The NFL's at it again...

[oddball]

I see no problem with the NFL going to an 18 game schedule, heck I'd take it a few steps forward, get rid of the stupid bye weeks, and even drop the two preseason games. No one and I mean no one cares about preseason games. If you want to adjust the pay scale, pay all rookies a base salary and then make them earn their way onto the playing field. No preseason games, just practice your way onto the team, then earn your playing time, then earn your money when you become a star. I promise you'd see a reduction of rookie salaries and you'd see more quarterbacks develop better as they sit behind veterans and learn the game.

I love the line of "they put their lives on the line, so they deserve the money." That's the biggest line of bull I've ever heard. They are playing a game and they put nothing on the line. Tell that to a firefighter or a policeman, or someone in the military. There ain't no way any athlete deserves more than the average person. I could care less if there's only a certain amount of them out there. Pay the real money to the real heroes and people and not the frauds.

[Viper]

You're missing my point. I'm looking outside the box here, not at the individual players and what they turn into. College athletics are just more enjoyable to watch and follow in many aspects. We don't have to worry about all the whining and crying that goes on in professional sports nor deal with lockouts or players moving everywhere or teams changing names- too much of a business these days.

Instead, we have to worry about different sorts of whining and crying (e.g. about who got screwed out of a BCS bid, or an NCAA basketball tournament bid or whatever).

As for pro sports, I'm not ready to abandon the "Big (Three out of) Four" just yet (though I gave up on the NBA some time ago), but this thread does speak to one of the reasons why my favorite pro league to follow is now the relatively obscure National Lacrosse League.

[BB61]

I've said it before, I'll say it again... the NFL sucks. College football isn't that much better, aside from a few individual games. The NFL has grown into this huge monster who thinks that their s**t doesn't stink, and college, despite ColaCock's elequent speech, is still controlled by the almighty dollar. I've pretty much given up on football at this point, especially with the Eagles proving once again that they don't care about winning or about the fans.

The only form of gridiron that I'd watch because it's somewhat entertaining is Arena Football, and right now, that's on the back burner.

Besides... Australian Rules Football is vastly superior.

[B-Rich]

... There's no plans to move the Super Bowl further back at this time, though admittedly I'm with you on this - it should return to being a January game, even if it means starting the regular season in early August. The decision to move the Super Bowls to February predates 9/11 actually, but again I'm with you - it should be a January game.

My understanding is that another factor is in play in keeping the Super Bowl in February-- not playing a regular season game on Labor Day weekend. Up 'till around the 9/11 period, that was the first weekend of regular season NFL football. I read that the NFL found, however, that in many locales they were getting HAMMERED in terms of attendance (and probably TV viewership) on that weekend-- people were away for the weekend, at the beach, etc. Since that time the opening weeknd has always been the weekend AFTER Labor Day..... something makes me think this will not change, and any additional games will be "back-loaded" rather than "front-loaded".....

[Gothamite]

As far as professional players, I'm sorry- but 90% are overpaid...WAY overpaid. You show me a few reasons why Alex Rodriguez is worth 300 plus million dollars to do what he does

Okay, that's an easy one. Because the Yankees, in terms of performance on the field and jersey/memorabilia sales off the field, will make a profit on him. They will earn more money from fans and broadcasters than they will pay him in salary plus payments to other teams in salary cap penalties.

Capitalism, plain and simple. You don't like it, I'll save you a space on the barricade, comrade.

[pcgd]

I love the line of "they put their lives on the line, so they deserve the money." That's the biggest line of bull I've ever heard. They are playing a game and they put nothing on the line. Tell that to a firefighter or a policeman, or someone in the military. There ain't no way any athlete deserves more than the average person. I could care less if there's only a certain amount of them out there. Pay the real money to the real heroes and people and not the frauds.

Athletes deserve more than the average person because they do things that nobody else can do. Talent is worth something in a capitalist system. If people are willing to pay for your talent, then you should make what they are willing to pay.

Its unfortunate firefighters, policemen, armed forces, teachers, doctors, etc. get paid so little. It is frustrating to see the differences. But the athletes get paid so much because so many of us pay to watch them do things that so very few of us can do. That's not to say that anyone can be a fighterfighter, but the percentage of people that have the skills and courage it takes to be one are much higher than the percentage of people that can hit a 95mph fastball 450 feet in the air...

[patsox]

The other day, my Mrs. informed me that come May, the NFL Network will no longer be included in our sports package through our cable provider. The cable provider has said, and I have no reason to doubt them, that they've been trying to get the NFL Network to reconsider. As if this league does not already make obscene amounts of money hand over fist!!! This has me outraged.

Get DIRECTV if you care so much about the NFL Network.

[infrared41]

So, then, we should watch kids play Atari Football? Because I don't see what's left.

That was my point.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

So, then, we should watch kids play Atari Football? Because I don't see what's left.

