GARY BREAKS HIS ICY GLARE

[Derek21]

The NFL can get away with it because of all the revenue they have coming in. They have the best network deal out of any major sport.

What do you want the players to do Liz? Give back 50 percent of their salaries that the owners signed off on?

They have already proposed a good percentage of givebacks and will wind up agreeing to a cap based on Goodenow's last proposal.

To me, that's coming off their stance and taking steps toward making a deal. Everyone knows the deal should be in the $43 - 44 million range.

-Set the floor at $26 million with the ceiling at 44.

-Players give in to the linkage and get 60 percent.

-Owners give in to revenue sharing.

-Free agency age reduced from 31 to 28.

-Rookie salary cap set. Fair price to be determined. What was the highest average before? I don't think a top pick should make more than a million. That includes Ovechkin and Crosby. Why not 850 K for top picks with bonuses that could earn them the extra 150 K?

-Arbitration rules changed so that players can't get insane raises. There also should be a chance for management to bring players back to the table when they underperform meaning a fair decrease in salaries.

-No holdouts allowed. This will be a key. Players who holdout are subject to suspension for an entire year and risk losing their salary for that season. This would force management and personel to come to a fair agreement and keep everyone happy.

[NJDevs4978]

Jerry, the players are giving in on cutting salaries and on a cap. The owners have already essentially won. But it's not "good enough" for them. My impression is that they have to have it all and totally screw over the union. Do you think that's the best way to get an agreement with the guys who put the fans in the building?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My definition of 'screwing' over a sports union is A) the reserve clause baseball used to have preventing any form of free agency and B) the non-guaranteed contracts NFL players currently have. Pretty much other than that, I can't cry for millionaires who want to make $5 million instead of $3, while the owners lose money and will continute to lose money because the higher-revenue teams will ALWAYS drive up the prices.

And there is no way the $42 million cap is on the table now. Say revenues go down 1/3 which is a conservative prediction, then the cap would have to be $28 million with linkage. The players aren't ready to accept something like that.

[Derek21]

I can't cry for owners who signed off on those contracts and then cry foul when they lose money from not taking better care of their businesses.

And when they get their cap, when ticket prices remain the same, will you still be on their side?

[LizDevil30]

I was never in favor of the rollback. I feel that any deal made under the old CBA is a done deal. That said, I am completely in favor of a new CBA where the Holik's of the world can't get 9mil a year. That they can't get a huge piece of the pie leaving the rest of the guys crumbs. What you suggested Derek sounds fair to me. But obviously there are folks on both sides that have issues with these things that seem like no brainers to the rest of us. And I really can't discuss what the players want because other than the stupid rollback, I haven't read a comprehensive plan for a CBA from them.

[Darwindog]

They aren't crying foul Derek. They are sayign what it will take to get the league back on solid financial ground. I truly think that the mojority of the owners have the leagues best interests at heart. I'd agree with you IF ONLY SOMEONE was crying foul -- but they aren't.

mojo-rity?

Edited March 2, 2005 by Darwindog

[NJDevs4978]

I don't expect ticket prices to be much different regardless of cap or no cap (though I suspect they'll HAVE to go down initially), only the no cap virtually guarantees they'll be raised quicker

[Sarge18]

But is that an upward only linkage or a 2 way, cause if its up only like the pa included in their last proposal, that is just bullsh!t. All the rewards with none of the drawbacks, thats the pa way!

Id also like to see something about agent certification, it should be a joint venture among the pa and the league, not a totally pa controlled thing. I feel the Robert Frost debacle has certainly shown the pa will not deal with issues in a correct manor.

I also feel that anything over 42 probably needs to be accompanied by a stiff luxury tax. Its the only way i can see the league agreeing to a higher threshold. Then again any tax he pa has proposed thus far has been totally worthless anyway.

2 way arbitration is need, that the Pa proposed it at first, then refused to agree to it later is unacceptable.

As much as id love to see an end to the current rookie bonus structure then PA would never agree to that derek. Its the right thing to do,but the system as it is a huge inflationary part of the whole system. These guys get their money right away and then demand it forever. Add in that so much of it is only payed for on potential. The first contract should be reasonable, and make players prove they deserve the money before they get the big bucks.

