It’s human nature for us as a society to like drama. Drama amongst students keeps things stirred up inside those high school walls at Babe Ruthless’ high school. Women watch soap operas for a reason other than to see their favorite soap star shirtless. Men get excited about drama in sports, whether it’s wondering where Cliff Lee is going to sign (and ponder how it’s not just about money… how refreshing!) or wondering if an ageless wonder is going to start another game all of the sudden. That’s just how it is.
Drama excites us. Sometimes the coaches cause the drama. Sometimes the players cause the drama. That segues somewhat into today’s debate.
I posed the question regarding the possibility of the NFL slowly becoming a player controlled league. This has come to the forefront due to some issues involving the Cowboys and Vikings. I’m not sure how many of the Cowboys games you have seen this year but they were terrible under Wade Phillips, yet they are a of couple plays from being 5-0 under interim coach Jason Garrett. The Vikings are also playing better under interim coach Leslie Frazier after rebelling against Brad Childress.
Bleacher Fan dismisses the notion that the NFL has become a player controlled league. We’re all fans and Bleacher Fan has been frustrated with the actions of the players on the Vikings and Cowboys, and by the forced trades of guys like Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler. That is how the system currently works in the NFL, and for every situation like those previously mentioned there are situations where upper managements maintains controls. Paging Mr. Haynesworth. Paging Vincent Jackson.
Babe Ruthless, meanwhile, strongly believes the NFL is being ruined by the players. He cites the Eli Manning example of 2004 (and I could even go back as far as John Elway demanding a trade after being drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the 1983 draft). This season Albert Haynesworth became Daniel Snyder’s worst nightmare as he openly quarreled with coach Mike Shanahan to the point where it was a distraction throughout the season, and virtually made it impossible to have a successful season in D.C. Babe also cites the play of the Cowboys and Vikings both pre- and post-coach-firing.
All of these are fair points. But I haven’t seen enough evidence to prove that the players control the league. Therefore I am siding with Bleacher Fan. As was stated, what is Mr. Haynesworth doing right now? He’s sitting at the house in the comforts of his warm living room, but he’s not drawing a check because he’s been suspended. Plus, his playing status for next season – for ANY team – is uncertain. Vincent Jackson had visions of playing in Minnesota earlier this season, but San Diego squashed that and he’s still playing in San Diego… finally.
With an NFL lockout looming (let’s us all make our New Years wish to be that there is NO lockout), it’ll be interesting to see which side gives in to the other’s demands. But, as it stands now, it’s not a player’s league. The league still controls the league!
I have not been impressed with the actions of many players around the NFL recently.
For example, the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings quit on their coaches, Wade Phillips and Brad Childress. They weren’t happy with the way things were going early in the season, and so these so-called professionals allowed locker room politics to affect their play on the field. As a fan, I am furious that these professional athletes were allowed to get away with anything less than their very best.
Once their respective coaches were fired, though, they magically became successful teams on the field again. Hardly a coincidence.
There were several marquis holdouts this year. Darrelle Revis, Vincent Jackson, and Logan Mankins are but a few names you will find on the list of those players who sat out some portion of the season.
In Denver, Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler both managed to orchestrate their own trades from the Broncos, and Brett Favre has danced around retirement for three years, now, stringing several different franchises along while he waffled in his decisions.
Yes, players have been commanding a lot of attention in the NFL. And with the new CBA upcoming, the NFLPA is actively working to secure new rights for the players of the league.
But to declare that the NFL is following the NBA in becoming a league controlled by the players is a gross overstatement.
Players will always test the boundaries of a league. I do not blame them at all. The system in the NFL is structured in such a way that the players in the NFL are allowed to hold out on their contracts and demand trades. I may not agree with the system, but I cannot blame the players for taking advantage of the system as it exists today.
There is a difference between players maximizing the system as it exists today, and players taking over control of the league.
