The issue of talent dilution in major pro sports is a hot topic, right along with...well, whatever else. Can these pro sports leagues support all their roster needs talent-wise? Can the talent pool afford much further expansion? Is expansion seemingly inevitable, and if so, to what point?<
><
>Baseball: Expansion to 32 teams has not been confirmed yet, and commissioner Bud Selig seems to be looking for permanent realignment plans with 30 teams. Cutting back to 28 teams has also been kicked around. What seems the most feasible? What, ideally, would be the best move? If baseball expands to 32, will it go beyond that in a few years? Will it regret that move and start cutting teams back? Or would 32 teams be a permanent solution? What teams can and should be eliminated?<
><
>Football: The NFL obviously has added its 32nd team. Does the NFL suffer from talent dilution? Or has the league that figured out free agency covered this one, too? Why are such teams as the Bengals and Saints continually weak - is the deck stacked against them, are the stars aligned against them, or are they poorly managed? Should any teams be eliminated?<
><
>Basketball: Currently, with 29 teams, small-market teams can compete, though many teams are continually miserable. Is there any explanation for this? Is the talent field too thin for weak teams to re-establish themselves competitively? Or is the playoff system designed so that weak teams can sneak in as a #8 seed and have an equal chance? Can any teams be eliminated? Which ones? Where are some possible expansion sites?<
><
>Hockey: The 30-team league taps worldwide talent. They have no further plans to expand, but have they gone too far already? Are these expansion teams doomed to be weak forever? Can the NHL logically cut out any teams? DEVILRAYS Rad Stadium<
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><I><B>I'm having a wonderful time but I'd rather be whistling in the dark.</B></I><i></i>
Talent dilution in major pro sports
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Commcorranhorn
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
sorry bout that last post, there are only 30 :P<
><
>Original 6<
>Toronto<
>Chicago<
>Detroit<
>Montreal<
>Boston<
>New York Rangers<
><
>Canadian Expansions<
><
>Vancouver <
>Ottawa (Senators from WHA)<
>Edmonton (once Alberta oilers in WHA)<
>Calgary (once atlanta flames)<
><
>American expansions<
><
>-Minnesota<
>-Dallas (once minnesota north stars)<
>-Columbus<
>-New York islanders<
>-New Jersey (once the Kansas city scouts, then the Denver Rockies)<
>-Colorado (once Quebec City nordiques)<
>-Pheonix (once Winnipeg jets)<
>-Los Angeles<
>-Pittsburgh <
>-Buffalo<
>-Carolina (once new england whalers then hartford whalers)<
>-Florida<
>-Tampa Bay<
>-Anaheim <
>-Nashville<
>-Atlanta<
>-Philadelphia<
>-Washington<
>-San Jose<
>-St. Louis (was attempted to move to Saskatchewan ) MTFBWY ~Commander Corran Horn <i></i>
><
>Original 6<
>Toronto<
>Chicago<
>Detroit<
>Montreal<
>Boston<
>New York Rangers<
><
>Canadian Expansions<
><
>Vancouver <
>Ottawa (Senators from WHA)<
>Edmonton (once Alberta oilers in WHA)<
>Calgary (once atlanta flames)<
><
>American expansions<
><
>-Minnesota<
>-Dallas (once minnesota north stars)<
>-Columbus<
>-New York islanders<
>-New Jersey (once the Kansas city scouts, then the Denver Rockies)<
>-Colorado (once Quebec City nordiques)<
>-Pheonix (once Winnipeg jets)<
>-Los Angeles<
>-Pittsburgh <
>-Buffalo<
>-Carolina (once new england whalers then hartford whalers)<
>-Florida<
>-Tampa Bay<
>-Anaheim <
>-Nashville<
>-Atlanta<
>-Philadelphia<
>-Washington<
>-San Jose<
>-St. Louis (was attempted to move to Saskatchewan ) MTFBWY ~Commander Corran Horn <i></i>
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DEVILRAYS
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