They also need to address qualifying offers. This 110% stuff is junk. In most cases there is a reason why a player is making under the league average. Giving him a raise for the sake if it is not needed. Also the requirement of a 100% offer for guys over the league average is also bs. Just because at one point someone decided to pay a player something, doesnt mean he is still worth that money today. There are just not enough devices in the system that allow a players salary to go down, that is what this is about. Everything built in makes them go up and there is no relief from it. It needs to be a two way street. Keep guaranteed contracts, but allow some deflation say 80% qualifying offers never below the minimum. That doesnt mean that guys will not get money, they just have to earn it.

[Derek21]

Solid financial ground:

League and players get together and reach a fair deal on a new CBA that lasts 6 years. It's signed in May and allows there to be a Entry Draft the following month where one of the "most highly touted prospects" can get drafted. A weighted lottery system is held.

New deal allows the league to save face and stay on network TV.

It also allows teams to start pitching their season ticket packages for next year with a promise that prices will be cut 15-20 percent, recognizing that the fans have suffered.

It allows the league to regain sponsors and get back on its collective feet.

It puts an end to all the ugliness the last year and puts the emphasis back on the game.

In a growing effort to do that, the league puts forth a good marketing plan to get fans back on their side.

[Derek21]

But is that an upward only linkage or a 2 way, cause if its up only like the pa included in their last proposal, that is just bullsh!t.  All the rewards with none of the drawbacks, thats the pa way!

No. It should be a two-way street.

Id also like to see something about agent certification, it should be a joint venture among the pa and the league, not a totally pa controlled thing.  I feel the Robert Frost debacle has certainly shown the pa will not deal with issues in a correct manor.

Agreed. There should be stricter rules applied on who can become an agent complete with a background check.

I also feel that anything over 42 probably needs to be accompanied by a stiff luxury tax.  Its the only way i can see the league agreeing to a higher threshold.  Then again any tax he pa has proposed thus far has been totally worthless anyway.

I agree with this as well. If you have a ceiling of 44 mill, then tax the teams who reach that figure and contribute a fund to the troubled markets.

2 way arbitration is need, that the Pa proposed it at first, then refused to agree to it later is unacceptable.

Yes. This way it's a fair process for both sides. If a player deserves a raise, fine. But it shouldn't be astronomical. Vice versa if a player underperforms. They can decrease to a certain percentage.

As much as id love to see an end to the current rookie bonus structure then PA would never agree to that derek.  Its the right thing to do,but the system as it is a huge inflationary part of the whole system.  These guys get their money right away and then demand it forever.  Add in that so much of it is only payed for on potential.  The first contract should be reasonable, and make players prove they deserve the money before they get the big bucks.

The PA needs to agree to something so that the rookie pay scale isn't such that top picks are taking advantage of the system. This can piss off 3-4 year vets who are underpaid.

They also need to address qualifying offers.  This 110% stuff is junk.  In most cases there is a reason why a player is making under the league average.  Giving him a raise for the sake if it is not needed.  Also the requirement of a 100% offer for guys over the league average is also bs.  Just because at one point someone decided to pay a player something, doesnt mean he is still worth that money today.  There are just not enough devices in the system that allow a players salary to go down, that is what this is about.  Everything built in makes them go up and there is no relief from it.  It needs to be a two way street.  Keep guaranteed contracts, but allow some deflation say 80% qualifying offers never below the minimum.  That doesnt mean that guys will not get money, they just have to earn it.

Agreed. I am for more salaries that include performance-clauses. If a player reaches a certain figure, then they get it. If not, they don't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[RowdyFan42]

I was never in favor of the rollback.  I feel that any deal made under the old CBA is a done deal.  That said, I am completely in favor of a new CBA where the Holik's of the world can't get 9mil a year.  That they can't get a huge piece of the pie leaving the rest of the guys crumbs.  What you suggested Derek sounds fair to me.  But obviously there are folks on both sides that have issues with these things that seem like no brainers to the rest of us.  And I really can't discuss what the players want because other than the stupid rollback, I haven't read a comprehensive plan for a CBA from them.

I don't understand, Liz. Are you saying that any new CBA should be structured to fit around all the existing contracts (perhaps some sort of grandfathering), or should all the contracts be null and void, basically declaring everyone a free agent and starting over from scratch? Or is there some solution in the middle that I'm not thinking of?

[LizDevil30]

Right, grandfathered. Holik got his deal and that's that. Why should he have to give back money? Of course trying to work the old salaries into the new CBA is a feat, but a deal is a deal. Just like if there was a cap system and then the new system didn't have a cap, you wouldn't all of sudden raise a player's salary. The new CBA is for the future of the game. The past is, well, in the past.