Economic Turmoil - Salary Cap Implications

[Scott Campbell]

Some of you may have heard that our economy is not as robust as it once was. I'm beginning to wonder what the eventual implications will be on the salary cap. We've always assumed that the cap number will go up like clockwork, and it was unthinkable that the cap would remain flat or possibly even go down. There has been a gargantuan amount of discretionary income sucked out of American wallets - both corporate and personal. I understand that diversionary entertainment often does well in times of economic turmoil, but people have less expensive ways available to them to still enjoy football.

Add that to the CBA being voided, and I'm not exactly sure what will happen.

[Fritz]

Worst case scenario: Jerry Jones is so stupid he thinks that if there's no revenue sharing he can make (and thus spend) more, and win Super Bowl title after Super Bowl title. Al Davis, the week of the owners' meetings, is constipated and gets pissy. Together they talk the big market teams into dumping revenue sharing.

In the meantime, the players' union decides the hell with the sal cap. The big money players think they can do better without one.

The sal cap is dumped, and so is revenue sharing. Jerry Jones buys every big name player he can, including David Beckham. What the hell. He still fields big-name/small-production teams, so he fires his coaches after every three or four games.

San Antonio and Oklahoma City end up with NFL teams. The Cardinals fold. The Packers struggle in this climate and field competetive teams, like the Twins, that can't quite make it over over the top.

The Lions stay the only consistent feature in the league. They suck, suck, suck, and suck some more.

[Freak Out]

I listened to an interesting story on College coaching and the economy and it was stated that many coaches that 5 years ago would have been fired and their contracts bought out will not be today because schools/alumni are not willing to fork over the money to do it.

I'm a Washington grad so I'm a little worried that we'll be stuck with Ty until the economy turns around.

[mngolf19]

Worst case scenario: Jerry Jones is so stupid he thinks that if there's no revenue sharing he can make (and thus spend) more, and win Super Bowl title after Super Bowl title. Al Davis, the week of the owners' meetings, is constipated and gets pissy. Together they talk the big market teams into dumping revenue sharing.

In the meantime, the players' union decides the hell with the sal cap. The big money players think they can do better without one.

The sal cap is dumped, and so is revenue sharing. Jerry Jones buys every big name player he can, including David Beckham. What the hell. He still fields big-name/small-production teams, so he fires his coaches after every three or four games.

San Antonio and Oklahoma City end up with NFL teams. The Cardinals fold. The Packers struggle in this climate and field competetive teams, like the Twins, that can't quite make it over over the top.

The Lions stay the only consistent feature in the league. They suck, suck, suck, and suck some more.

I agree with you 100% Fritz. I see this happening, and possibly to the Vikes.

[Ballboy]

wouldn't it be safe to guess that if the economy is weak, so would the dollar the Jones & Davis have?

Your "plan" although very true would only last a few years...the people of this country would be sick of seeing certain teams always winning due to superior talent.......having an equal playing field allows almost every game to be competitive, and thus draw a larger viewing crowd.


Lets take that Jones builds his super team, studs at every position.....people over time would be less inclined to watch as they would just figure the Cowboys would win....but because the Cowboys have such a great team, they would be in all the prime-time slots......commericals pays the bills in NFL. Less people would watch.

[Partial]

The fans of NY and Boston certainly aren't sick of watching the abysmal state of baseball grant them annual powerhouses.

[mngolf19]

wouldn't it be safe to guess that if the economy is weak, so would the dollar the Jones & Davis have?

Your "plan" although very true would only last a few years...the people of this country would be sick of seeing certain teams always winning due to superior talent.......having an equal playing field allows almost every game to be competitive, and thus draw a larger viewing crowd.


Lets take that Jones builds his super team, studs at every position.....people over time would be less inclined to watch as they would just figure the Cowboys would win....but because the Cowboys have such a great team, they would be in all the prime-time slots......commericals pays the bills in NFL. Less people would watch.

And this wasn't the case prior to the cap. People still watch, they just hate the winning teams that much more. i/e the niners and cowboys of the 80's.

[Ballboy]

wouldn't it be safe to guess that if the economy is weak, so would the dollar the Jones & Davis have?

Your "plan" although very true would only last a few years...the people of this country would be sick of seeing certain teams always winning due to superior talent.......having an equal playing field allows almost every game to be competitive, and thus draw a larger viewing crowd.


Lets take that Jones builds his super team, studs at every position.....people over time would be less inclined to watch as they would just figure the Cowboys would win....but because the Cowboys have such a great team, they would be in all the prime-time slots......commericals pays the bills in NFL. Less people would watch.

And this wasn't the case prior to the cap. People still watch, they just hate the winning teams that much more. i/e the niners and cowboys of the 80's.

I would argue that this was NOT the case prior to the cap. Simply put, the world economy was turning the corner in the mid to late Regan years and then BushI. During the 60's-80's and early 1990's, Americans didn't have the "surplus" weath as we just did. With the advent of the internet and expanded TV viewing the pockets of many owners and the NFL in general have been lined with more money. If the demand is no longer to watch the games because of the few elite teams having all the talent, why would anyone outside the regions of the games even watch?

[sheepshead]

Oh, then there's this:

Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga said Sunday no date has been set for selling up to 45 percent more of the team to Stephen Ross, but the presidential election is among the issues weighing on his decision.

That's because a Barack Obama administration is expected to mean higher capital-gains taxes.

"He wants to double the capital gains tax, or almost double it," Huizenga said. "I'd rather give it to charity than to him."

[CaliforniaCheez]

That is why the NFL is looking to expand internationally.

Mexico City is shorter travel than the coast to coast trips.

Buenos Aires, Santiago, Rio de Janero, could support teams.

The NFL keeps pushing he UK when it was mostly the Germans supporting NFL-E at the end. Amsterdam was the only nonGerman team.

They are looking for new sources of revenue.

[Fritz]

The fans of NY and Boston certainly aren't sick of watching the abysmal state of baseball grant them annual powerhouses.

Agreed. And the announcers all hype it as a huge, traditional rivalry, like it's "natural" or something.

Ugh.

Keep the sal cap. Have a rookie sal cap, in fact. And keep revenue sharing. There's enough room to be creative within it.

[AtlPackFan]

The fans of NY and Boston certainly aren't sick of watching the abysmal state of baseball grant them annual powerhouses.

Agree wholeheartedly!

[cpk1994]

I listened to an interesting story on College coaching and the economy and it was stated that many coaches that 5 years ago would have been fired and their contracts bought out will not be today because schools/alumni are not willing to fork over the money to do it.

I'm a Washington grad so I'm a little worried that we'll be stuck with Ty until the economy turns around.

Be relieved becuase Ty is out at Washington per ESPN.

[Freak Out]

I listened to an interesting story on College coaching and the economy and it was stated that many coaches that 5 years ago would have been fired and their contracts bought out will not be today because schools/alumni are not willing to fork over the money to do it.

I'm a Washington grad so I'm a little worried that we'll be stuck with Ty until the economy turns around.

Be relieved becuase Ty is out at Washington per ESPN.

I just heard that he would be fired at seasons end. It's about time as far as I'm concerned.