Showing posts with label roger goodell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label roger goodell. Show all posts

Monday, January 28, 2013

A Super Bowl Pick By The Good Doctor


Editor’s Note: We once again welcome a new writer to our increasingly impressive collection of literary titans. It’s not entirely clear what W.T. Salisbury is a doctor of, but as his business card states he claims to be a, “Medical expert, filthy drunk and purveyor of cheap jokes”. Little is known of the man beyond his origins somewhere in Maryland. Rest assured, we shall monitor his output as best we can, but I’m generally opposed to censorship so some strange things are liable to sneak through. Whatever’s right.

By Dr. W.T. Salisbury

Few things in our culture represent America quite like the excesses of the Super Bowl.

From the moment the match-up is set until the final whistle, the spectacle of the thing overwhelms even the most diehard of football freaks.

It’s one enormous orgy of advertisements, flashing lights and celebrities all front and center with the backdrop of a football game.

There are so many commercials that the damn game takes over 4 hours. Bear in mind, studies have shown that football games have only about 11 minutes of actual action, the rest is just oversized athletes preening for the cameras and girding themselves to once again smash their bodies into one another with the force of a serious car crash.

Front and center will be that fair-haired idiot Roger Goodell. He’ll likely be preaching his hollow sermon about “safety” while expressing his concern for the behemoths poised to cripple themselves for our utter enjoyment behind him.

"Hmmmm $10,500 seems a reasonable fine for someone wearing their socks improperly."

It’s true, we’re no better than the Roman’s and their bloody coliseum, but at least they had the good sense to admit their bloodlust instead of hiding behind a façade of caring about the fate of the gladiators.

But what about the game Doc? We need a prediction so we can take out a loan and go lay down some money.

Good heavens, the game! Right then, all you degenerate gamblers need to know who’ll win.

As you may know, I’m from Maryland, which means I’m naturally biased towards anything faintly smelling of crabmeat and old bay seasoning. That distinction may not apply to the Baltimore Ravens directly, but anything located that close to the Inner Harbor will no doubt pick up those scents in time.

Most of the talk surrounding the Ravens has been centered on terrifying veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, who will allegedly retire after the game.

People who dislike him will often point to his involvement in that murder investigation years ago, which is fine.

The truth is, whether he killed someone or lied is immaterial because he’s just a hired assassin like all the other brutes on Sundays so who cares?

Great for crabs, shrimp, chicken...one of these meats is not like the other ones!

These are dangerous people trained to be as violent as possible and revered for these traits by the masses. You can understand if they struggle to separate football from life on the street on occasion. Besides, it makes for juicy storylines and God knows we need as many as possible.

Lewis and his vicious defense have actually lost a step or two and pale slightly to the juggernaut stoppers on the 49ers. But make no mistake, they are still quite good, and San Francisco’s first year accidental starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick has plenty to fear.

The Raven’s quarterback Joe Flacco is decidedly mediocre, oscillating between stupendous and incompetent, but all he really has to do is hand the ball off and not throw to the gold helmets. 

It’s similar to what Kaepernick will be asked to do. Both will be treated by their coaches with kid gloves, but the defenses will do their best to turn them into human hamburger.

Right. So who will win you filthy idiot?!

I have to side with my bias in this case, but never EVER disregard the gut.

Both tell me that the Ravens will edge out the 49ers in a grimy, unfulfilling game next Sunday.

We’ll all be entertained like the jackals we are and there may even be some iconic plays during the game, but it will be a slog. 

Caw CAAAAW!!! Gaudy yet prophetic? 

I see Baltimore on top 26-22 for the record.

So enjoy the chicken wings and beer….oh, and the game!

Just don’t overdo it on the old bay seasoning. 

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Roger Goodell To NFL Rookies: "I'm Gonna Bust A Cap In Your..."

In case you haven’t heard, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is not pleased with the current state of rookie contracts.

“Money is not going to players that are performing. It's going to a player that never makes it in the NFL. And I think that's ridiculous."

Imagine this scenario:

You’re a ten-year veteran in the NFL. You’re a free agent. While not a superstar you’re still very gifted. All of those years on the gridiron have begun to take their toll on your body, but you’re still rock solid and an attractive athlete to many NFL franchises.

