A better take on the NFL labor dispute.
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2011/3/4/2027625/nfl-lockout-labor-dispute-owners-nflpa
And I REALLY hope Brian doesn't read it and get any hypothetical ideas
If you're not donating at least $10 a year anyway,-1 for you.
Whatever the "you're a recent grad" equivalent number of drinks amount was. 2-3 drinks at the bar I belive. Plus MGoShirts, gotta get MGoShirts
that the owners are so greedy and ruthless, that they've made me feel sympathetic towards millionaires.
However, most players in the NFL are not millionaires. Yes, many of them make way more than a million a year but more than half of the 1600+ players make less than 500k a year. Now, in no way shape or form am I feeling sorry for people that make 500k a year but when the average career for an NFL player is something like 2.5 years then that does not make these guys milionaires.
It just gets blown a little out of proportion with people suggesting it's a battle between millionaires and billionaires when many of the players in the league won't ever have a million dollars in the bank.
Look at LaMarr Woodley, he was making around 250k until he just recently signed his franchise tag. So for every Carson Palmer that has 80 Million in the bank there are 10 Joe Smiths that make the league minimum and won't be around long enough to get a big contract.
As I said, I hear what your saying and I don't feel bad for the players but I am on their side when it comes to this dispute.
the classical definition of millionaire is anyone who has made $1M in their lifetime.
Some college players are probably trying to be millionaires before they leave college for the pro ranks.
A millionaire is someone who is worth $1 million. By your definition, my 60 year old dad is a millionaire. My dad is not a millionaire.
I was just coming to the site to post this column, with the same comment. He hit it out of the park today.
Every once in a while Simmons shows he's still got it as far as writing goes, even though it seems he prefers podcasts since they require far less effort. (Not to say that his podcasts can't be very interesting at times, I just miss the Simmons who used to churn out three high-quality columns a week).
Podcasts+headphones=better day at work. I'm totally on board with the podcasts and he's gotten a lot better at them.
Harder to read on the toilet, though. Yeah, I went there.
my water was out for a week, so I just went straight into the trash can.
(Also, I loved the column. I think that if the owners would simply offer up a portion of their pooled revenue, say 5%, towards player medical bills and research specifically related to brain damage, the players would probably sign.)
I mean, how can I be expected to listen to a podcast while on the throne at work, while ducking out on a sales meeting?
I've been reading Simmons since 2001, I bought his book, and I enjoy his writing. Sometimes I get a laugh or 2 out of the podcasts, but thats not what made me a fan.
I really, really, really think Simmons and Klosterman should give Spencer from EDSBS a run on that site. The guy's amazing.
I've decided I absolutely 1000% want an NFL lockout. I want a bizarro year of Rugby in 2011. It would be awesome.
ESPN inquired about the NHL's TV rights also.
ESPN might (emphasis on MIGHT) lose both the NFL And NBA to labor disputes next year, they've gotta cover their bases
Does that mean that the only thing they show other than college football and basketball will be baseball and soccer?
/places gun in mouth
No. Rugby, man. Rugby. It's awesome.
Simmons receives the Charlie Sheen Memorial #Winning Award sponsored by #Tigerblood today. Strong Work.
NFL Labor dispute needs to be settled soon. I'm not even concerned with losing the NFL, because I'd still have college football to watch. I'm just sick of hearing about it. Baseball is starting, basketball is hitting it's peak in both college and the NBA, yet I turn on ESPN and have to watch some monotone ESPN "business analyst" talk about revenue sharing. I hate it.
#why caring about college sports makes sense and caring about pro sports doesn't.
OSU, LSU and Saban make caring about college sports so much better,
Where the hell have you been for the last 40 years?
If college sports exist for the sole purpose of making money you should tell that to the rowing team.
Other than when those teams directly beat Michigan, are you seriously saying that they have made you enjoying being a Michigan fan has been impacted by any of those teams? Because if that's the case I feel sorry for you.
P.S Change your name and your signature, Rich Rod is gone and Doreey isn't coming here.
Simmons column explains many things, one of which is why it's wrong to complain that escalating player salaries drive up ticket and concessions prices at sporting events.
Simmons shows how profit-driven business owners determine prices by looking to maximize revenue, not by how to cover costs. They're willing to raise ticket prices from, say, $30 to $50 and alienate tens of thousands of fans who can only afford $30 tickets, as long as the bottom line looks better in the end. They don't raise prices because the greedy players force them to. They raise prices because they can. Salaries go up because there's more revenue available.