That was my point.

Oh, I know. I was just trying to think about alternatives. For fun.

[quantum]

I love the line of "they put their lives on the line, so they deserve the money." That's the biggest line of bull I've ever heard. They are playing a game and they put nothing on the line. Tell that to a firefighter or a policeman, or someone in the military. There ain't no way any athlete deserves more than the average person. I could care less if there's only a certain amount of them out there. Pay the real money to the real heroes and people and not the frauds.

Athletes deserve more than the average person because they do things that nobody else can do. Talent is worth something in a capitalist system. If people are willing to pay for your talent, then you should make what they are willing to pay.

Its unfortunate firefighters, policemen, armed forces, teachers, doctors, etc. get paid so little. It is frustrating to see the differences. But the athletes get paid so much because so many of us pay to watch them do things that so very few of us can do. That's not to say that anyone can be a fighterfighter, but the percentage of people that have the skills and courage it takes to be one are much higher than the percentage of people that can hit a 95mph fastball 450 feet in the air...

So if Shaq works as a police officer, does this mean he earned his money?

[DEAD!]

You can also bet they'll miss a lot of baskets.

I'm sure Tim Donaghy did.

[Cola]

As far as professional players, I'm sorry- but 90% are overpaid...WAY overpaid. You show me a few reasons why Alex Rodriguez is worth 300 plus million dollars to do what he does

Okay, that's an easy one. Because the Yankees, in terms of performance on the field and jersey/memorabilia sales off the field, will make a profit on him. They will earn more money from fans and broadcasters than they will pay him in salary plus payments to other teams in salary cap penalties.

Capitalism, plain and simple. You don't like it, I'll save you a space on the barricade, comrade.

I understand all of that...but it doesn't make it right. However, I know it is obviously something that doesn't seem like it can be controlled...because people are still buying tickets (somewhat) and supporting the junk. That is why I refuse to attend a professional game, watch it, or buy anything that supports it. I feel better about where my college football season ticket finances are going.

[Cola]

I've said it before, I'll say it again... the NFL sucks. College football isn't that much better, aside from a few individual games. The NFL has grown into this huge monster who thinks that their s**t doesn't stink, and college, despite ColaCock's elequent speech, is still controlled by the almighty dollar.

College football has succumbed to more and more of a "business approach" in late years but it nowhere near rivals that of professional sports. College sports has negatives like increasing season ticket costs that are needed to pay for bigger and better facilities...to simply recruit better athletes. While I certainly disagree with a lot that my alma mater does in that respect, I can at least see the positives in where the money goes and physically see the results...rather than sit a game knowing the all-star shortstop we just paid 10 million a year just went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

I have my own reasons and it just starts with the outrageous salaries paid to these athletes. If you think because they have "talent" that 95% of other people don't have...and that is deserving of 300 million dollar contracts regardless of performance in relation to that figure- then you (not you, OP) are crazy.

[Mac the Knife]

players are paid for a 20-game total season. It doesn't matter if that 20 week is split 14/6 between regular season and preseason games, 16/4 or 18/2. The pay's just the same.

I thought players were paid a training-camp per diem and that their contracted salaries do not begin until the regular season starts.

They are, but if they make the squad they're paid over the course of the entire season during the period from the start of the regular season through the end of the regular season. Payments for playoff games come directly from the NFL (from money collected from gate receipts and TV revenues) and aren't considered part of their salary by the individual clubs.

[Mac the Knife]

Maybe the NFL is trying to prove the USFL was right -- Americans want spring football!

Well, if you look at it, the NFL of 2013 is going to resemble the USFL of 1983 quite a bit:

- 18 game regular season (potentially)

- Teams in USFL markets (Jacksonville, the state of Tennessee, Oakland, Baltimore) not in the NFL at some point during the USFL's 1983-85 run

- Two-point conversions following touchdowns

- Instant replay using basically the exact same system

Might as well go all the way!

[Gothamite]

As far as professional players, I'm sorry- but 90% are overpaid...WAY overpaid. You show me a few reasons why Alex Rodriguez is worth 300 plus million dollars to do what he does

Okay, that's an easy one. Because the Yankees, in terms of performance on the field and jersey/memorabilia sales off the field, will make a profit on him. They will earn more money from fans and broadcasters than they will pay him in salary plus payments to other teams in salary cap penalties.

Capitalism, plain and simple. You don't like it, I'll save you a space on the barricade, comrade.

I understand all of that...but it doesn't make it right. However, I know it is obviously something that doesn't seem like it can be controlled...because people are still buying tickets (somewhat) and supporting the junk. That is why I refuse to attend a professional game, watch it, or buy anything that supports it. I feel better about where my college football season ticket finances are going.

If professional sports has lost touch with its roots, I'd call college sports even worse. The pros never pretended to be anything other than a business.

I'd rather support the pro game than further enable the dismantling of the American educational system.