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As NFL Continues to Rake in Revenue, Star Players Are Asking, 'What About Us?'Never have so many NFL stars seemed so unhappy.
At least, that's the belief among some NFL teams, who claim they've never seen so many prominent players involved in contract disputes.
In Pittsburgh, there's running back Le'Veon Bell, who could hold out well into training camp. Falcons receiver Julio Jones skipped a mandatory minicamp, and I've been told by numerous sources that he wants to be the highest-paid receiver in football.
In L.A., Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald skipped OTAs and this week's mandatory minicamp. Seahawks safety Earl Thomas and Arizona running back David Johnson also were missing this week as they both pressed for new contracts. And though Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. did show up for camp this week, he likewise wants a new deal.
Total sensationalism. Nothing more. The salary cap keeps going up.
Sensationalism. It's like violent crime. The media scares everyone into thinking it's out of control, when in reality it's at historic lows.
I don't think players are holding out at a higher rate now. But NFL teams are making obscene amounts of money. But the "story" always has and always will be how greedy the players are.
I think it's just the salary cap ramping up at a dramatic rate, where star players or young stars on rookie deals see how much mediocre players are making in comparison to them. Looking at Rodgers, he had a massive deal and now lesser players are making $6-8M a year more than him. I think contracts that were resigned 4-5 years ago, just didn't understand how much the Cap was going to increase what it meant to salaries. I think the Cousins contract is going to be the norm going forward for elite players, low years very high guaranteed money.
The MLB is guarenteed. NBA is guarenteed. These NFL players job is so much harder and riskier that its kind of rediculous they dont receive guarenteed money in the first place.
How many advertised NFL salary dollars never get paid at all? Any time a player is scheduled to make more than $10 million in a year its a big deal. They either perform at a high level to justify or the team can flush the toilet.
To me, im not going to pound the table that these guys are underpaid. Not at all. But i think there is some truth to it when it comes to how they are (or ultimately aren't) paid. Their "contracts" are not two way streets like they are in other sports. In baseball or basketball those contracts get paid. In football, theyre payment guidelines in the event a team decides they still want to pay it.
NFL players are treated like business employees who can be terminated without pay at any time (ok, beyond negotiated guarentees). That's cool in the real world, but it's kinda rediculous for a professional sports league that rakes in a lot of cash.
Lol, fire away...
There needs to be protections for both parties. The NBA contracts are a joke, if a player demands a trade...they are usually granted since the rosters are so small and one disgruntled star can kill a season real quick. MLB contracts also end up handcuffing teams, yes the pohlads could afford to still pay other players, but honestly we know they won't and Mauer hasn't come close to being a 25 million a year player and thusly has wasted about a decade of baseball for Twins fans... I would love to see more guarantees in football for the players, but not if it means that the owners lose control of the league or teams get severely handcuffed to underperforming players and the fans suffer for long periods of time. There will always be those guys that take their foot off the gas once they get paid. I think all compensation should have incentives to be met in order to make the bigger wages about any job can have some sort of commission attached to it.
are we to cry for millionaire players and billionaire owners? maybe we should adress the ticket price so they still have fans who can afford to be fans.
Quote: @AGRforever said:
are we to cry for millionaire players and billionaire owners? maybe we should adress the ticket price so they still have fans who can afford to be fans.
The nfl will do what nascar did eventually, they will work so hard to cater to a higher money fan base that they will forget those that made them and ultimately it will be their downfall.
Quote: @JimmyinSD said:
@ AGRforever said:
are we to cry for millionaire players and billionaire owners? maybe we should adress the ticket price so they still have fans who can afford to be fans.
The nfl will do what nascar did eventually, they will work so hard to cater to a higher money fan base that they will forget those that made them and ultimately it will be their downfall.
My take is that the NFL has already priced themselves out of the everyday joe's pay grade. Been that way for a while now.
And while Nascar has done the same price wise, I think their demise is that millennials could care less about driving and it was always a regional, SE fan base vs a national sport worthy of the kind of tv $$ they received.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
Sensationalism. It's like violent crime. The media scares everyone into thinking it's out of control, when in reality it's at historic lows.
I don't think players are holding out at a higher rate now. But NFL teams are making obscene amounts of money. But the "story" always has and always will be how greedy the players are.
Absolutely - anyone who lived through the 1980s to early 2000s would laugh at a claim that holdouts are spiking now. At one point, 75% of all high draft picks were late to training camp and nearly every team had multiple veteran holdouts. Now a handful of players grouse and only very rarely does anyone miss playing time due to contract disputes.
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