It may well be the most fiscally ran of all the major professional sports here within North America. Its reach is quite vast and its economic presence is most certainly felt in all of the communities where it has a foothold over the other major professional sports. The behemoth that is the NFL as we know it is here to stay and with its take no prisoners stance . It's hard to argue with its success over the years.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell who's having to walk a tightrope in dealing with venerable issues that run the gamut of the league, from player's behavior to the collective bargaining agreement , to player's salaries and benefits for the retired veterans of the league. picture courtesy of nfl.com/rogergoodell .............
However it can't be lost on most of us what has indeed been happening when it comes to the discussion of the salaries of the NFL rookies who embark on a career in the NFL . Having just come out of college , having yet to play a down in the league. Roger Goodell has recently said that he'd like to see this situation readily addressed by the league and the owners. But you'd be hard pressed to get the Players' Union representative Gene Upshaw to acquiesce to such. Upshaw in his rein as the players' representative has been less than gracious in his dealings on his members behalf despite the outpouring of his supporters in some circles. Other who've been opposed to his handling of their affairs have derided him openly and behind closed doors.
NFLPA representative Gene Upshaw has the task of representing the players and their interests as deemed by the league and those of his members. But recently Upshaw has been under fire from some of his members current as well retired ones in his handling of their affairs. picture courtesy of i.a/cnn.net/writers/sports/nfl
And most certainly the veterans of the league and those who've retired can't be genuinely happy with his leadership in recent years. It's as if in his role he's become something akin to a third world despotic leader ruling the union with an iron fist. Insomuch that his word is final and he's not prepared to listen to sound reasoning no matter what form it takes.
Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons taken in the first round and the third pick overall. picture courtesy of espn.go.com/nfl/atlantafalcons ...
This year it'd seem that like no other , the discussion surrounding that of rookie salaries has become paramount amongst the league. And in particular with the GM's around the league as they go about negotiating the contracts of the players with their agents. And nowhere has this been more noticeable and disconcerting than with players such as Jake Long and Matt Ryan. Of whom it can be said though they were great college players of note. In deferrence to them the contracts negotiated on their behalf in no way is justifiable of their worth. Even if it is what the market is prepared to bear. They've yet to prove themselves at the highest echelons of the game but they're being rewarded as if they're seasoned veterans within the league.
Jake Long of the Miami Dolphins taken in the first round and the number one draft pick overall in this year's NFL draft. picture courtesy of media.metro.ca/sports/nfl/miamidolphins/jakelong ..........
We all know as such that the talent within the first two rounds is where the real money will be paid out to the players of note. But how can one justify a six year US$ 72m contract with $34.75m of that being guaranteed to the player ? Potential is one thing and one can assume that it is what their renumeration package is based on if nothing else. Because the last time I checked reward was actually based on results and not the speculative in its nature. For Matt Ryan the newly drafted quarterback of the Altanta Falcons it must've felt as if Santa Claus had indeed come early for him early this year in terms of the gift bestowed upon him from his team. The same could be said of his the other first round draftee and number one pick overall Jake Long of the Miami Dolphins whose own contract was something that's disproportionate to what's being paid to seasoned veterans at the position.
Darren McFadden of the Oakland Raiders on draft day. McFadden was drafted out of the University of Arkansas. picture courtesy of showtime.arkansasonline.com/images/nfl/darrenmcfad den .......
Recently Ryan in an interview stated that he'd be opposed to anything that'd reverse the way that rookies were paid . Well one can understand his stance when he's offcourse the benefactor of a team's largesse in rewarding him. So much so that at a rookie symposium organized by the league for their newly incumbent members. One of the subjects for the players was the handling of their finances. It begs the question whilst in college were any of the players acually learning anything other than a game plan ? And if so how the hell is that many of them end up being broke after literally earning millions in such a short time frame ?
Glenn Dorsey of LSU taken by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the draft.picture courtesy of arrowhead.com/nfl/glenndorsey........
For seasoned veterans in the league there has to be some jealousy as to what they now see is an unfair system. At the same time they too were also benefactors of that same reward system. The only thing now is that the monies now being discussed is immeasurably higher. So what does that indicate to a player whose been in the league for six or seven years and has had a solid though not spectacular career, when he goes about in trying to renew his contract, he's told that he can only be paid at a prevailing rate that by no means justifies his worth to that team ? Something deeply is awry with the system that at this juncture no one seemingly knows how to address it in equitable fashion.
