awhile.

Taison Earbiter · Post by **Taison Earbiter** » March 1, 2006, 9:56 pm

I'm pretty sure they'll get something worked out at the last minute, theres too much at stake in the long run for no one to give in a little. Most of the drama over this in the media is coming from Upshaw trying to grandstand and force the owners into giving in, it's like a game of chicken with both of them heading toward the cliff waiting to see who will stop first.

By the way, giants/jets arent even in the top half of the NFL for revenue, the top NFC team is Washington, top AFC is New England (
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/30/Rank_1.html)

Taison Earbiter · Post by **Taison Earbiter** » March 2, 2006, 8:06 pm

Free agency delayed till Monday 12:01am

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2351271

Xyphir · Post by **Xyphir** » March 2, 2006, 8:34 pm

What masteen was implying was that the Jets/Giants are both large market teams, like the Mets and Yankees. They can jack up the price of tickets and still fill seats. This is not primarily an issue between the NFLPA and the owners. It's mainly an issue between the owners. If it comes to the end of 2007 and no CBE has been signed, then the salary cap/floor goes bye-bye and we'll see something similar to what we have in MLB.

The Redskins (Dan Snider) are awful with their salary cap. They have been every since Snider bought the team. They couldn't buy a championship when they hired Spurrier to coach and when they had a bunch of old fogies (Jeff George, Bruce Smith, Dieon Sanders). It's not a huge shock to see them at the top of the list.

I'm really interested to see what happens if they try and stick to the $94M cap. Teams will be struggling to sign their draft picks. The free-agent market will be dynamite though. With teams already clearing room to get under the cap, it'll be a buyers market for talent at just about every position. Players would be smart to not sign a long-term deal since next year the salary cap either gets bumped up or gets eliminated all together.

Regardless, there will be a 2006 season.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » March 3, 2006, 2:59 pm

finally a year for the browns to shine.

Deward · Post by **Deward** » March 7, 2006, 12:09 pm

There is a huge difference between the NFL and MLB. In the MLB, the difference between the haves (Yankees, $208mill) and have-nots(devil rays, $29 mill) is way more obvious than in the NFL. In the NFL, Washington is the highest revenue team at $310mill and Jacksonville the lowest at $170million. Jacksonville still has the revenue to be competitive regardless of salary cap.

The sticking point right now is the amount of revenue sharing going on. The owners already give 65% of the revenue back to the players. Many of the owners don't mind going higher but others like Snyder can barely afford it. Him and the other newer owners are still in the red while trying to pay back the massive loans they had to take out to buy their teams. I think the Houston franchise cost something like a billion dollars and I know Snyder paid at least $6-700 million for the Redskins.

The above being said, I believe the NFL needs a salary cap and free agency. I love the fact that a crappy team one year has an opportunity to do well the next year. I don't miss the Dallas and San Fran dynasty years of the 80s and 90s. While the difference between the haves and have-nots in the NFL won't be nearly as bad as the MLB, it will be there and if the lower teams decide that they can't compete, then they may just stop trying. The NFL definitely does not want a few devil rays teams around the league.

In the end, I see the owners ponying up a bit more of their revenue but not nearly as much as the NFLPA is begging for. I really don't think that the salary cap will be gotten rid of.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » March 7, 2006, 1:03 pm

I'm going to have to look up some of the financials but I think if there's any PA that has a gripe with their current agreement, it's the NFL. Unless I'm mistaken, can't injured players get dropped? Maybe I'm wrong but I always thought that injuries that are career ending can really screw over whatever money they were supposed to get because of their limited guarantee clauses. If that's the case, I think the NFL is ridiculously stingy.
Playing NFL games are brutal on the body. On top of that, I don't get the impression NFL owners are in crisis financially as was the case with the NHL.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » March 7, 2006, 8:29 pm

The NFL as a whole has pretty shoddy long-term insurance and disability care. However, while I'm sympathetic to the guys who played many years ago for fairly shitty money, I have NONE for the guys who played in the 80's, snorted their millions, and are now homeless.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » March 9, 2006, 6:45 pm

yay cba extended 6 years. gogo nfl

masteen · Post by **masteen** » March 9, 2006, 7:02 pm

My midlife crisis was going to come early if I had to live through another strike season.