Sure, Darrelle Revis was able to hold out in his contract, and ended up getting himself a better deal from the New York Jets. But for every Darrelle Revis, there is an Albert Haynesworth.
Haynesworth, owner of the most lucrative defensive contract in the history of the NFL, was just suspended for the remainder of the season for conduct detrimental to his team. What was that conduct, you ask? He did the exact same thing that Darrelle Revis did – he did not abide by the terms of his contract.
In a player’s league, Haynesworth’s actions would have been accommodated, his demands met, and his new coach silenced. He is (or was) one of the premier players in the league, is a major difference maker when he is on the field, and a franchise in a player’s league would never dream of upsetting an athlete of his caliber, especially after investing the amount of money that the Redskins did in acquiring him.
Or how about Vincent Jackson? After a Pro Bowl season a year ago, Jackson felt that he deserved a much more lucrative contract, but the San Diego Chargers disagreed. This situation became very nasty as the weeks passed by, and Jackson was very public in his criticism of the Chargers’ organization. Tensions grew to such a heated point that many assumed Jackson would never wear a Chargers uniform again.
Well, the Chargers called his bluff, and guess who suited up for San Diego against the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago.
These are just the most recent examples where player egos and demands are being held in check. Unlike the NBA, where players like LeBron James have completely hijacked the league, the NFL has an established system which allows players room to negotiate, but still retains enough control to ensure that the players’ demands would never endanger the overall stability of the league.
It is the give and take of those player/owner negotiations which create a balanced system to the benefit of everyone involved.
The NFL Draft kicked off yesterday and I could not have been more lukewarm about it. You have probably heard the expression “No news, is good news”, but that is not really the case for a football fan around the NFL Draft. There just was not that much to get excited about. Aside from, Brandon Marshall’s deal to the Dolphins and Donovan McNabb’s in-division trade to the Redskins, things have pretty much been a total yawnfest. The biggest story leading up to this NFL Draft was the lack of stories leading up to the NFL Draft.
Ben Roethlisberger did more than his fair share to try and stir up NFL storylines and prompt trade talk, but the deal never got done. Although Big Ben did not verbally demand a trade out of Pittsburgh, his actions sure did. After putting himself in compromising situation after situation, the Steelers’ QB made himself increasingly expendable, and when the news broke just days ago that he was going to be suspended for six games during the 2010 season, he really gave the Steelers a reason to let him go. There were plenty of teams who would have benefited from the on-field talents of Roethlisberger under center (and he is sure to keep the local legal team busy with defense cases), but only the Oakland Raiders emerged as serious suitors. It seemed like the Oakland Raiders were a logical match who would surely jump at the opportunity to acquire a quarterback with a Super Bowl winning pedigree, but the two sides could not come to an agreement. Maybe the Raiders thought they could get off cheaper trying to draft a quarterback or maybe they were just trying to protect the co-ed population in the greater Oakland area, but it seems that Big Ben will be back in Pittsburgh in 2010 after his suspension runs its course.
There was hope that things might pick up after Donovan McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins. Many thought that this was a sign of wilder wheeling and dealing to come, but again… nothing. There There was some minor speculation that Washington might sign free agent Terrell Owens, which is a deal I wish had gone down because it would have been supremely entertaining. Watching McNabb and TO team up again while both are trying to prove they are still elite competitors would have been either an unbelievable comeback story for the once dynamic duo, or a delicious train wreck of epic proportions. Either way the public would have gotten to enjoy the show, but are instead left wondering about what might have been.
Another Redskin, Albert Haynesworth, got the rumor mill going as well this off season, as trade talk emerged about a potential return to Tennessee for the former Titan. Despite cashing in on a huge payday last season signing with Washington, Haynesworth seemed to have no interest in adjusting to the Redskins’ defensive schemes. There was talk that he might make his way back to Tennessee in time to mix up the draft board for the two teams and potentially add some more drama to the draft. But like every other rumored move lately it did not happen. The big man may still rumble back in to the Music City, but he’ll do so after the kickoff of the NFL draft.
