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how to fix pro sports (somewhat long, but fairly simple)
Here is the problem. In baseball, there is no salary cap. So a poor team that goes to all the trouble of bringing a kid up through the minors, then has him blossom into a star, only to see him get stolen by the yanks/red sox/et.al. when his contract his up. and there is nothing that the poor team can do about it. as much as i love watching the tribe right now, i am dreading the eventual day when this happens to sizemore, hafner, et. al., as it did with belle, ramirez, and thome.
In football, there is a salary cap. Seems like a good idea to fix the above problem. however, new problems arise. a team will draft a player, see him develop nicely, then be unable to afford to resign him when his contract is up, as the salary cap is so stringent and tough decisions need to be made. so, players that become fan favorites are gone, to be replaced by other free agents. for example, the browns lost anthony henry, one of my faves, to be replaced by a similar player in gary baxter. really, what is the point of all that? why can't we root for our guys until they retire, instead of having to root for an ex-raven?
Basketball has presented an interesting solution, to which i want to build upon. as much as i hated seeing the cavs unable to land michael redd, it was because the bucks were given the opportunity to resign him. teams can only offer so much to a free agent, while the players original team has the ability to pay him more money, if they so desire.
So, here is my solution to professional sports:
1. Create a salary cap, but only have this cap apply to free agency. I.E., each team is alloted the same amount of money in which to pursue players from other teams. If a team really, really wants and needs a certain player, they can go get him; but this prevents rich teams from going crazy and buying everybody.
2. there is no limit to the amount of money that you can spend re-signing your current players. you should not be penalized for drafting well. i have no problem if the yankees want to spend a billion dollars on derek jeter, for he became a star with them and is a fan favorite. i do have a problem when teams can just steal stars from other teams.
3. in regards to the nfl, these rookie training camp holdouts are ridiculous. the rule should be that each rookie is automatically given a 3 year deal when drafted, and the amount of money is directly related to where they got drafted. so the number 1 pick gets x amount of money, the number 2 pick gets y, and so forth.
4. get rid of these stupid incentive-laden contracts. it sounds like a good idea to reward a guy for his stats, but the dark side is that then you get players that bitch if they aren't getting enough PT. there should only be one incentive on the contract - wins. each player gets paid x amount of dollars per win, regardless of their role in it. this way, players will do everything they can to win, instead of just trying to pad their stats.
under these changes, you will see professional sports featuring (GASP!) players that are trying to win, and more players that have become fan-favorites, leading to a greater connection between fans and players, which will increase attendance, ratings, etc. Leagues will be competitive but fair. If your team sucks, you can get better by drafting and developing prospects. Once your team gets good, you can keep your key players and make runs at the championship, endearing that group of players to the city and the fans forever.
in today's pro sports, it's rare that you see a guy remain with a team for more than 3 years. it's hilarious to look around at me and my friends and see how many worthless browns jerseys we've accumulated, in less than 6 years of the franchise's re-birth.
also, get rid of the franchise tag. if a player really wants to leave to go to a different team, he should be free to do so. however, it won't be for financial reasons.
if the players still don't like the new changes, throw them a bone and make the contracts guaranteed. if you're worried that this will create players that become lazy once they sign, remember that because they get paid for each win, they will still be motivated to help the team. Right now, in the NFL, the motivation for the majority of guys is the fear of being unemployed. Remove that fear, and you end up with a happier, more cohesive team. It's hard for me to believe that most NFL franchises right now are "teams"; in truth, it is more like a collection of individuals trying to make some money before their bodies crumble like sawdust.
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