And, by the way, big-time college sports are driven by the same imperative. Do you think that Michigan charges $8.00 for hot chocolate at Michigan Stadium because it costs $7.00 to make 10 ounces of watery Swiss Miss? Is it because football player salaries are going up? No, it's because the Athletic Department knows that people will fork over $8.00 when they feel cold. And they will keep coming back for more.
Yet a good chunk of the team's value is tied up in a stadium that these owners didn't pay to build. And these are probably teh same folks that complain about creeping socialism, yet they are probably the biggest benefactors of government largesse.
Maybe I'm just callous since my CEO makes millions of dollars every year at the same time they are laying people off but I really don't feel an ounce of sadness for the players. CEOs/Owners are greedy - that's not really something I think anyone here doesn't already know. When people are complaining their average salary is only 50x the average for the population and not 60x I stop caring.
Teachers, police officers, coal miners, etc, I'm with ya, I understand that, professional athletes, yeah, I just don't care. And yes, I know that many of them end up bankrupt but it's not because of a lack of money it's because of a lack of financial intelligence.
a 4 year career right ? So at the median salary of $770k, they make 3 mill.
A UM grad has a career of roughly 30 years (say) at an avg salary of $70k. That adds up to 2.1 mill.
so there really isn't too much difference between an avg NFL'er (who by the way is at a very very high percentile in terms of athletic talent every year just to even make it into the league) and a UM grad (who I am sure is also pretty darn high in terms in intellectual talent just to make it into UM ).
Now if you compare NFl median salaries (and lifetime income) to a coal miner, I am going to stop you right there and say, the coal miner isnt making squat because that's just how much value our society puts for that labor. You could also argue that computer geeks pulling down $100k a year shouldnt get paid so much more than coal miners and teachers and firemen but that is a whole other argument.
Note also that I am not even factoring the massive hazards of their "work" environment and the long-terms disabilities that they have to deal with after going through their NFl career.
A highly educated person with a degree from a damn good university is going to make 30% less than a guy who works for 4 years. Then, throw on top of that inflation.
If the NFL or the NHL or MLB or whatever is so bad why is it a complete and total shock when a person turns down being an NFL player? If MLB is so bad why are there 3 full leagues of people who get paid even less than the MLB players? To the best of my knowledge there haev been 2 people who spurred the NFL - that guy last year who decided to stay at a train conductor and Pat Tillman. The former did it because it made financial sense given the situation, the latter did it because of a passion he had and he became the emblem of what a patriot truly is.
So, yeah, there is actually a HUGE difference between the two - one gets his 3 million in 4 years and one works 30 years for his 2.1. Ask any business major to crunch the FV for that 3 million vs working for your 2.1. Nevermind that when you have 3 million you can buy things for cash and not pay interest on them for 30 years like the rest of us. So, really, I don't feel bad for them, maybe the owners are trying to screw them but when getting "screwed" means you are going to have to use gold utensils instead of platinum I cease to care.
taking the chance to pursue the career. Only a tiny tiny fraction of those that try make it. So obviously those that do deserve a huge payout (like a lottery). Also, they have dedicated their entire life for this singular goal, so have missed out on tons and tons of stuff in life (starting from high school proms, all the way to being home for their kids being born). Who is going to factor all that in ? Who is going to factor in their massive disability costs? Wht about the massive health concerns?
who makes 2.5 million dollars over a span of 30 years than 3 million over the span of 4. The guy who made 3 million 25 years ago may be wholly dependent upon making wise financial investments to avoid having his nest egg decline dramatically. Given that (1) your average NFL player has nothing remotely like a sophisticated background in handling money and (2) your average financial advisor literally does no better than picking investments randomly out of a hat and (3) playing in the NFL comes with horrific health consequences, some of which we're only now acknowledging, it's not really that great of a deal.
And many NFL players never make close to 3 million in their career.
Also, you'll be in a higher tax bracket.
That would be a valid argument if the average NFLer didn't make 11 times more per year. They can also get jobs afterwards. It's not like after their football careers are over they just sit around on their asses eating Twinkies and Ho-Ho's for the next 60 years.
by decades, and are forced to play through horrific injuries and concussions to avoid getting cut.
Also, yearly salary isn't a very good metric when the average career is a couple years long.
No one's holding a gun to their head and forcing them to play football.
Simmons's article sums up how I feel about american business in general. Perhaps being a decent human being will someday be highly profitable. Good luck controlling the beast, Brian.