Upshaw for his part has let it be known that he doesn't want to address the situation until he feels that its necessary. In other words he's prepared to use it as a bargaining chip in the next round of discussions when it comes to the renewing of the collective bargaining argeement. Something that Goodell and the owners will look forward to with baited breath. The fact of the matter is that the fans will be the ones who'll end up paying for this with higher season ticket prices as well as general admission prices and that of the concessions and merchandizing that we're lured into buying each season as it unfolds. We're just an afterthought in all of this as the league and its minions goes about conducting its business as it usually does.
The more things are said to change in actuality is the more they remain the same. And nowhere is this more identifiable than in the way the NFL conducts its business when it comes to money. Lip service is merely given to create the illusion to the public that something is actually being done about an issue that seemingly affects the league and its fans alike.
A Mercedes Benz Maybach S350L something that a first round draft pick might want to pick up for a steal having received that exorbitantly large signing bonus. picture courtesy of mercedesbenz.co.uk/images/mercedesbenz/maybach .....
In actuality however were the league a public corporation I sincerely doubt we'd be seeing this type of conduct being gratuitously being executed in such a way. Less that it is we were witnessing the opaque stupidity of the federal government or some other business concern that pay its officials lavishly but offers very little in return to its patrons.
Gene Upshaw is lucky that the league and the players are making so much money. If not he would have been out on his #### long ago. I've long thought that Upshaw is being compromised by the owners. He's either getting paid by both sides, or he is grossly incompetent.
One thing for sure, Goodell didn't come up with this idea on his own. Either the owners told him to say it, or if he did think it up, he had to run it by them before going public with it.
hanahan
I don't know that he'd be paid by both sides. As he's primarily there to meet and represent the needs of the current and past players. But herein lies the rub of the green. He doesn't listen to sound advice when given and thinks that the NFLPA is his own personal fiefdom . When infact it's a collective set up to act on behalf of its members.
And his handling of the vets' situation has left a rather distasteful feeling around the league and in the minds of the fans. Neither side has ever dealt with that issue effectively as they'd rather sweep it all under the carpet and keep it as their own personal dirty little secret .
And it's the same with Ditka and his so called charity . If you're putting your name to something you'd better know the inner workings as to what they're doing. Instead of acting oblivious to what's going on and then have certain individuals with know vested interest in the matter making excuses on your behalf.
justan' aka tophatal .............
Last edited by justanotherfan on July 4th at 5:38 AM.
It's pretty hard to feel any sympathy toward professional sports figures who, no matter what they get paid, it still winds up bein' more inna year than any of us make inna lifetime...
...As long az pro-sports are the opiate of the masses, the cartels that supply it will continue to deal it and just like the dealers that supply drugs, the only answer is to "just say "No" to sports"...and we all know...THAT ain't gonna happen...
We passed the Rubicon of Greed a long time ago...and az the old comic-strip hero "Pogo" might say..."We have met the enemy and He iz Us.."
"There's a sucker born every minute.."
P.T. Barnum
If it's on TV...I'll watch it...but I ain't payin' ferra dam_n thang..It's not my problem.
I'm torn on this issue. While I understand why league vets are miffed that newbies are naming their price as they enter the league, I also can't fault them for doing so. It may be their only chance for paydirt.
I will agree that a rookie cap more representing the NBA is likely in order, but not so much. What if a promising young player's career is cut short? Then he ends up with nothing.
If I don't miss the mark, this one issue is going to blow up all the previous agreements between the owners and players. The veterans give lip service to the injustice of the huge rookie contracts when in the back of their mind they all know that it is just this process that keeps the veteran's salaries skyrocketing. It is the prime example they point to when negotiating a new contract for themselves.
Remember in the mid-eighties when the union and owners went to the mats? The owners brought in replacement players who were more than happy at a shot to make it in the bigs. This is where I believe this thing is going to go once again...
Commissioner Goodell just fired the first volley across the bow of the NLFPA.
The players want stronger leadership and are now proceeding with a tact to push their current leadership aside...
The battle lines are being drawn and guess who will suffer in all of this? It's once again the fans.
SteveoinHTown
Something has to be done sooner rather than later 'cause if not then there'll be hell to pay in the ensuing years. The cap is already on the increase and as the players are still getting a bigger piece of the pie . They're still on the lookout for more.
And now with the advent of the rookies and their depth defying agents and the greed that manifests itself through them. Then things continually get worse all around. Is it any wonder that there's now so much distrust between the players and owners ? And each are as culapable as the other in all of this.
With the 2010-2011 season quite possibly being an uncapped one all hell'll break loose as the salaries rise into the stratosphere if something isn't done aggressively to readdress this issue once and for all.