I really did not see this wave of inactivity coming. Usually the NFL is abuzz with pre-draft stories and big moves. Picks and players swapping teams set the tone for an entertaining draft, but this year it was all quiet on the football front leading up to draft day.
In the end, the draft itself proved to be far more exciting (with Cowboys trading up to get Dez Bryant and Tim Tebow being drafted above Jimmy Clausen) than any pre-draft story.
Every NFL team starts the first of September with a clean slate. A record of 0-0. Many have hope of playing in January and it is a time of optimism for the players and the fans. The teams that made the playoffs the previous season hope to take it a step further (or repeat, if a team won the Super Bowl), while the teams that missed the playoffs hope to make it to postseason play. As the fourth week of the season winds down tonight in Minnesota, The Sports Debates is looking at teams that are behind the proverbial eight ball and have lost a realistic chance at making the playoffs. Yes, we know we are only a quarter of the way through the regular season, but the most surprising team to have basically ruined their playoff chances this early is the Tennessee Titans.
Last season the Titans finished 13-3 in the regular season and won the AFC South… before eventually losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the playoffs. The regular season record will not be duplicated, and with Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville (the team gave up 27 first half points to the Jacksonville Jaguars?), the Titans are an embarrassing 0-4. Guess what other teams are also 0-4? Terrible teams like the St. Louis Rams, the Cleveland Browns, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers! Heck, even the Oakland Raiders have one more win than the Titans! This is not what Jeff Fisher and Co. had in mind when the season started.
The offense has moved the ball fairly well. The offense is averaging close to 360-yards per game. Chris Johnson is having another solid year (and helping my fantasy team!). The Titans just are not getting the ball into the end zone. Averaging slightly less than 19 points a game to this point is good enough for 22nd in the league. That is not good enough for a team that had Super Bowl hopes coming into the season. It is also fair to question whether or not Kerry Collins is the man for the job at quarterback.
Where the team has really struggled is on defense. The Titans are giving up 282.2 yards per game passing, and an average of 27 points per game. How does a defense give up 323 yards to David Garrard? To me, that is a head scratcher. Does the defense really miss Albert Haynesworth that much? Does the defense really miss Jim Schwarz that much? Right now, it appears so!
And it is not going to get any easier for the Titans. One of the “perks” of winning a division is having a tough schedule the following the year. It is one of the many things the NFL does to create parity in the league. Look at the schedule and it is easy to understand the teams the Titans are playing in the next two week: the Indianapolis Colts (in an absolutely dreadful Sunday Night football game) and the New England Patriots. Ouch. I think 0-6 is a real possibility.
This is not what Titans fans and the city of Nashville had in mind. A record of 0-4 through the first four weeks was not even in the realm of possibility. With the Colts sitting on top of the division with a 4-0 record, it is going to be next to impossible to make the playoffs. There is no guarantee that 10 wins gets a team in the playoffs. And with the schedule strength shaking out like it is, I just do not see the Titans rebounding and playing playoff football this season.
We are less than two weeks away from the start of the NFL season. The anticipation is building. Some starting positions have been decided, while others are still up for grabs. Once those are all settled the teams can focus on the season and made that seventeen week push to the playoffs. Some will have more difficult roads than others, due in large part to where they play – which division. For example, the NFC West and AFC West appear to be down once again. But several other division races are sure to be exciting up until Week 17. After evaluating all of the divisions, I have decided that the NFC East is the overall best division in the NFL.
One element that makes this race interesting is that all four teams are in cities that are in the top 10 in television markets. These teams do not lack for attention and it sure helps that all four are competitive. I am not sure that you can look at any other division and realistically say “Any team in that division can make the playoffs.” Last year, the four teams all had at least a .500 record. The only other division that could say that was the NFC South.