I am completely um-sympathic towards both parties. The players lost me when the NFLPA took a part of each game check this year so that the players wouldnt just blow it all.
Does anyone know exactly how a NFL contract works? Say if 50 yr old Tom Brady signs a 5/yr old contract worth $10 million a year (Yes b/c he is that awesome), does he get paid 10 million a year in a salary sense? and he gets a cut of this 9 billion dollar pool of revenue they keep talking about?
or does he get 8 million from the team, and the other 2 million comes from the revenue pool?
It is just that the contracts are written (via the salary cap) such that the total amount of money paid to players is a percentage of the estimated revenue.
This is the first I've heard of Dave Duerson's suicide. What a shame. I found this article in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/sports/football/23duerson.html
Does anyone really want an 18 game schedule besides owners? I don't. I don't know anyone else who does. The players already get injured too often, and you can't just replace two preseason games with regular season games. The difference in physicality is a lot. This just waters down the regular season even more and allows for more records to be broken. But at this point, when you are playing an extra two games, are the records really going to mean anything (besides maybe Peyton's attempt to beat Favre's consecutive start streak)?
The only reason the 18 game schedule is on the table is because fans are upset that they pay full price for 2 preseason home games with their season tickets.
Right now, season ticket holders pay:
$65 each for 2 shitty games and
$65 each for 8 awesome regular season games
The owners want to stop the fans bitching "I have to pay full price for preseason games". They're saying this is the ONLY fix, because they won't lower prices. Or prevent season ticket holders from buying preseason tix, or... or... or...
AN 18 game schedule only makes one of those 2 shitty home games a real game though.
I mean, it's more football and I really like football. Did anyone really complain when we went from an 11 game schedule to a 12 or even before that when we went from 8 to 10 and etc etc?
As a fan I'm all for it - I love watching football but I hate the preseason stuff that's little more than the Spring Game at full price.
Than 16 to 18. 18 games diminishes the brand. It makes each game less relavent and it puts a worse product on the field because players are getting injured more often. Football is a physical game, and the way some of these guys play is going to leave them missing games. A. Petterson will find it very difficult to last that long, especially if the Vikings actually are good again and make the playoffs. Also, there will be more times when end of the season games become meaningless and people rest players. This move ruins the integrity of the NFL and its regular season, and potentially its postseason as well.
Is ESPN really "in bed with management"? I hadn't noticed them really taking sides.
I like Simmons' take as a characterization of some NFL owners, but now he needs to do one about the players.
Something along the lines of "they always warned me about planning for the future, put out stats stating that 4 out of 5 NFL players are bankrupt or in financial distress. They said that all the big dollar signs on my check weren't real, that there were taxes, agent fees, financial administrator fees, etc. They said I'm one freak injury from losing it all, of being washed-up at 26 with nothing but a bum wheel and that one rookie paycheck that I already blew buying cars, jewelry, a nice house, and a bunch of crap that I didn't need or want. They said to plan for the labor stoppage, remember that I won't be paid and that living paycheck-to-paycheck won't work when August rolls around. They said, don't fool around with women without protection, but instead I have two kids with a woman I don't even see, yet she went to a judge and said I need to start paying for them based on my current salary. They said I need to plan for my future, to have a plan for life after football, and not just hope to land a cushy announcer/pregame position because those don't open up that often and usually go to stars or 'name' positon players, two things I'm currently not. They said, look at the older players, look how they struggled without financial planning and dealing with the health care costs for all those injuries they got while playing. They said, that could be you. They told me this isn't a game, that I needed to take this seriously."
"But I didn't listen because I didn't want to, and now I'm complaining that businessmen are not protecting me, not being compassionnate despite the fact that they never tried to portray themselves as anything else. Nobody is trying to protect me from my own near-sightedness. And now I'm trying to engender support from the "fans" because I'm just a millionaire while the guys 'screwing' me over are multi-multi-millionaires or billionaires, as if the family trying to get by on unemployment benefits or a single income are going to feel sorry because I spent more money in a year than they'll see in 30. And now the fact that I run really fast and am really strong doesn't mean anything because I didn't focus enough on my schoolwork in college to have a meaningful degree, or worse, any at all. And now I'm just trying to get by, but my mortgage is bigger, my cars are more expensive, and my back keeps hurting and the pills aren't helping as much. And now I feel lost, and I don't know what to do expect blame everyone else and hope that I get a paycheck in August. And then I'll start planning ahead. I promise this time, once I take care of a couple of things. You know, because my car's getting a little old. It's only a 2009."
"So would I be a good NFL player?"