Obviously baseball suffers from talent dilution. Ideally, baseball should have 24 teams, in four divisions of six. The American League and National Leagues should be respected, and wild cards are best left only to clubhouse poker games. Obviously the Montreal Expos could be eliminated. Then maybe Florida, after what Wayne Huizenga did to them. Arizona has had notable financial trouble and should be the next to go. As much as I hate to say it, Oakland has attendance problems, and they may have to go as well. However, they are one of the original 16, and if they fold, this will leave only two American League frachises in the Pacific time zone when it may be preferrable to have three. It may be best to eliminate Tampa Bay and Minnesota instead, as hard as it would be to say goodbye to the Twins. This cuts back to 25 teams, just short of the goal (or long, whichever.) The rivalry that must be preserved by this is obviously the Cubs-Cardinals connection, so in order to keep this and have a plan that makes geographic sense, they should be in the NL East. However, five other teams are left that belong in that division - the Braves, Mets, Phillies, Pirates, and Reds, and none of them can be feasibly eliminated. This is why it is completely unfeasible to try to cut back this far unless something dramatically changes. The next step for baseball to take is to go to 32 teams. Baseball must divide each league into two categories: those teams who play in the Eastern time zone and those who play west of that. By this, the AL can be divided evenly, with what is now the AL East having Cleveland and Detroit added to it with what is now the AL West absorbing Kansas City, Minnesota, and the White Sox. The National League appears that simple, with the AL East picking up the Pirates and Reds to go to seven teams like each division in the AL. However, that leaves a nine-team division in the NL West, an abnormality that must be fixed. The only way to do this is to expand into two cities in the Eastern time zone and to move an NL West team into the AL West.<
>Let's assume that revenue sharing and salary regulations can save even the weakest teams and keep them in their present locations. The commissioner's office must direct their attention at this. At this point, they must look to add two teams. One team can be added in Buffalo. Another can be added in Richmond, Virginia, with Buffalo ending up in The American League East and Richmond joining the NL East. However, this leaves the leagues at an unbalanced 15-17, which can't happen. Still one NL West team must be moved to the AL West. Obviously the Cubs and Cardinals are fixtures of the National league and should stay. The Dodgers and Giants make sense in the NL West and should stay. The Padres should also stay in the National League, leaving four teams - the Astros, Brewers, Rockies, and Diamondbacks. The Brewers were just moved to the NL, and as good as it would be to send them home to the American League, it's not going to happen, so scratch that idea. Moving the Houston Astros to the AL West is only sensical if baseball stays with three divisions and 30 teams, as this would keep the integrity of the two-team region. The Diamondbacks adamantly do not want to leave the National League, and they shouldn't be forced to, leaving one team that may be best suited to switch leagues - the Colorado Rockies. <
>At this point, all interleague play can be wiped from existence; it isn't necessary anymore, and the schedule will be better off without it. Each team will play 8 games against each team in the division opposite it, for a total of 64 games. This leaves 98 games for division play, which is plenty. This total divided by 7 division opponents is 14 games per opponent.<
>The old tradition of the Sunday doubleheader is revived for the first half of the season, allowing for 12-14 doubleheaders for each team. This ends the regular season in mid-September, allowing for the expanded playoffs.<
>In each division, 2nd place will play a best-of-5 against 3rd place. The first two will be at the site of the 3rd-place team, while the final three go to the 2nd-place team. The winner plays a best-of-7 against the regular season division champion, thereby creating a sense of urgency to win the division or else face an extreme endurance test. And since each league has only two divisions, the idea of a "weak" division will be defeated and most of the races will be between teams above .500.<
><