They ought to take a lea out of the books of the NBA and have a modified but hard cap in place covering rookie salaries.
And in dloing so what the NFL and the Players' Association can is to get an insurance policy in place that'll cover the players for the first three years of their careers in case they should end up being injured due to unforeseen circumstances. They've got it well within their powers to do this . But it'd appear that commons sense and the application of it won't ever come into play.
Especially where Gen
Reverend Rhythm
See my comments to Steveo' with regard to a modified salary cap. There you'll undoubtedly see that it makes a lot of sense to go an do something like that. That way there's some fairness being displayed and at the same time. Once the player has played three years within the league then he can go after the big bucks.
The system in place is unequivocably unfair. As to the worries of the veterans and especially the retired players in general . They're being treated as if they've never contributed anything to the game. So much so one can understand the reason why they'd be up in arms with the treatment that they're getting from Goodell and in particular that bloodsu*cking parasite Gene Upshaw !
Dwindy 1 The point is this issue will blow up in their faces if they don't come to terms with it fast. But Upshaw wants to use it as leverage and bargaining device when they discuss the next collective bargaining agreement.
He's been somewhat of a disservice to a number of the players within league with his belligerent demeanor and autocratic ways. So much so that I do believe that there'll be a mutiny amongst the players to have him removed from his tenure as head of the NFLPA. Certainly at this juncture I do believe that it'd be the right thing to do without a doubt.
Strong images produced by this topic of an elitist society led and drivin by sports marketing. Earlier in the week it was released that to puchase a season ticket for the cowboys one would have to pay upto 150k just for the privilage of buying the ticket. I see only corporations being able put up that bounty. The majority of super bowl seats are purchased with corporate money to influence or reward the loyalist. I can see men in white togas attending sporting events in the future,corporate people get weired that way, while the rest of us watch on t.v. A large implosion is coming.
goutdaddy
The NFL much like the NBA has its corporate masters to deal with. The common man on the street isn't even an afterthought when it comes to any of the major sport's anymore.
Hell with the economy now the way that it is . We certainly won't be seeing anymore sold out venues for games and the proceedings'll be watched at home.
And as to the machinations of the NFL and NFLPA , they're a law unto themselves. And they strictly don't give a damn about the fans at all.
Tell me how it is that the likes of Upshaw can't see that the game is being severely hurt by the stance that he's now taking. And at the sam time the NFL and the owners have been marching to the same friggin' beat for the last 5 years without ever fully addressing this very issue.
You don't need to be damn rocket scientist to see where this could very well be heading.
justan' aka tophatal ........
Last edited by justanotherfan on July 4th at 11:46 AM.
As always great post. I recently wrote a post about rookie salaries although it was not as in depth as this.
However, rookies are paid way to much, players that have not proven themmselves as NFL quality players do not deserve the money.
Money should be earned in the NFL not the NCAA. It is unfair to the veterans who have proven thier skills, but are recieving less money to stay under the salary cap because all of the teams money was spent on thier first round draft pick. Draft picks should have to earn thier money on the field, similiar to the NBA.
King Roger has only stated what sane minds already know.
The first rounder rookie scale is beyond comprehension. It only takes one owner paying far too much to make the agents heads swell.
Rampant, Justa, Sir Beckham...
When I moved to DFW in the summer of 92, a friend offered me FOUR Cowboys season tickets, in perpetuity, at the 40, about 20 rows back. He wanted someone he knew to take over his season tickets, forever, or at least thru 2008! I said no because I was cash poor then. I kicked myself several weeks after that and far more after da Boys started to win.
JJones and his Death Star Stadium features PSL's of $150,000! OMG! Totally beyond comprehension.
This is the future of the NFL. 100k seat stadiums that can only be afforded by the elite.
Dwindy1, you say the vets give lip service to the rookie contracts because they can use them to get raises. But if these rookies weren't getting 35 million guaranteed, there would be quite a bit more pie for the vets. They could argue based on value and skills as opposed to pointing at rookies and crying for the cookie their little brother has. Seriously, Jake Long is a good OT, but how mad are the Dolphins going to be in a year or two when they are paying a huge salary to a guy who had to be moved to the right side? Or ATL when my (MATT(RYAN)LEAF) shirts start making money? It is sad. Let's keep rookies pay at a reasonable rate.
oaklandathleticsfan
I know of no other business where one is paid merely on potential. Rather than results when it comes tonovices/rookies. 'cause in effect that's what it boils down to with these kinds. It's as plain and simple as that.
And it certainly hasn't helped that Upshaw doesn't see what it's doing to the game. He knows it but is merely prepared to use the position as a bargaining chip to up the ante in the next round of cba negotiations. If he and Goodell can't come to some amicable agreement.
