NFL free agency: good, bad or indifferent?

[el borracho]

The Monday Night crew talking about league-wide parity and the end of dynasties got me thinking. Is free agency and the salary cap (and the subsecuent parity) overall good, bad, or indifferent?

[SoCalRaider]

Free agency was around long before parity... I think the salary cap single handedly ended dynasties... though it's kind of interesting watching what the Pats are doing. Maybe if they had a superstar on their team, more people might acknowledge that they are really damn close to being a dynasty...

Good for the league's main objective - parity. Dynasties breed ambivolence - see MLB.

But, Free Agency has inflated salaries beyond all reason. I don't mind seeing a man make a living for his family, but not while I'm paying $175 just to get in the door plus $7 beers, $300 jerseys, and all the other legalize extortion the NFL enjoys. Not to mention, I think there are many dynamics hurting the league where inflated salaries are concerned. You have highly drafted players cashing their first check and coasting because they've been paid. You have highly paid players who are pushing so many expensive performance drugs into their bodies that they can't even make it through training camp without a season ending injury. I could go on, but the point has been made. When a guy cashes a paycheck that is larger than the cumulative paycheck of a small city, it affects his ability to conduct himself in an appropriate manner. Put a check on salaries and keep the games affordable. The common fan is what grew the NFL to the giant it is today. Don't turn your backs on them, Tagliabue and the NFLPA.

[Earthling]

Personally I hate it...It wouldn't be so bad if players were restricted from going to division rivals...I mean seeing Neil Smith have to wallow around in a Donkeys uniform was almost more than I could bear...

[el borracho]

Originally Posted by SoCalRaider

Free agency was around long before parity... I think the salary cap single handedly ended dynasties...

Weren't free agency and the salary cap a package deal that arrived at the same time?

[el borracho]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Good for the league's main objective - parity. Dynasties breed ambivolence - see MLB.

But, Free Agency has inflated salaries beyond all reason. I don't mind seeing a man make a living for his family, but not while I'm paying $175 just to get in the door plus $7 beers, $300 jerseys, and all the other legalize extortion the NFL enjoys. Not to mention, I think there are many dynamics hurting the league where inflated salaries are concerned. You have highly drafted players cashing their first check and coasting because they've been paid. You have highly paid players who are pushing so many expensive performance drugs into their bodies that they can't even make it through training camp without a season ending injury. I could go on, but the point has been made. When a guy cashes a paycheck that is larger than the cumulative paycheck of a small city, it affects his ability to conduct himself in an appropriate manner. Put a check on salaries and keep the games affordable. The common fan is what grew the NFL to the giant it is today. Don't turn your backs on them, Tagliabue and the NFLPA.

If I may comment on the two points in bold...
1. I would imagine that atheletes will use preformance drugs irregardless of their salaries.
2. If there were a check on salaries in the NFL might not some of the better athletes choose to play another sport where there is no limit (such as baseball)?

Originally Posted by el borracho

If I may comment on the two points in bold...
1. I would imagine that atheletes will use preformance drugs irregardless of their salaries.
2. If there were a check on salaries in the NFL might not some of the better athletes choose to play another sport where there is no limit (such as baseball)?

1. Given what has been reported on David Boston's daily coctail, I imagine he drops HUNDREDS of thousands per year on drugs. I don't think that's crazy speculation on my part. If not for a ridiculous salary, how could he afford to do so. FWIW, I think the teams should manage (and purchase)all performance drugs administered to their players anyway.
2. This is not just a concern I have for the NFL. It is a problem for every league, IMO.

Salaries are such a problem for me that I've struggled at times with supporting the NFL. The primadonnas really make it hard to enjoy the purity of the game sometimes.

[el borracho]

What could one possibly be taking that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars?

Originally Posted by el borracho

What could one possibly be taking that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars?

He was taking 50-60 pills multiple times per day. I take 3 which are relatively generic and it costs me $300 a year. He also hired a dietician to dispense the pills and prepare meals. Though - WTF kind of meals can you be eating when you're digesting that much pharmaceutical product.

[SoCalRaider]

Originally Posted by el borracho

Weren't free agency and the salary cap a package deal that arrived at the same time?

Not that I'm aware of... I know the RAIDERS have been living off other teams free agents since the 70's... I think their may have been some limitations added to free agency when the salary cap was instituted (i.e. franchise tags, restricted free agents...), but free agency has been around as long as I can remember.

Originally Posted by SoCalRaider

Not that I'm aware of... I know the RAIDERS have been living off other teams free agents since the 70's... I think their may have been some limitations added to free agency when the salary cap was instituted (i.e. franchise tags, restricted free agents...), but free agency has been around as long as I can remember.

It was a completely different form of Free Agency. Reggie White is widely acknowledged as the first modern era Free Agent. Prior to that, teams generally had right of first refusal.

I can't possibly do justice to what actually transpired, so I'll leave you with this:
http://www.nflpa.org/AboutUs/main.asp?subPage=History

Use the dropdown to read the NFLPA version of what transpired - especially in the early 90's. Be careful, though. It reads very well. I've been lost on that site for up to 2 hours before and still can't explain it well.

Originally Posted by el borracho

Weren't free agency and the salary cap a package deal that arrived at the same time?

I think they were both negotiated in the first Collective Bargaining Agreement in 93.

The biggest coup for the players association was a 58% of the revenues agreement. This is what determines the salary cap. Take this year's salary cap x 32 and you can easily determine what the NFL's total revenues were for last year.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Phobia

It was a completely different form of Free Agency. Reggie White is widely acknowledged as the first modern era Free Agent. Prior to that, teams generally had right of first refusal.

I can't possibly do justice to what actually transpired, so I'll leave you with this:
http://www.nflpa.org/AboutUs/main.asp?subPage=History

Use the dropdown to read the NFLPA version of what transpired - especially in the early 90's. Be careful, though. It reads very well. I've been lost on that site for up to 2 hours before and still can't explain it well.

you ain't playing I just read the whole thing and about all I got out of it is they still call the 87 replacement players scabs

Originally Posted by J Diddy

you ain't playing I just read the whole thing and about all I got out of it is they still call the 87 replacement players scabs

I've read all of it half a dozen times in the past 5 years. That doesn't count the numerous times I've dropped in just to research a brief clarification I'm trying to make in a post. I can explain bits and pieces - it's an extremely well written resource, but I can't really summarize it very well. I doubt it can be summarized any better than they have there - there's SO much stuff that has happened, especially since 82.

[DeepSouth]

If it wasn't for the salary cap, The NFL would be in the same situation as MLB. Dan Snyder might actually be able to buy a championship if it were not for the cap.