>Does the NFL suffer from talent dilution? It doesn't appear to. All it needs to do is realign its teams in a way that makes sense both geographically and historically. Then, the NFL must eliminate the preseason. How? By adding four games to the regular season. Any given team will play 10 division games, six conference games against non-division foes (all four teams in one division, and the corresponding place teams in the other two.) Then they play all four teams in a division in the other conference.<
>At this point, only division champions make the playoffs, and teams must win two best-of-3s to reach the Super Bowl, a one-game playoff in Honolulu.<
><
>The NBA has a wide talent field to pick from, but why are the Clippers still the Clippers? Theoretically they should win now and then. The solution? Squash 'em. Squash the Warriors, Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Nuggets too. Nah. Not the Warriors. They can stay. The Wizards go. Obviously the Pacific division has the Lakers, Suns, Sonics, Blazers, Kings, and Warriors while the Midwest still has the Jazz, Rockets, Spurs, Timberwolves, and now the Bucks and Bulls. Minus the loss of the Wizards and the moving of the Bucks and Bulls, the East stays pretty much the same.<
>The playoffs are now entirely within the division, and the team that finishes first gets a bye week (as only 12 teams get in now.) <
><
>NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said that the next step for the NHL, now that it has 30 teams, is to get 30 finanacially sound teams. There are no further plans for expansion, nor should there be. A little bit of realignment, some aid to the Canadian teams, revenue sharing, a salary floor and cap, and the NHL is good to go. It does, after all, have a wide talent pool from which to choose. However, at its current status, may be better off with 24 teams in terms of player talent. Sixteen or 20 teams is clearly too few, but 30 leaves teams continually weak. Or is that just bad luck or mismanagement? The NFL and NHL may be the two leagues that can live with more teams. <B>Subway Series</B> - <I>Yankees 1, Mets 0</I><
><B>Game 1</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 3 in 12 innings</I><
><B>Game 2</B> - <I>Yankees 6, Mets 5</I><
><B>Game 3</B> - Tuesday, 10/24: Rick Reed vs Orlando Hernandez<
>DEVILRAYS Rad Stadium<
>Admin of: Raven's World Forums<
>Admin of: Video Gamer's Board<
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>Admin of: Kefka's Penthouse<
><
><I><B>I'm having a wonderful time but I'd rather be whistling in the dark.</B></I><i></i>
>Let's assume that revenue sharing and salary regulations can save even the weakest teams and keep them in their present locations. The commissioner's office must direct their attention at this. At this point, they must look to add two teams. One team can be added in Buffalo. Another can be added in Richmond, Virginia, with Buffalo ending up in The American League East and Richmond joining the NL East. However, this leaves the leagues at an unbalanced 15-17, which can't happen. Still one NL West team must be moved to the AL West. Obviously the Cubs and Cardinals are fixtures of the National league and should stay. The Dodgers and Giants make sense in the NL West and should stay. The Padres should also stay in the National League, leaving four teams - the Astros, Brewers, Rockies, and Diamondbacks. The Brewers were just moved to the NL, and as good as it would be to send them home to the American League, it's not going to happen, so scratch that idea. Moving the Houston Astros to the AL West is only sensical if baseball stays with three divisions and 30 teams, as this would keep the integrity of the two-team region. The Diamondbacks adamantly do not want to leave the National League, and they shouldn't be forced to, leaving one team that may be best suited to switch leagues - the Colorado Rockies. <
>At this point, all interleague play can be wiped from existence; it isn't necessary anymore, and the schedule will be better off without it. Each team will play 8 games against each team in the division opposite it, for a total of 64 games. This leaves 98 games for division play, which is plenty. This total divided by 7 division opponents is 14 games per opponent.<
>The old tradition of the Sunday doubleheader is revived for the first half of the season, allowing for 12-14 doubleheaders for each team. This ends the regular season in mid-September, allowing for the expanded playoffs.<