Then come the 2010-11 season when they'll probably go to an uncapped season. Then all hell will break loose when it comes to negotiating players' salaries right from the top to the bottom. And there won't be a damn thing that can be done by the GM's owners of the league hierarchy itself.
It won't lead to the demise of the game but it'll certainly put pressure on the league to re-examine the issue more diligently and expediently.
slshusker I'd say that you got off extremely lucky at this juncture. 'cause one knows that the new Cowboys' stadium has to be paid for , one way or another. I don't believe that it's privately financed. So it's my belief that Jones will have done his very best to make sure that season tickets holders would've had to pay a hefty premium for the privilege of having the right to that season ticket.
If you recount the comment that I'd made to Steveo as what I believe would be the best way to address the rookies' salary situation . I think that you'd agree that it'd make good sense were something like this be adopted. It'd definitely be a win win situation for all parties concerned.
But when it comes to common sense we don't often see too much of that coming from the likes of the NFL, the owners or the players themselves !
DL 1957
It certainly doesn't bode well when you can have a guy like Matt Ryan eaning as much as say Brady or Brees in his first season. When he hasn't even played a down in the league . That doesn't equate with any sound business template I've ever come across. And when one looks at these rookies. It's not as if any of them are exceptional . These rewards are merely bases on the perceived talent and not much else. If anything it does a disservice to the game and the players themselves.
I agree with everyone that the rookies are getting paid wayyyyyy to much. I mean look at it realisticly, in about 5 years or more these kids who have never proven a damn thing will be asking for 60 mill. of gauranteed $ or your #### kidding me! It's getting way out of hand and we'll be the ones paying for this ####.
gambitxxx
They're already gettting that now ! See my comments to Steveo on the matter where I suggest an idea that I for one believe would work to everyone's advantage.
We definitely agree here on one very major issue: rookie contracts are out of control. Gene Upshaw says the player's union will not agree to put a cap on rookie salaries. I think he needs to pay more attention to his own union. Kevin Mawae, one of the top dogs in the union, says he thinks the contracts are de####able. I think the veteran players would welcome a rookie cap, thus leaving more money to themselves. If they don't... too bad, so sad. I hope the owners lock them out and good luck to those players finding another job making 6 or 7 (or 8) figures.
JCScheffres
As a union leader Upshaw has been about as benevolent as an alligator would to his chosen prey. He cares nothing about the vets he's also meant to represent. It's more about how he comes off in public and his overall image. Ex Vikings running back Robert Smith to my mind enables Upshaw by caking him at every juncture with the praise he lavishes on the guy. When he's seen it and from firsthand experience knows what only the retired vets have to go through but also the the veterans that are still playing the game. He does those players a great deal of a disservice in many respects.
I agree. And I think the union will cave to the owners on this one. Rookie salaries will have a cap after next year. It's for the betterment of the league for sure.
JCScheffres
The salary cap and what it entails is far more than intriguing. If it should come to an uncapped season as envisaged in 2010-11 . The whole scenario could get really ugly and untennable for everyone involved including the fans who'll end up paying dearly because of the league and union's intransigence and distrust of one another.
What is even more distressing are the actions of Upshaw. He claims he's there to representative of all of the union's members. When in reality nothing could be further from the truth. He's all about the current players and the exposure that he gets as their leader.
Say what you will but this is all arroigance and posturing by everyone involved.
Goodell lost points on the Patriots deal. The fine should have been higher and the tapes should not have been destroyed. However, salaries that rookies get have been a thorn in the sides of veterans for many years. It should have been changed long ago as it makes no sense.
Upshaw is simply not the smartest man on the planet and the players union has needed new blood for a long time. Nice post Justanotherfan.
Poetry Man
What oughtn't to be lost here is that it was Pats' owner Robert Kraf who was biggest trumpeter for Goodell to get the Commissioner's position. If anything he should've recused himself in making and imposing any punishment. But such are the wiles of the NFL that they're a law unto themselves.
As for Upshaw I've never liked the guy and what he for one thinks that he represents. He's a narcissist of the highest order and treats the Players' Association as if it's his own personal fiefdom. His rule is law and he won't listen to constructive criticism in any shape or form.
An avid sports fan and martial artist. Born in the UK of Caribbean parentage. Bi-lingual and college grad. MBA attainee and I've an eclectic taste in music. Great film buff who likes anything by Eastwood, De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington.
In terms of sports , anything that's competitive in nature and calls for athleticism from start to finish.
justan' aka tophatal ..........
