If the NFL were uncapped...?

**Brien Jackson** · 03-09-2013, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by AirFlacco

A caller 105.7 FM just asked what happens to teams that are over the cap. Teams over can and will get a steep fine and or loss of draft picks which is what happened to Jones and Danny boy a couple of years ago when they were over the cap. They were both livid too.

Those cats are so arrogant even with the cap flashing the finger to the comish, just think what they would do without a cap?

Steinbrenner #s 2 and 3.

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OK, here's the link to those fines above. It was during the UN-CAPPED 2010 season and Skins were fined $36M and Boyz were fined $10M for over-loading contracts despite warnings from the NFL. Doesn't look like they lost any draft picks. They filed joint appeals but an arbitrator ruled in favor of the NFL. Both owners abided by the decision but JOnes said the cap was akin to using a credit card.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/79...appeals-denied

That case is about collusion, not actual NFL rules.

**Coastergenius** · 03-23-2013, 11:42 AM

Sorry to bump an old thread. But, I guess that one thing that you could consider is that the Ravens may have never gotten to where we are now if teams like the Raiders, Steelers, Colts, and Patriots were allowed to keep their teams together and spend whatever they wanted. Think about all of the stars that the Steelers and Patriots have let walk, and think about how many players would have wanted to sign with a Super Bowl contending team with cash to spend. I'd imagine that the Raiders team wouldn't have blown up after 2002. Peyton Manning could have been using real weapons instead of picking off the scrap heap (but who knows how much money they would have had to spend over there).

**Ravenous1** · 03-23-2013, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Coastergenius

Sorry to bump an old thread. But, I guess that one thing that you could consider is that the Ravens may have never gotten to where we are now if teams like the Raiders, Steelers, Colts, and Patriots were allowed to keep their teams together and spend whatever they wanted. Think about all of the stars that the Steelers and Patriots have let walk, and think about how many players would have wanted to sign with a Super Bowl contending team with cash to spend. I'd imagine that the Raiders team wouldn't have blown up after 2002. Peyton Manning could have been using real weapons instead of picking off the scrap heap (but who knows how much money they would have had to spend over there).

Part of the NFL's success owes to the fact that any NFL team if they spend their money wisely can compete. This year I am very interested in the Orioles based on the success they had last year. For numerous years though going into the season as an O's fan, we knew that the odds of making the playoffs were almost zero. That has a cumulative effect on a franchise and sport. You just start losing interest.

In the NFL even if your team sucks you can start thinking about free agency, the draft and whatever changes in coaching and FO will come. The Colts went from first pick in the draft to the playoffs. Looking at the Chiefs they have a shot of pulling that off with a little luck and decent QB play from Alex Smith. Are there teams and organizations that seem to be horrible all the time...yes but that is more of their own doing than some form of competitive disadvantage.

**Flipping Birdie** · 03-23-2013, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by blacknpurplepain

It's been proven that you can't buy championships in Pro sports

Bullshit. The Yankees overall World Series record proves you can buy championships in pro sports. It just isn't a 100% guarantee.

We complain about the lack of parity in MLB. It could be worse, though; it could be like English Premier Soccer, which makes the MLB look like the NFL. *shudder* I don't understand how anybody can follow a Premier League Soccer club, even one of the always winning ones. It's almost as meaningless as a Harlem Globetrotters win.

**Coastergenius** · 03-23-2013, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Flipping Birdie

Bullshit. The Yankees overall World Series record proves you can buy championships in pro sports. It just isn't a 100% guarantee.

We complain about the lack of parity in MLB. It could be worse, though; it could be like English Premier Soccer, which makes the MLB look like the NFL. *shudder* I don't understand how anybody can follow a Premier League Soccer club, even one of the always winning ones. It's almost as meaningless as a Harlem Globetrotters win.

Hell, the NFL makes the MLB look like the NFL in certain aspects. From 2003-2011, only three teams from the AFC represented the AFC in the Super Bowl. There have been many familiar faces in the play-offs over the past few years, and you see a lot of familiar faces drafting top 10 overall. The MLB has had an unprecedented number of World Series representatives over the past 10 years and there are usually 20 teams or so in the hunt for the play-offs going into September.

**mmi16** · 03-23-2013, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by bt12483

I've always treated the NFL as having a hard cap.

But the more you see these restructures and prorated bonuses, it is really a soft cap.

This is the current "cash over cap" issue.

The teams are spending cash over the cap. So while the cap is sort of limiting things, it still gets exceeded. Flacco just got his $29M payment cash. Yet on cap it is $6.8M. Teams want cash over cap.

Owners want cash=cap.

Perhaps in the next CBA.

The Cap as the NFL has implemented it is the Geeks revenge on the Jocks. The 'long term' contracts and bonus 'pro rated' over the full term of the contract and all the 'Cap BS' including 'restructuring' of existing contracts - is undadultrated SHIT! Bull, Cow, Horse, Eliphant - it don't matter - it is SHIT.

I'd rather see 1 year contracts - guaranteed. What have you done - lately!

**Irish Raven** · 03-23-2013, 03:59 PM

Make the NFL uncapped and you'll end up like the English Premiership which was mentioned above.

Parity, the draft system and salary cap are fascinating, well they are to me anyway. I love the build up to free agency and the draft.

Take away the salary cap and Dallas, Washington and the Giants/Jets will flash the cash.

Maybe some multi billionaire Arab sheik will take over another team to compete too. Worked for Manchester City!

**Coastergenius** · 03-23-2013, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Irish Raven

Make the NFL uncapped and you'll end up like the English Premiership which was mentioned above.

Parity, the draft system and salary cap are fascinating, well they are to me anyway. I love the build up to free agency and the draft.

Take away the salary cap and Dallas, Washington and the Giants/Jets will flash the cash.

Maybe some multi billionaire Arab sheik will take over another team to compete too. Worked for Manchester City!

But in all fairness, isn't the Premier League the most prominent and profitable sports league in the world?

**Brien Jackson** · 03-23-2013, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by Flipping Birdie

Bullshit. The Yankees overall World Series record proves you can buy championships in pro sports. It just isn't a 100% guarantee.

I might be off here or there, but my rough count says that the Yankees have won 7 World Series since free agency came to baseball, at a lower rate than they won titles in the pre-free agency era, and just one title since exceeding the $100 million payroll mark. So...no, not really.

**AirFlacco** · 03-23-2013, 11:08 PM

LOL - You're wrong again. The Yanks have won 5 series since 96 and 7 since they signed Reggie Jackson as a free agent from Baltimore in 1976. Since then they are 7-5 in the series plus winning all those division championships

The Yanks have won 18 division titles, 40 pennants and 27 World Series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees

**bacchys** · 03-23-2013, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by mmi16

The Cap as the NFL has implemented it is the Geeks revenge on the Jocks. The 'long term' contracts and bonus 'pro rated' over the full term of the contract and all the 'Cap BS' including 'restructuring' of existing contracts - is undadultrated SHIT! Bull, Cow, Horse, Eliphant - it don't matter - it is SHIT.

I'd rather see 1 year contracts - guaranteed. What have you done - lately!

I'd rather see the players union become an actual union. No agents, no individual contracts. A base salary based on years of service and performance bonuses. The best players make the most money.

**bacchys** · 03-23-2013, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by Brien Jackson

I might be off here or there, but my rough count says that the Yankees have won 7 World Series since free agency came to baseball, at a lower rate than they won titles in the pre-free agency era, and just one title since exceeding the $100 million payroll mark. So...no, not really.

The money doesn't win them championships, but it does get them into the dance pretty much every year.