>In each division, 2nd place will play a best-of-5 against 3rd place. The first two will be at the site of the 3rd-place team, while the final three go to the 2nd-place team. The winner plays a best-of-7 against the regular season division champion, thereby creating a sense of urgency to win the division or else face an extreme endurance test. And since each league has only two divisions, the idea of a "weak" division will be defeated and most of the races will be between teams above .500.<
><
>Does the NFL suffer from talent dilution? It doesn't appear to. All it needs to do is realign its teams in a way that makes sense both geographically and historically. Then, the NFL must eliminate the preseason. How? By adding four games to the regular season. Any given team will play 10 division games, six conference games against non-division foes (all four teams in one division, and the corresponding place teams in the other two.) Then they play all four teams in a division in the other conference.<
>At this point, only division champions make the playoffs, and teams must win two best-of-3s to reach the Super Bowl, a one-game playoff in Honolulu.<
><
>The NBA has a wide talent field to pick from, but why are the Clippers still the Clippers? Theoretically they should win now and then. The solution? Squash 'em. Squash the Warriors, Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Nuggets too. Nah. Not the Warriors. They can stay. The Wizards go. Obviously the Pacific division has the Lakers, Suns, Sonics, Blazers, Kings, and Warriors while the Midwest still has the Jazz, Rockets, Spurs, Timberwolves, and now the Bucks and Bulls. Minus the loss of the Wizards and the moving of the Bucks and Bulls, the East stays pretty much the same.<
>The playoffs are now entirely within the division, and the team that finishes first gets a bye week (as only 12 teams get in now.) <
><
>NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said that the next step for the NHL, now that it has 30 teams, is to get 30 finanacially sound teams. There are no further plans for expansion, nor should there be. A little bit of realignment, some aid to the Canadian teams, revenue sharing, a salary floor and cap, and the NHL is good to go. It does, after all, have a wide talent pool from which to choose. However, at its current status, may be better off with 24 teams in terms of player talent. Sixteen or 20 teams is clearly too few, but 30 leaves teams continually weak. Or is that just bad luck or mismanagement? The NFL and NHL may be the two leagues that can live with more teams. <B>Subway Series</B> - <I>Yankees 1, Mets 0</I><
><B>Game 1</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 3 in 12 innings</I><
><B>Game 2</B> - <I>Yankees 6, Mets 5</I><
><B>Game 3</B> - Tuesday, 10/24: Rick Reed vs Orlando Hernandez<
>DEVILRAYS Rad Stadium<
>Admin of: Raven's World Forums<
>Admin of: Video Gamer's Board<
>Admin of: Master Ghaleon's Video Game Forums<
>Admin of: Miss Sarajevo's Blue Room<
>Admin of: Goku's Planet of DBZ<
>Admin of: Kefka's Penthouse<
><
><I><B>I'm having a wonderful time but I'd rather be whistling in the dark.</B></I><i></i>
-
Ingrid
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
up. <i>Edited by: Ingrid at: 11/2/00 4:08:05 pm<
></i>
></i>
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soloist
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
Quite an interesting issue Devilrays. Will an expansion <
>of teams enforce an increase in talent or will it<
>deminish the amount of talent currently ava-<
>ilable? In my opinion, it can go eithe-<
>r way... but whether or not finan-<
>cial influence and ultimately<
>the League would support<
>more teams is the q-<
>uestion. A doul-<
>be edged sw-<
>ord -- as<
>more t-<
>eams<
>may cor-<
>rupt the Le-<
>ague with yet ano-<
>ther insignia, another<
>home stadium, another city,<
>and another expansion, since ge-<
>tting to financial support to actually<
>create a team is not the issue; rather the a-<
>greement to allow such an addition to the League.<
>In my opinion... it can go either way, but at this point,<
>at least the league is managable in spite of the Salary caps, <
>the trademark infridgements and the publishing rights to local networks. <b>soloist</b>Strictly PSX game reviewer...<
