October 22, 2010 • 1:48 pm 0
Why it’s so important to get PAID with your first contract and how unfair rookie contracts are:
Over the past 20 years, 15,018 players played in the NFL, but only 631 (4%) played three or more years. The average career length is 3.7 seasons, but players do not receive benefits unless they put in four years, both stats according to the NFL.
Filed under: franchise tag, retired players, rookie salary cap, SportsbyBrooks
September 9, 2009 • 8:36 am 0
Earlier today Roger Goodell waded through some of the 6,000 questions that were submitted for his pre-season chat on NFL.com. Among the surprises, it turns out that the commissioner “can’t wait” for the beginning of the season and thinks that “its important to recognize the tradition and history of our game.” But he take on a number of good questions concerning the CBA. Here are the relevant answers:
Extended Schedule. When will there be less pre season games & more regular season games?
Goodell: [A]s you may know, we have discussed restructuring our 20-game season from its current format of 4 preseason games and 16 regular-season games to possibly 18 regular-season and 2 preseason games. I’ve heard consistently from NFL fans that they don’t believe the preseason games are up to NFL standards. I agree. We are discussing changing this with our partners, including the players.
State of the CBA Negotiations. Hello,Commissioner Goodell! What can you tell me about the current labor situation and when will the players and owners meet again for negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement? Like many other big NFL fans,I hope there’s football in 2011 and beyond.Thank you very much!
Goodell: [W]e just started a formal negotiation with the NFLPA this past summer. We have a lot of work to do, but we recognize we need to get the CBA negotiated in a way that will allow our game to continue to grow. We don’t want to stop football from being played and are hopeful that negotiations will result in bringing you more football.
Rookie Salary Cap. Commissioner, how important do you think it is to implement a rookie wage scale?
Goodell: I have been on record as saying the rookie wage scale is good for veteran players and the game. Money should go to the players who have proven their success on the NFL field. I expect this will be one of the issues that will be addressed in the CBA.
Commish’s Goals. As Commissioner, what are your top 3 business objectives for the NFL master franchise over the course of the next 5-10 years?
Goodell: Our focus will be continuing to have 32 strong teams with a new CBA that works for both players and owners and continues to grow the game. Additionally, we hope to find new and innovative ways to bring more football to our fans, including on new technology like we’re doing with the RedZone this season.
Suspensions. How do you go about deciding the length of a players suspension? What is the process that u go through[?]
Goodell: [T]his is an important part of my job, but fortunately a small part of it. The first step is to make sure you understand all the facts and provide each individual player with due process, including a full hearing. You want everyone in the NFL to understand the standards and privilege of being part of the NFL. If we engage in mistakes that reflect poorly on the NFL shield, there must be consequences consistently applied. We see positive signs that this is having an impact in reduced incidents.
End of the Salary Cap: Commissioner, could you explain what would happen in an uncapped year? Thanks.
Goodell: [T]here are a number of rules in place if we move into an uncapped year for the 2010 season. For example, eligibility for free agency would go from four years to six years, there are restrictions on the final eight playoff teams signing free agents, and each team gets an additional transitional tag along with a franchise tag. The rules during an uncapped year are designed to keep our competitive balance. The clubs are prepared for this outcome and I don’t think it will affect the quality of the game on the field.
Advice for the Commish?: There is no handbook to follow on how to be a comissioner, so what person/persons and/or things help guide you in your daily decisions?
Goodell: [Y]ou’re right — there is no handbook. You are faced with a variety of issues and challenges. My best advice is that you get all the facts by talking to a wide range of people. You can never think you have all the answers and normally your decisions will result in a number of people who disgree with you. You just try to do what you think is right for the game regardless of the consequences.
Development of Future NFL Players: With the closure of NFL Europe and the collapse of the Arena League, it seems like there is a large void in the development of players that don’t fill the immediate need of the current 53 man roster. Is the NFL looking into expanding the practice squads or developing a development league like the NBA?
Goodell: As part of our discussions on a restructured season, we have discussed offseason training, the possibility of a developmental league and additional roster positions, including practice squad. The development of players, coaches and officials will be important as we continue to grow the league.
———
It was a good chat. Kudos to the commish for taking the time to answer the questions. Hopefully the NFLPA will go on the record in a similar sort of chat.
Filed under: extended schedule, personal conduct policy, restricted free agency, Roger Goodell, rookie salary cap, salary cap, chats
September 4, 2009 • 1:36 am 0
About two years ago, SportsBusinessRadio laid out the general salary and salary cap rules by which the NFL is currently governed. A good quick, concise presentation.
Filed under: rookie salary cap, salary cap, SportsBusinessRadio
September 2, 2009 • 3:39 pm 0
Here’s some stories I missed while at the beach:
Filed under: extended schedule, other CBA provisions, personal conduct policy, player contracts, rookie salary cap, Brandon Marshall, Carolina Panthers, CincyJungle, Indianapolis Colts, Muhsin Muhammad, Na'il Diggs, ProFootballTalk
August 25, 2009 • 9:30 am 0
Last week, the New York Times had an article about the different rookie draft/signing systems among the various professional sports leagues. The always interesting “Bethlehem Shoals” takes the article one more step, asking his readers to give a little respect to the NBA system. Here’s his take on the NFL system:
To review, in case you live under a glass ceiling: In MLB, as we’ve seen in the strange case of Stephen Strasburg (whom I’m used to thinking of as some ancient baron of wars gone by, so noble is his name, so vast his reputation), bonuses turn the draft into free agency with some nominal order of selection. The NFL is closer to the light: “In the N.F.L., there is a rookie salary pool, and each team can divide up the money however it wishes, as long as it does not exceed the total.”