During the free-agent signing period you’ve spoken to numerous teams, all of which have told you the same thing: “We would love to have you on the team, but if you can’t take a significant pay cut we can’t sign you.”

Unfortunately, this scenario is very realistic given the current structure of the NFL rookie salary cap (or lack thereof).

While there is no cap on rookies the NFL has a “hard cap” for teams, meaning that no team can exceed the cap for any reason. The cap is determined by the Defined Gross Revenues set by the league each year as a reflection of the previous season’s total revenues (the inclusion of all revenue streams was renegotiated in 2006 to add things like naming rights and advertising). The cap itself is a product of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the most recent of which was negotiated in 2006.

In case you are confused, here is the actual mathematical equation:

 Projected revenue x CBA Percentage = Players Share Total Revenue

 Players Share minus Projected League wide Benefits = Amount Available for Player Salaries

 Amount Available for Player Salaries / Number of Teams = Unadjusted Salary Cap per Team

So while there is an overall cap that teams must abide by, there is no such cap for rookie contracts which, by the way, are indeed accounted for in the overall cap. Under this system unproven rookies can earn more money than seasoned veterans!

All other things being equal, that’s like placing a higher value on a high school diploma than a college degree.

Sure, high rookie contracts can help veterans by inflating their worth. But is that really necessary? With a rookie cap teams would be able to invest their money in many different avenues, such as veteran players, advertising, or even stadium improvements. Rookie players wouldn’t be working for free, mind you – there is a league minimum salary. 

As of 2007, the minimum structure salary was as follows:

Rookies and first-year players $285,000
Second-year players $360,000
Third-year $435,000
Fourth-year $510,000
Fifth- through seventh-year $595,000
Eighth- through tenth-year $720,000
Eleventh-year and longer $820,000

Once rookies prove they belong in the league they can renegotiate their contracts. Plus, these figures exclude endorsements.

'Ridiculous' Rookie Contracts

  • Matt Ryan, the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft, signed a 6-year deal worth $72 million ($34.75 of which is guaranteed money) with the Atlanta Falcons.
  • The No. 1 overall pick, Jake Long, signed a 5-year deal worth $57.75 million  ($30 million guaranteed) with the Miami Dolphins.
  • Last years' No. 1 pick, JaMarcus Russell, signed a 6-year $61 million contract.

Welcome to your teams, gentlemen. You are officially the highest paid players on your teams and you have yet to take a snap as a professional (JaMarcus played in 4 lackluster games last season throwing for 373 yards, 2 TDs and a 55.9 QB rating). 

Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian (father of Notre Dame special teams coach Brian Polian) has been one of the most ardent supporters of a rookie cap. 

"The union has to give us a firm, definitive, rookie salary cap. We're perfectly willing to have the money that does not go to the rookies go to the veterans. Nobody is looking to save money. But we're sick and tired of giving exorbitant, incredible sums of money to players who haven't proven they can do anything but play against Eastern Michigan."

Caps In Other Leagues

Maybe the NFL should take notes from other leagues. The NBA has a system that is very intuitive - rookies are paid in ascending monetary value the higher they’re picked in the draft and everything is scaled to a set maximum value. The NHL recently created a rookie salary cap, too. The MLB has no salary cap, rather a luxury tax.

So if you were an NFL owner why would you pay someone who has never played a down as a professional an exorbitant amount? The simple answer is that you don’t want to. You would much rather use that cash to sign veteran players to build the pieces of your puzzle.

Is There An End In Sight?

It should be a no-brainer. Once you’ve shown that you won’t be a "flop" you can negotiate a new contract worth millions. Until then, however, it does not seem “fair” for the older players in the league, who have already proven themselves, to earn less than the best players coming out of college.

I know what some of you are thinking. NFL players are at risk of injury every time they step on the field. They’re walking occupational hazards. What if they are hurt? What will they do with their lives post-football, especially with so many years ahead of them? 

Here’s a thought: They could fall back on the education they received in college. After all, they are STUDENT athletes.

Last month team owners unanimously decided to opt out of the CBA, which makes the likelihood of a strike more plausible. So all that needs to happen is for team owners and the NFL Players Association to negotiate a new CBA. 

Easier said than done.


*For an incredibly thorough analysis of the NFL salary cap visit Ask The Commish

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