The Philadelphia Eagles, who made the playoffs last year as a wild card and advanced to the NFC conference championship, return a strong nucleus. Granted, some of the stars like quarterback Donavan McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook are getting older. But they added some potential playmakers by drafting wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and running back LeSean McCoy. Plus, you may have heard that they also picked up a backup quarterback. Some guy by the name of Michael Vick.
The New York Giants, the reigning division winner, struggled down the stretch without Plaxico Burress. I am not convinced they have addressed their offensive concerns in the offseason. Running back Derrick Ward left via free agency. The wide receiving core is young and inexperienced. Not to mention that last season’s defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, left to become head coach of the St. Louis Rams. With that said, the Giants are just two years removed from a championship, and they still have to be considered a threat to win the division. Eli Manning also has a new contract, so he will be itching to prove his worth and prove the critics wrong who say the Giants overpaid.
The Dallas Cowboys are America’s team, and this year they are America’s team without society’s newest reality TV star Terrell Owens. This is a big year for head coach Wade Phillips, too. Missing the playoffs is a real possibility, especially in this division. You know general manager Jerry Jones will be looking for a scapegoat if the Cowboys do not make the playoffs in their first year of playing in beautiful new Cowboys Stadium. Fortunately, plenty of weapons return. The key to the Cowboys is whether or not wide receiver Roy Williams can step up and become the number one receiver the Cowboys expect him to be. The playoffs are a realistic goal.
The Washington Redskins, after getting off to a very strong start, limped to a 2-6 finish. We all know Redskins owner Daniel Snyder refuses to sit still, and he proved us right again by giving an extremely big contract to defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Perhaps no quarterback in the league is facing more pressure than Jason Campbell. After flirting with acquiring Jay Cutler and trading up to draft Mark Sanchez, the Redskins decided to stick with Campbell who is entering a contract year. Campbell is popular in the clubhouse, but it is his responsibility to get the Redskins back to the playoffs. Finishing 8-8 was the worst record in the division, which says a lot about the strength and the parity in the division.
All four of these teams can realistically make the playoffs. Can any other division say that? Maybe the AFC East. Maybe!! But the NFC East has a much stronger case and overall, from top to bottom, the teams are better. The division is the class of the NFL!
The NFL is very conscious of their image. Several factors lead an analytical person like me to this conclusion. One, the commissioner, Roger Goodell, cut his teeth in the NFL in the public relations part of the business. Two, the league seems to care a great deal about making a public show of punishment for the players who fall outside of their new conduct policy. Three, they enforce community service (hey, it is not always BAD to be image conscious). Four, the players are (well mostly receivers).
It is that general self-awareness the league touts that makes this issue of a rookie pay scale so bizarre. If the league cares so much about their perception, why would they have a backwards system of rewarding unproven players with massive contracts? It defies logic because the players are being rewarded for what they hope are “future truths” or “trust me” contracts. Considering the value of the contracts, that is no small act of faith on the part of the organization. That is why the general manager gets fired so much. They simply cannot afford to be wrong more than once.
As for the debate, good points are made on both sides. Loyal Homer is correct in his fan-driven head-scratching when considering the backwards logic of professional contracts to rookies. But, the basis of Loyal Homer’s argument is that the players who enter the draft are unproven. While it may be true that the players are unproven at the professional level, the gap between high-quality college football and low quality professional football is not that wide. In fact, that is probably why so many college players are not judged on their talents in the collegiate ranks but on their potential in the pros (though that is likely a debate for another day).
Despite the reluctance on the part of fans to accept a holdout and sign a rookie to a huge future truth contract, it is a practice that works for both the players and the teams. As Bleacher Fan points out, the teams do a good job of evaluating talent in general and assume the risk if they misread a player. If a draft pick is a bust that is a responsibility of the organization, not the player. The organization assumes the draft rights and the burden of signing a player. It is well within the realm of reason to let the market dictate the value of a player – proven or not. It is the same principle as free agency, only with inexperience players at the professional level. Instituting a pay scale for rookies is a double standard in the league, and a double standard that penalizes the veterans – something the league is not likely to do.