> as of 10-6-99<
>ClickHere!<i></i>
>of teams enforce an increase in talent or will it<
>deminish the amount of talent currently ava-<
>ilable? In my opinion, it can go eithe-<
>r way... but whether or not finan-<
>cial influence and ultimately<
>the League would support<
>more teams is the q-<
>uestion. A doul-<
>be edged sw-<
>ord -- as<
>more t-<
>eams<
>may cor-<
>rupt the Le-<
>ague with yet ano-<
>ther insignia, another<
>home stadium, another city,<
>and another expansion, since ge-<
>tting to financial support to actually<
>create a team is not the issue; rather the a-<
>greement to allow such an addition to the League.<
>In my opinion... it can go either way, but at this point,<
>at least the league is managable in spite of the Salary caps, <
>the trademark infridgements and the publishing rights to local networks. <b>soloist</b>Strictly PSX game reviewer...<
> as of 10-6-99<
>ClickHere!<i></i>
-
The Great Butcher
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
IF ANYONE TOUCHES MY SAN JOSE SHARKS THEY WILL DIE I am <i></i>
-
soloist
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
I see Devilrays. But do you think the fans will support<
>the decision of management in the rigged system<
>of the NBA with high-school players skipp-<
>ing college to get into the NBA? Th-<
>en again... in a way, I do not<
>blame them since college<
>players do not get <
>a salary nor<
>any s-<
>ort of fin-<
>ancial incenti-<
>ve, yet the coaches<
>benefit. High school pla-<
>yers want money... and if they<
>do not have to go through college for<
>that, they won't. Let me not rant on this to-<
>pic... I am in agreement with the notion involving<
>management being strict, but will the fans support them<
>in the NBA since they are not used to having such sterness there? <b>soloist</b>Strictly PSX game reviewer...<
> as of 10-6-99<
>ClickHere!<i></i>
>the decision of management in the rigged system<
>of the NBA with high-school players skipp-<
>ing college to get into the NBA? Th-<
>en again... in a way, I do not<
>blame them since college<
>players do not get <
>a salary nor<
>any s-<
>ort of fin-<
>ancial incenti-<
>ve, yet the coaches<
>benefit. High school pla-<
>yers want money... and if they<
>do not have to go through college for<
>that, they won't. Let me not rant on this to-<
>pic... I am in agreement with the notion involving<
>management being strict, but will the fans support them<
>in the NBA since they are not used to having such sterness there? <b>soloist</b>Strictly PSX game reviewer...<
> as of 10-6-99<
>ClickHere!<i></i>
-
DEVILRAYS
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
NBA salaries are way the hell out of control. The fact that the superstar cap is up in the $20+ million level is ridiculous. With only a 12-player roster, a team salary cap of somewhere around $40 million should be manageable. It isn't like that's really very limiting. It's the NBA's fault for allowing salaries to spin out of control. It may be too late to stand up for itself now the way the NHL did with Alexei Yashin or the way the NFL did in 1987. Baseball has the same problem. If baseball's team salary cap were $75 million, and it had a salary floor of about half that, salaries wouldn't spin out of control. But with Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez demanding huge amounts of money, the teams have to step back and reevaluate. They need not to give in to these player's ridiculous demands, or within the next ten years, someone will get a $1 billion contract. <B>Subway Series</B> - <I>Yankees 1, Mets 0</I><
><B>Game 1</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 3 in 12 innings</I><
><B>Game 2</B> - <I>Yankees 6, Mets 5</I><
><B>Game 3</B> - <I>Mets 4, Yankees 2</I><
><B>Game 4</B> - <I>Yankees 3, Mets 2</I><
><B>Game 5</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 2</I><
><B>Yankees win Series 4-1</B><
>DEVILRAYS Rad Stadium<
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>Admin of: Master Ghaleon's Video Game Forums<
>Admin of: Miss Sarajevo's Blue Room<
>Admin of: Goku's Planet of DBZ<
>Admin of: Kefka's Penthouse<
>Admin of: N-Zone<
><
><I><B>I'm having a wonderful time but I'd rather be whistling in the dark.</B></I><i></i>
