NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell finally speaks the truth about the money paid to rookies coming into the league!
“It’s “ridiculous” to reward untested rookies with lucrative contracts, the money should go to the ones that perform”
I couldn’t agree more, it’s time the NFL does something to get these big money contracts under control. The NFL could take a page from the NBA in regards to rookie contracts. A rookie in the NBA is only allowed to earn 1 million dollars of their contract the first year. The guaranteed money is the real problem with these rookie contracts. Example
Rookie A signs a contract for 6 years at $63 Million dollars w/$38.4 million guaranteed. Guess what, if that player goes into training camp and has a career ending injury, he never plays one down in the NFL and makes $38.4 million dollars. Rookie signing bonuses, and big money contracts are what drive veteran players that have stepped up and proven themselves, to hold out. Then fans, teammates, coaches, and owners question why this player would hold out. Well the holdout player isn’t stupid… He sees a unproven rookie coming into the league getting paid.. he feels he has EARNED some extra money coming his way.
The League should really look into the idea of *flat position pay*. Maybe then players would remember making it to the top of their chosen sport is an honor, not a paycheck. Players might remember they have passion for the sport, and remember exactly why they started playing the game.
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3 responses so far ↓
1 frank // Jun 30, 2008 at 1:54 pm
i couldnt agree more maybe basketball could learn from football
2 lajitas // Jun 30, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Well, Roger woke up. He woke up to something I said oh, about 15 or more years ago….the rookies are making way too much money. But, hey, who’s giving them the money? Why, the dumbass owners, that’s who. And while the rooks are making a killing, the whole league is turning their collective backs on the old veterans who are crippled and can’t function properly because of laying it all out on the field. I work with an ex NFL player, and I hear some of the stories about other old timers who get their claims denied by the NFL as well as the friggin’ union. Now Roger wants the union to join in and help police the owners penchant for throwing money around like they’re at a shake joint with Pacman (that’s right, Pacman) Jones? Get real. Learn from the baseball owners stupidity. Years ago, after Catfish Hunter broke the bank signing with the Yankees, the baseball owners started chunking money around. When it dawned on them years later that they were in “financial stress”, they tried to stop paying all the high salaries. The union took them to court, and the court sided with the union, finding the owners guilty of collusion. Now, for the PSL’s….f@#k that. A guy thats had the same season tickets for 20 years now has to fork over at least $4K just to have the right to buy them? Bullshit. Keep on building your palaces, guys. As corporate America squirms under the pressure of todays economy, watch what starts happening to your crowds. I know I can’t (and wouldn’t if I could) pay the god-awful price of admission you ask. I’ll take my ass to the golf course or to the lake, or somewhere I can actually do something to have fun. When the stands are empty, ya’ll can sit around with the players and ask each other “WTF??”
3 Kate // Jun 30, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Agreeing with Lajitas! They’ve pretty much priced the fans out because of those beyond absurd salaries. Now when of one ‘em finds a cure for cancer, I’ll be impressed. Until then, they need to get their collective heads out of their collective asses! I don’t even watch football in the idjit box anymore because I’m so disgusted with the lot of ‘em!
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