Though I am awarding the debate win to Bleacher Fan, I feel like there is a compromise here. Bleacher Fan makes a very thorough, researched point about the relative success of player evaluations and contract value for picks inside the top ten of the draft (they cannot all be good picks… the league still has the Bungals in it). As the talent dwindles with each passing pick on draft day, it makes sense for a pay scale to kick in at some point. Does the 20th player selected really need to hold out for a few extra dollars of guaranteed money? No. If a pay scale does ever come to fruition, limiting it to the players who fall outside of the top ten in the draft makes sense. Market forces can play out with the cream of the crop, but with the remaining players, heavily incentive-laden deals under a predetermined structure could make sense for players and organizations alike.
On the surface it sure seems like any rookie hold out situation sucks, especially from the fans perspective (the most important perspective, by the way). But it is a reflection of the American economic principles of fair market value and the guidance of the invisible hand, and it is what is best for talented players and risk-taking teams.
In these tough times, don’t you get tired of hearing about financial issues on the news? Not only is it bad on Wall Street but it is rough in sports, also. Franchises and organizations are cutting back on expenses and eliminating jobs. Attendance is down at sporting events, and revenue is down across the board.
Apparently, NFL rookies do not watch CNN or ESPN!!
Let me go ahead and get this out of the way. I am not in favor of holdouts period. Not by rookies, not by veterans. Just last week, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White held out for a week. Fortunately for the Falcons (and really for White) he agreed to a lucrative (and perhaps excessive) contract over the weekend. Veterans have their own reasons for holding out, and though I may not agree with the concept, I guess I can see their point of view.
But, what leg do rookies have to stand on when holding out? What good really comes out of it in the long haul? They miss a lot of training camp, get way behind in learning the playbook, and miss bonding with their new teammates. You know how it takes you awhile to get to know the new guy in the cubicle next to you at work? The same concept applies in football. It takes time for that work chemistry to work. Holding out endangers that whole process. I cannot imagine how a rookie holding out endears himself to his veteran teammates.
A set rookie salary scale will alleviate these problems. The contracts that Matthew Stafford signed this year, and that Matt Ryan signed last year, are just ridiculous. I am not the only one who thought Ryan’s contract was “disheartening.” To eliminate these contracts, the NFL needs to come up with a rookie salary scale, similar to what the NBA does. The league and the players union can negotiate to come up with an appropriate scale based on a variety of factors. The number one pick would have a predetermined salary. Michael Crabtree would have a set salary, so he would not be able to hold out for a better contract. This would be welcomed by most veterans of the league, many of whom believe in earning money before becoming one of the richest guys in a league. When the contract is up after three or four or however many years, then the player is eligible to sign a big extension. If a player is unable to reach an agreement with a team, then they are free to test the open market. The NBA has proven that this system can work. I think it could work in the NFL.
Do you think it is fair for Matthew Stafford to be making more than Albert Haynesworth at this point in Stafford’s career? Maybe Stafford plays incredibly well over the course of the contract and it ends up being a bargain contract. But you cannot say that at this point without him ever having taken a snap. The madness has to stop! Stop it now! Scale it down before it is too late! It is only going to get worse!
San Francisco 49ers first round draft pick, wide receiver Michael Crabtree, is making quite a fuss. Crabtree, drafted tenth overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, is seeking a rookie contract worth more than $23.5M in guaranteed money. When the Oakland Raiders took Maryland wide receiver Darius Heyward-Bey with the seventh overall pick, the 49ers undoubtedly believed they had the leverage they needed to get Crabtree into camp on time. Heyward-Bey would sign the first wide receiver contract, and the Crabtree’s would fall in line behind it.
