Some players have an outsized influence on their game. I would equate a good QB to a little more than having two good starting pitchers. (an ace, and maybe a solid #3) After taking those 3+ players out, the sports are comparable as an interchangable team game.

What some dont seem to realize is that in addition to holding back the large markets, the cap also depresses player salaries. You cant take the cap off and assume all those linemen, defensive backs, etc will make the same amount of money afterwards. The price of top talent would go way up. It would cost a whole hell of a lot of money in a post-cap world to build a defense and give your QB something to work with, perhaps to the point where you cant even say "just draft well" because maybe you wont be able to afford a good team under any circumstance.

Professional basketball by contrast is pretty close to an individual sport. You get two really good players and you are pretty well set, the spare parts don't cost much.

individual players clearly have a more dramatic impact in MLB

If for no other reason than just because of the sheer numbers. There are 5 players on the floor in MLB vrs 11 in football. But the game is completely different ... players in the NBA play both offense and defense. In the NBA having a couple great players is enough. In the NFL you need to be solid in every aspect of the game.

The Chargers have very good QB but still lost their season because of special teams. A great QB won't survive long with a crap offensive line. etc

a franchise tag in the NBA would be HUGE because it would lock up the 1 superstar you need to be competitive. In the NFL the franchise tag is helpful but still just a piece. Several NFL teams have used their franchise tag on Kickers.

MLB World Series Winner
YR Team Payroll rank

00 Yankees - 01
01 Dbacks - 08
02 Angels - 15
03 Marlins - 25
04 Red Sox - 02
05 White Sox - 13
06 Cardinals - 11
07 Red Sox - 02
08 Phillies - 12
09 Yankees - 01
===========
Overall ------ 09

only the Marlins in 2003 were not in the top 15 in payroll ... overall average is 9.

I hope the NFL is successful in blocking the decertification via legal means. Every time the union doesn't get what it wants, it tries to decertify. (Comparable to WI Senators leaving town when they can't get what they want in the legislative process.)

If that fails, and If the union does decertify, I hope the owners break the union much as the NHL broke that union.

This is a disappointing conclusion.

All they need to do is keep things the same with the exception of a rookie cap IMO.

The overall competitiveness off the NFL is better than it has ever been during my lifetime. The way things are, any team could contend in 2-3 years no matter how bad they were...just look at our team 2008 and now...or many other examples.

Greed is gonna kill the owners in the long run over what they could have brought in by not being so greedy and being willing to compromise.

Only for one player, and only for one year at a time. The rules on the franchise tag make it very expensive to keep using it. Here's an article talking about what happens if you go to franchise a player for the third time in a row:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post...-franchise-tag

That can quickly make for an outlandish salary that puts a strain on a team's cap budget.

This.

I can't imagine Jerry Jones saying that he is willing to share the ad revenue from the 5 Monday/Sunday night games his Cowboys seem to be given every season. They were awful this year, but I bet they have more night games than 80% of the league next year.

so these people dont understand... if there is no football next yr...people are goin get very mad and angry... next thing u know people are disapearing and every bodys goin go crazy...yep....thats how its goin down