Will a salary cap spell trouble for the NFL?
Chris Cassavecca
Issue date: 2/10/10 Section: Sports
The National Football League as we know it has grown to be one of the most renounced leagues in America. From a league that started with barely eight teams in the 1900s, it has formed into an $8 billion organization that can finally see its fall come 2011.
Roger Goodell and the owners have yet to see eye-to-eye on the collective bargaining agreement that would set a reasonable salary cap in 2010 and renegotiate certain conditions for their players.
The conditions for the agreement the owners want have not been announced, but it doesn't seem they are anywhere close to getting a deal done. Especially with an extended season in the mind of Goodell, this collective bargaining agreement means a lot to the owners of these teams for the wellbeing of their players.
Players are also going to try to get paid more if an extended season takes place. But before Goodell can even think about extending the season, he has to take care of these owners and their players.
As of right now, it looks like the 2010-11 season will be an uncapped year which can be both good or bad, depending on which team you like. Richer teams such as the New England Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys or the Washington Redskins can spend all the money they want this offseason, possibly pick up free agents such as Julius Peppers, Shawne Merriman or Elvis Dumervil.
This could be bad for teams such as the Buffalo Bills or the New York Jets who are trying to strengthen their team this offseason but may not be able to spend the cash.
The only thing good about this is if a cap gets set midseason or at the beginning of the 2011-12 season those teams who did exceed the cap will have to do some extreme house keeping with some big name players. Other than that all we have to look forward to is some extreme blowouts between teams.
If the salary cap does not get set and an agreement does not eventually get signed, the owners are not afraid to start a "lockout" with their players. If it does get to the point of a lockout, we fans could just say goodbye to the NFL for the 2011 season or we may also see a "scab league" form like in 1987 if players decide to strike.
It's going to be a long season, football fans, and all we can do is hope a deal will get done. But until then we must ask; is Goodell really the right person to be commissioner of this league.
Is Goodell really so worried about saving a few bucks that he is willing to make the NFL just fold like it is some "Mickey Mouse" league?
From the beginning Goodell has been hesitant to spend a few extra dollars to make this league safer and more efficient. At the beginning of the season Goodell was ridiculed for denying concussion statistics that would have force him to set up a health care plan for his retired players by rule of congress.
It would be too much for Goodel's character to actually show his owners and players some respect when it comes to this new deal. A tip for him: give the owners what they need to keep this growing organization going and support the National Football League Players Association.
Roger Goodell and the owners have yet to see eye-to-eye on the collective bargaining agreement that would set a reasonable salary cap in 2010 and renegotiate certain conditions for their players.
The conditions for the agreement the owners want have not been announced, but it doesn't seem they are anywhere close to getting a deal done. Especially with an extended season in the mind of Goodell, this collective bargaining agreement means a lot to the owners of these teams for the wellbeing of their players.
Players are also going to try to get paid more if an extended season takes place. But before Goodell can even think about extending the season, he has to take care of these owners and their players.
As of right now, it looks like the 2010-11 season will be an uncapped year which can be both good or bad, depending on which team you like. Richer teams such as the New England Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys or the Washington Redskins can spend all the money they want this offseason, possibly pick up free agents such as Julius Peppers, Shawne Merriman or Elvis Dumervil.
This could be bad for teams such as the Buffalo Bills or the New York Jets who are trying to strengthen their team this offseason but may not be able to spend the cash.
The only thing good about this is if a cap gets set midseason or at the beginning of the 2011-12 season those teams who did exceed the cap will have to do some extreme house keeping with some big name players. Other than that all we have to look forward to is some extreme blowouts between teams.
If the salary cap does not get set and an agreement does not eventually get signed, the owners are not afraid to start a "lockout" with their players. If it does get to the point of a lockout, we fans could just say goodbye to the NFL for the 2011 season or we may also see a "scab league" form like in 1987 if players decide to strike.
It's going to be a long season, football fans, and all we can do is hope a deal will get done. But until then we must ask; is Goodell really the right person to be commissioner of this league.
Is Goodell really so worried about saving a few bucks that he is willing to make the NFL just fold like it is some "Mickey Mouse" league?
From the beginning Goodell has been hesitant to spend a few extra dollars to make this league safer and more efficient. At the beginning of the season Goodell was ridiculed for denying concussion statistics that would have force him to set up a health care plan for his retired players by rule of congress.
It would be too much for Goodel's character to actually show his owners and players some respect when it comes to this new deal. A tip for him: give the owners what they need to keep this growing organization going and support the National Football League Players Association.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
rwolfe09
Ryan
posted 2/09/10 @ 6:38 PM EST
The one issue big market teams signing high-priced free agents takes a hit. In the article, you mentioned the Dallas Cowboys and Julius Peppers. Under new rules, the eight playoff teams will not be allowed to break the bank and sign a free-agent unless another team signs one of their free agents. (Continued…)
Matt
posted 2/11/10 @ 8:46 PM EST
Very good points raised by Ryan. When people think about an uncapped year, they often think about free spending and the rich getting richer. This is far from the truth. (Continued…)
Matthew Coller
posted 2/11/10 @ 10:59 PM EST
This article quite a bit of misinformation. As Ryan noted, there is a list (that can be found very easily) of players who would have been unrestricted free agents, who will be restricted (which allows their team to match any offer). (Continued…)
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