But, that is not exactly how events are transpiring. Crabtree is apparently expecting a contract value higher than that of the seventh overall pick, given his (and his agent’s) belief that he was the best wide receiver in the draft. Does that logic make sense? Maybe only to an agent… and a cousin. Crabtree’s cousin/advisor, David Wells (no, not that one) has informed anyone within earshot that Crabtree is so put off by the 49ers inability to award him seventh overall-type money that the receiver is willing to sit out the entire 2009 season and re-enter the draft in 2010. Brilliant, right????
Sure, it is the age old problem with rookies and agents. They place their value higher than the league does AND they fail to understand that, on rare occasions, NFL teams draft according to NEED, not to the frustratingly subjective “talent.” But, I digress.
What Crabtree’s situation does put into perspective is the oft-discussed rookie pay scale in the NFL. This type of situation would not arise if rookies in the NFL were each paid according to the position they were drafted. The NFL would control the scale, and it would be increased year by year according to the changes in the salary cap, revenue sharing agreements, so on and so forth.
Crabtree’s situation is not unique, either. Number one overall pick Matthew Stafford is getting $41.7M in guaranteed money from the Detroit Lions. For perspective, that’s $0.7M more than proven, game-changing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is getting from the chronically overpaying Washington Redskins. Huge rookie salaries and rookie contract hold outs are as certain as an August gathering in Canton.
The NFL chief punisher/commissioner, Roger Goodell, assured college football players last December that a rookie pay scale would not be instituted until 2011, at the earliest. But, it appears it is an option on the table – at least in New York. Goodell “officially” favors a system that affords rookies all a predetermined contract level plus the opportunity to renegotiate their deal once they have proven themselves. Since team owners are known for their good natured benevolence, it seems certain this approach would work. (I sure hope you readers are picking up on this sarcasm.)
What our fearless debaters will address today is…
Does the NFL need a rookie pay scale?
Loyal Homer will argue in favor of a rookie pay scale regulating all NFL rookie salaries to a set level while Bleacher Fan will argue against the need for a rookie pay scale.
A couple of weeks ago, the writing staff here at The Sports Debates were tossing around topic ideas and we discussed the 2005 NFL Draft. Folks, we trouble naming players out of that draft who had made big contributions. After looking over this list, we agreed that it was a terrible draft. Look at it, folks. The first round is lackluster AT BEST! San Francisco taking quarterback Alex Smith first overall really set the tone for the entire draft, didn’t it? You could make a solid case for Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, as my colleagues have decided to do. But, since I had to choose one guy that I would want to resign to a long term deal, I chose Dallas Cowboys‘ linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
Ware, out of Troy University, was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. In a short time, he has become one of the league’s best linebackers. In four years, he has accumulated 297 tackles and 53.5 sacks, including a whopping 20 sacks last year. At one point last year, he had a sack in ten consecutive games. He also made the Pro Bowl the past three years.
Ware, who just turned 27, is in the last year of his rookie contract. His base salary is just over $1 million, a far cry from the extravagant contracts that not only some of the league’s top defensive players have (see Albert Haynesworth and James Harrison), but also what some of the players in his own draft class currently have (see Antrel Rolle, Aaron Rodgers, and Luis Castillo).
To the Cowboys credit, they have plans to extend Ware’s contract. The Cowboys obviously want to keep him, and he seems to want to stay in Dallas. He is also set to receive a gigantic pay raise that will raise him to the upper echelon of salaries in the NFL. Hopefully, this will raise his profile, also.
DeMarcus Ware still isn’t nearly as well known as some of his teammates. Yes, I know he plays for America’s Team and he gets a front row seat to the daily soap opera there. But, he’s strangely off of the national radar. Tony Romo and Terrell Owens stole all the headlines the last couple of years. The fact remains that Ware is a beast on the field and someone opposing offenses game plan around – without much success.
The Cowboys should definitely sign Ware to an extension… very soon. He’s just entering the prime of his career, and he should play the prime of his career at the new Cowboys Stadium.
And we're back... Should college coaches look into criminal and juvenile records when recruiting? The verdict says YES! http://bit.ly/dZ5LF311 months ago
Posted by Loyal Homer 
