too much parity, too few players

[Harlan Huckleby]

Look at how many running backs, recievers and tight ends Tom Brady has played with during his hall of fame career.

There have been so many different versions of the NE offense, I hardly have any memories of that team. They keep replacing good players with other good players. The NE teams have little historical character to me. And for what advantage?

Contrast that with Bob Griese playing with Czonka-Kick-Mercury Morris. Throwing passes to Paul Warfield.

Keeping teams more intact builds interest, loyalty, history.

NFL today is interesting in a sense because of the parity, but it has gotten way too mercenary. I'm not expecting to go back to the old days, but the hard cap could be modified slightly to keep teams more intact. My proposal does that, AND players keep full financial benefit of free agency for players.

[pbmax]

Look at how many running backs, recievers and tight ends Tom Brady has played with during his hall of fame career.

There have been so many different versions of the NE offense, I hardly have any memories of that team. They keep replacing good players with other good players. The NE teams have little historical character to me. And for what advantage?

Contrast that with Bob Griese playing with Czonka-Kick-Mercury Morris. Throwing passes to Paul Warfield.

Keeping teams more intact builds interest, loyalty, history.

NFL today is interesting in a sense because of the parity, but it has gotten way too mercenary. I'm not expecting to go back to the old days, but the hard cap could be modified slightly to keep teams more intact. My proposal does that, AND players keep full financial benefit of free agency for players.

Name the Dolphin defense.

[pbmax]

Last word on Harlan cap. Cash spent by teams will change little, though its always far more different for teams than the cap number makes it look. So there is a limit on the amount of cash available. No cap number for home grown products makes them more attractive to drafting team and less attractive to other teams (one team has a decided edge).

That reduces the number of players who have to move or are so good they will receive offers even with disincentive. With cash the same, the number of big ticket deals will decrease. I could be wrong, but there is nothing like a free market for scarce labor resources, especially at the high end.

[Harlan Huckleby]

So there is a limit on the amount of cash available. No cap number for home grown products makes them more attractive to drafting team and less attractive to other teams (one team has a decided edge).

Since teams have a limited budget, the edge the home team has in signing its own players is limited. The home team has an edge, but a modest one. They have no reason to go crazy.

That reduces the number of players who have to move or are so good they will receive offers even with disincentive. With cash the same, the number of big ticket deals will decrease.

If I follow you, teams are spending more on their own players, have less for blockbuster free agent deals? Maybe, and that is a good thing. From players association perspective, they are getting same money, its just spread out a little more. Fine.

I appreciate your taking time to think this through. Genius can be very lonely.

Twenty years from now, when the NFL finally adopts my idea, perhaps you'll think back to the time you humored Halan Huckleby. More likely you'll be thinking about ice cream and your first tricycle as the attendent changes your adult diaper.

[NewsBruin]

It will certainly affect trades, as opverpaid players in their second contract will only be swapped for fellow overpaid players in their second contracts.

You know why I don't follow the NBA? Despite having only 15 (or thereabouts) roster spots, their multiple salary-cap exceptions, expiring-contract deals, and the farce that is sign-and-trade makes their offseasons that much more convoluted. If knowing exactly who a guy is, what he can produce, and how he's respected in the lockerroom and with the coaching staff isn't incentive enough to keep him (and respectively for the player to the organization), then I don't know what is.

[pbmax]

It will certainly affect trades, as opverpaid players in their second contract will only be swapped for fellow overpaid players in their second contracts.

You know why I don't follow the NBA? Despite having only 15 (or thereabouts) roster spots, their multiple salary-cap exceptions, expiring-contract deals, and the farce that is sign-and-trade makes their offseasons that much more convoluted. If knowing exactly who a guy is, what he can produce, and how he's respected in the lockerroom and with the coaching staff isn't incentive enough to keep him (and respectively for the player to the organization), then I don't know what is.

The maddening thing about the NBA is that they keep saying they are doing one thing, but accomplishing another.

Stern sold his owners and the public on working to reduce salaries to maintain competitive balance for smaller market teams (such as the Bucks). But the entire max contract concept works against smaller teams keeping superstars. If you cap the money a player can make (even if the home team can offer slightly more) then you make every contract similar in the players view. Then other factors are more strongly put into play: quality of team, size of city, state taxes, etc.

Even the new restrictions to prevent Super Teams (ala Miami) concerning sign and trade, extension versus FA, etc. couldn't stop Dwight Howard from forcing his way to the Lakers.

Basketball players have an advantage here that football players don't, only 1 or 2 football players could really hold a team over the fire per franchise) out of the 53.