><B>Game 1</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 3 in 12 innings</I><
><B>Game 2</B> - <I>Yankees 6, Mets 5</I><
><B>Game 3</B> - <I>Mets 4, Yankees 2</I><
><B>Game 4</B> - <I>Yankees 3, Mets 2</I><
><B>Game 5</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 2</I><
><B>Yankees win Series 4-1</B><
>DEVILRAYS Rad Stadium<
>Admin of: Video Gamer's Board<
>Admin of: Master Ghaleon's Video Game Forums<
>Admin of: Miss Sarajevo's Blue Room<
>Admin of: Goku's Planet of DBZ<
>Admin of: Kefka's Penthouse<
>Admin of: N-Zone<
><
><I><B>I'm having a wonderful time but I'd rather be whistling in the dark.</B></I><i></i>
-
The Great Butcher
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
Devilrays what do you think of the NFL Salary Cap rules? Too restrictive? I am <i></i>
-
DEVILRAYS
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
Oh hell no. I like the NFL salary cap rules. I wish baseball and hockey had thought of it. <B>Subway Series</B> - <I>Yankees 1, Mets 0</I><
><B>Game 1</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 3 in 12 innings</I><
><B>Game 2</B> - <I>Yankees 6, Mets 5</I><
><B>Game 3</B> - <I>Mets 4, Yankees 2</I><
><B>Game 4</B> - <I>Yankees 3, Mets 2</I><
><B>Game 5</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 2</I><
><B>Yankees win Series 4-1</B><
>DEVILRAYS Rad Stadium<
>Admin of: Video Gamer's Board<
>Admin of: Master Ghaleon's Video Game Forums<
>Admin of: Miss Sarajevo's Blue Room<
>Admin of: Goku's Planet of DBZ<
>Admin of: Kefka's Penthouse<
>Admin of: N-Zone<
><
><I><B>I'm having a wonderful time but I'd rather be whistling in the dark.</B></I><i></i>
><B>Game 1</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 3 in 12 innings</I><
><B>Game 2</B> - <I>Yankees 6, Mets 5</I><
><B>Game 3</B> - <I>Mets 4, Yankees 2</I><
><B>Game 4</B> - <I>Yankees 3, Mets 2</I><
><B>Game 5</B> - <I>Yankees 4, Mets 2</I><
><B>Yankees win Series 4-1</B><
>DEVILRAYS Rad Stadium<
>Admin of: Video Gamer's Board<
>Admin of: Master Ghaleon's Video Game Forums<
>Admin of: Miss Sarajevo's Blue Room<
>Admin of: Goku's Planet of DBZ<
>Admin of: Kefka's Penthouse<
>Admin of: N-Zone<
><
><I><B>I'm having a wonderful time but I'd rather be whistling in the dark.</B></I><i></i>
-
The Great Butcher
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
So you don't feel bad that the salary cap forced Ronnie Lott to leave the 49ers and finish with the Raiders, Bruce Smith to leave the Bills, and many early retirements and stupid trades for example?<
><
>I think it's a bunch of BS I am <i></i>
><
>I think it's a bunch of BS I am <i></i>
-
DEVILRAYS
Re: Talent dilution in major pro sports
That's the price these teams pay for that, but it sn't like they're coughing up a whole lot. How is that different from Joe Namath finishing his career with the Rams or O.J. Simpson ending his career with the 49ers? The salary cap has forced teams to make choices like that. I would rather see players who have to be released due to salary cap restrictions than see $25 million-a-year players changing practically on a whim or going out and changing based on top dollar. What really upsets me is that there really isn't a happy medium here. Thanks to upstart leagues like the WHA and the USFL paying outrageous player salaries to begin with, the other major leagues were forced to give into the players' demands. Or so they felt, and that's what they did. Had the Curt Flood decision, upon which players could not be granted free agency, stood, then players would be making less in a year than most Americans, they would play their entire careers with one or two teams, and salary caps would be completely unnecessary. Not to mention, ticket prices would be a lot lower, and those who play the game would be those who loved the game, not those who loved the big contracts. And those upstarts, the WHA and USFL, would have faded into utter obscurity as leagues that bit off more than they could chew.<