Sounds springy in theory, but in practice, these negotiations can drag out. Plus, given the utter impotence of the NFL Players Association, it’s odd that one of the few places they have the upper hand is in the matter of future superstars. If you’re going to slowly kill players on the field, run them out of the league quick fast, and guarantee little, at least have a token triumph for the little guy once reality has sunk in about his pro career.
Filed under: rookie salary cap, Bethlehem Shoals
August 17, 2009 • 10:31 pm 0
AOL NFL Fanhouse’s Dan Graziano has a smart article about how, despite some irregularities in NFL salaries (Matthew Stafford makes more than Tom Brady), there is no need for a rookie salary cap:
But the facts are that it’s too easy, too simplistic and, given the current structure, totally unnecessary.
See, there already is a rookie salary cap. As the system is currently structured, each team each year is assigned a certain amount, within its salary-cap figure, that it’s allotted to spend on rookies. League-wide, this figure amounts to a little less than four percent of the total amount teams are allowed to spend on player salaries under the salary cap rules. This figure is determined based on how many picks each team has and where they’re located within the draft. The current system limits the amount of money teams can spend to sign their draft picks. All it fails to do is assign specific values to specific picks.
He also has some good comments from George Atallah, the NFLPA’s assistant execdir of external affairs:
“What the rookie wage scale does is take the onus off the owners, who are the LHRC — the lower right-hand corner of the check,” union spokesman George Atallah told FanHouse in a recent phone interview. “They sign the check. It’s not the union’s fault that teams draft poorly and they don’t pan out. Until we own a team, we’re not not going to regulate how much rookies make. We just won’t.”
Read the whole thing, he discusses a NFLPA-commissioned study about whether any NFL has even depleted its veteran allotment in the last few years (it hasn’t). Good stuff. And even better stuff to show to former players like Jamal Anderson who tweeted: “System is ridiculous. Been due 4 overhaul. B like NBA, basic deals until you EARN it!”
Filed under: NFLPA, rookie salary cap, salary cap, Dan Graziano, George Atallah, Jamal Anderson, Matthew Stafford, Tom Brady
August 17, 2009 • 8:15 pm 1
No, that’s not Mark Murphy & Doug Allen. But you get the idea. (copyright bret_libendorfer)
Sports Business Journal asked four veterans of the sports labor wars to share their thoughts on the state of labor relations in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. For the NFL, Mark Murphy, president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, lays out the owners’ and league’s case. For the NFLPA, former assistant executive director of the NFLPA, Doug Allen sets the stage for the players’ positions.
Murphy’s arguments and issues (NFL):
Allen’s points (former NFLPA):
My quick thoughts on this are: (1) Murphy’s pitch as a former NFLPA player rep to soothe the fears of the players is misplaced and a bit insulting–he’s switched sides; (2) the argument that salaries are rising faster than revenues is specious due to the salary cap and the probability that salaries are held lower than an open market would bear; (3) Allen is 20-year veteran of the NFLPA and likely has a bunker mentality from living through the previous negotiations; (4) that said, decertification is a real possibility (see NFLPA website).
There’s a lot more to be said about decertification and whether modern antitrust law would actually even be helpful to the union. For another post. But quickly, if the union “decertifies,” the league would no longer be protected by the non-statutory exemption to the antitrust laws, and thus would be subject to those laws. Right now, the NFL is protected from an antitrust suit by the union because of the collective bargaining agreement it has entered into with the NFLPA, which was certified by the National Labor Relations Board. The 1993 CBA gave the players the right to decertify and challenge the league’s salary cap, the draft, and free agency under the antitrust laws. More here.
Filed under: anti-doping policy, antitrust, NFL revenue, NFLPA, NFLPA Player Representatives, player contracts, restricted free agency, rookie salary cap, salary cap, Doug Allen, Green Bay Packers, Mark Murphy
August 15, 2009 • 8:20 pm 0
Great article by an excellent and funny writer. For what it’s worth, he’s for a rookie pay scale. That said, his other rules include letting players smoke pot and to “CHAIN BRETT FAVRE TO A ROCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN, WHERE HE CAN SPEND THE NEXT 30 YEARS GETTING HIS LIVER SLOWLY PECKED AWAY BY HUNGRY SEA BIRDS.”
Filed under: anti-doping policy, rookie salary cap
August 15, 2009 • 7:08 pm 0
I got a little busy at work the last few days, so here’s a round up of a few of the happenings in the NFL and NFLPA. I’ll expand on some of the issues in later posts.
Money Quote: “The Players Association and players viewed steroids like coal miners viewed coal dust,” Tagliabue said. “They didn’t want it.”
Money Quote: “NFL teams mandate fans buy two preseason games as part of the overall package without any price break. That’s pure greed. Owners pay players $1,100 per preseason game, but still charge fans the max.”
Money Quote: ““We’re coming into a labor era where we don’t know what the rules are going to be. … So we want to be flexible.” ~ Pats Owner Robert Kraft
Money Quote: ”Roger Goodell is right and so are you. It is an absurd system. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to change anytime soon. In fact, it probably won’t.”
Money Quote: It’s us against them, as [Mike] Vrabel recently told reporters. ”Right now, that’s the unfortunate side of our business. There are owners and there is everybody else. We are everybody else and we need to stick together.”
Filed under: anti-doping policy, extended schedule, NFLPA, NFLPA Player Representatives, player contracts, rookie salary cap, 49ers, Bob Gretz, Chiefs, DeMaurice Smith, Kansas City Chiefs, Logan Mankins, Michael Crabtree, Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots, Patriots, Paul Tagliabue, Robert Kraft, San Francisco 49ers, Sebastian Gostowski, steroids, Vince Wilfork
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