>Now one might say, "If a player doesn't like playing for one team, they should be allowed to look for another team. After all, if a news anchor at CBS can get higher pay at ABC, they go and do that, right? No one stands in their way." Well, look at, say, the National Football League not as 32 separate companies, but rather, 32 different departments within the same company. Paul Tagliabue is the CEO. The owners are the Board of Directors. There is a little bit more of a sense of independence, but nonetheless, one team cannot survive on its own and is dependent in that way on the other 31. So a news anchor at CBS can't just sign a contract and switch departments, opting after a few years to become a field reporter instead. And if a New York Giant is looking for more money, they better just beg the Giants' front office for it.<
>And even if this isn't a valid comparison, look at it this way - these people are on a national spotlight. So many kids idolize them. They are held to a different standard from others. Besides, if they want money, there's a little thing called "endorsements" they can go after, which could potentially earn them more money.<
>This situation weeds out any people who merely look to enter pro sports for the money. Due to oversupply of positions, at that point, leagues must then cut back on the number of teams. Let's say league size is pretty uniform at 24 at this point. Sounds like a nice round number. The players who love the game and play with heart fill the talent pool, and this restores America's love for sport. Not to mention, if player salaries are kept lower, tickets won't run $50 a pop for bleacher seats or mezzanine level seats where the view is blocked by a pole. Then, when players retire, they can get jobs in the
oadcast booth or as coaches, enabling many of them to stay within the sport after they retire and keeping the financial end of the situation up.<
>OK, enough idealism. Star players are often forced to spend their final days with other teams...it's nothing new with free agency. It's a small price to pay to keep all teams competitive, really. <
>DEVILRAYS Rad Stadium<
>Admin of: Video Gamer's Board<
>Admin of: Master Ghaleon's Video Game Forums<
>Admin of: Miss Sarajevo's Blue Room<
>Admin of: Kefka's Penthouse<
>Admin of: N-Zone<
><
><I><B>I'm having a wonderful time but I'd rather be whistling in the dark.</B></I><i></i>
>Now one might say, "If a player doesn't like playing for one team, they should be allowed to look for another team. After all, if a news anchor at CBS can get higher pay at ABC, they go and do that, right? No one stands in their way." Well, look at, say, the National Football League not as 32 separate companies, but rather, 32 different departments within the same company. Paul Tagliabue is the CEO. The owners are the Board of Directors. There is a little bit more of a sense of independence, but nonetheless, one team cannot survive on its own and is dependent in that way on the other 31. So a news anchor at CBS can't just sign a contract and switch departments, opting after a few years to become a field reporter instead. And if a New York Giant is looking for more money, they better just beg the Giants' front office for it.<
>And even if this isn't a valid comparison, look at it this way - these people are on a national spotlight. So many kids idolize them. They are held to a different standard from others. Besides, if they want money, there's a little thing called "endorsements" they can go after, which could potentially earn them more money.<
>This situation weeds out any people who merely look to enter pro sports for the money. Due to oversupply of positions, at that point, leagues must then cut back on the number of teams. Let's say league size is pretty uniform at 24 at this point. Sounds like a nice round number. The players who love the game and play with heart fill the talent pool, and this restores America's love for sport. Not to mention, if player salaries are kept lower, tickets won't run $50 a pop for bleacher seats or mezzanine level seats where the view is blocked by a pole. Then, when players retire, they can get jobs in the
oadcast booth or as coaches, enabling many of them to stay within the sport after they retire and keeping the financial end of the situation up.<
>OK, enough idealism. Star players are often forced to spend their final days with other teams...it's nothing new with free agency. It's a small price to pay to keep all teams competitive, really. <
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