Mock Offseason

[Pokerbrat2000]

Well done.


Simple Economics. The more guaranteed money the smaller the contract. Players are free now, to fully guarantee their pay. There has to be an economic benefit to the team however. That benefit is lower salary to offset the longterm risk.

Agreed and as you said, it all boils down to the Simple Economics of running a business. Which is the hardest pill, of being a fan of Pro Sports, that I find myself having to continually swallow, while trying to ignore its bitter aftertaste. That pill being the Economics of a business that has inflated itself to a position of being insanely off the charts of reasonable economics when compared to the economics of life outside of it.

 

[elcid]

Maybe any of the major Sports, but I can list a lot more dangerous Sports. But more importantly, I could list a lot more dangerous and necessary jobs such as Military personnel, firefighters, police officers, etc that would probably love to be included in the conversation of receiving those kinds of benefits.

Touche, and agreed. However this also boils down to simple economics. There is a lot of viewer demand for quality football (compared to another extreme sport like say snowboarding), and only a strict number of people can provide this adequately on the highest level. Any individual will try to maximize their utility, and due to the scarcity of their skills these people have a way better bargaining position in achieving just that. Sad but true.

 

[Dantés]

Agreed and as you said, it all boils down to the Simple Economics of running a business. Which is the hardest pill, of being a fan of Pro Sports, that I find myself having to continually swallow, while trying to ignore its bitter aftertaste. That pill being the Economics of a business that has inflated itself to a position of being insanely off the charts of reasonable economics when compared to the economics of life outside of it.

I would gently correct something here.

The NFL as a business has not inflated itself. The free market, with us consumers being the driving force behind it, has inflated it.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Touche, and agreed. However this also boils down to simple economics. There is a lot of viewer demand for quality football (compared to another extreme sport like say snowboarding), and only a strict number of people can provide this adequately on the highest level. Any individual will try to maximize their utility, and due to the scarcity of their skills these people have a way better bargaining position in achieving just that. Sad but true.

I would gently correct something here.

The NFL as a business has not inflated itself. The free market, which us consumers being the driving force behind it, has inflated it.

No doubt and you are both correct, the 3 major Sports organizations; NFL, MLB and NBA have achieved their success due to producing a great product and the eagerness of its fans to support it. However, the participants of those organizations did have a part in raising ticket prices, big media contracts, getting cities to pay for stadiums, etc. As a good friend of mine always reminds me "hey, whatever the market will bare".

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Right and I could take the time and dig up all the stats of rookies and in season signings that have performed worse than Crosby and not even have to talk about the playoffs. But where would that get us? The bottom line is, we have completely opposite opinions of the subject and I don't expect to change yours and you definitely aren't going to change mine.

I am willing to meet you half way though. I hope the Packers draft a rookie kicker with a 6th or 7th and if he has a solid preseason, goodbye Mason. However, making that move in no way guarantees that he will kick better, same or worse than Crosby during the regular season and/or playoffs. Only thing it guarantees, the Packers will be paying less for a lessor known commodity.

You're correct that there's no way to change my mind on Crosby. While I agree there are no guarantees a rookie kicker would perform on the same level as Mason it's more likely to find an adequate replacement for a below average kicker than at most other positions on a football team.

Looks like the cost of having the best kicker in the NFL just went up. The Ravens gave Justin Tucker a four-year extension, worth $23.05 million.

Crosby is starting to look like a bargain.

Tucker has been an elite kicker for most of his career though.

However, the participants of those organizations did have a part in raising ticket prices, big media contracts, getting cities to pay for stadiums, etc.

The NFL will continue to do so as long as customers pay for their product.

 

[Dantés]

No doubt and you are both correct, the 3 major Sports organizations; NFL, MLB and NBA have achieved their success due to producing a great product and the eagerness of its fans to support it. However, the participants of those organizations did have a part in raising ticket prices, big media contracts, getting cities to pay for stadiums, etc. As a good friend of mine always reminds me "hey, whatever the market will bare".

I don't want to get too deep in the weeds here, but let me just suggest a hypothetical...

Say the NFL actually actively tried to limit the size of their business. Knowing the market would bear more, they charged less, especially to the fans, for things like tickets, merchandise, and online viewing. What would happen?

Well, one thing that would happen is that everyone would make less money, including the players. Another thing that would happen is that alternative leagues would pop up to tap into that extra money out there that was not being spent on the NFL.

As the NFL would be making less, they would have to pay less to the players. Alternative leagues could more easily pluck players from the NFL with competitive salaries. The talent pool would dilute, and frankly the NFL would get eaten by businesses that were seeking to compete rather than artificially suppress prices.

In my opinion, fans can either want the NFL to be the best product possible OR they can want them to purposefully depress their own value. But they can't realistically want both.

 

[Mondio]

I
Say the NFL actually actively tried to limit the size of their business. Knowing the market would bear more, they charged less, especially to the fans, for things like tickets, merchandise, and online viewing. What would happen?

...But they can't realistically want both.

I think they have to always try and maintain the balance between both. What's good for money NOW might not be good for money later and money for later might be too far down the road to be relevant to today's decisions.

For example, they might be maximizing a television contract by going to ESPN or some pay per view company like boxing did. It was great for short term contract length, it was the best deal, most money, but what were long term effects? Less exposure. Less exposure means little Johnny doesn't watch football games with dad he's 7 on TV and then want to grow up to play and become a lifelong fan.

Nickel and dime'ing for everything will turn fans off, turned off fans don't bring their kids up in that culture to continue growth or current fan rates. Right now I'd say things are pretty cozy for the NFL, but if they start alienating too many fans chasing short term dollars, they'll kill themselves eventually. They're already going to be confronted with a host of issues 5-10 years down the road. Less youth participation period in sports is going to deplete the talent pool. Most kids in 10 years are going to have professional grade injuries by the time they ever get to college let alone the pro's because parents and coaches in youth sports seem to have lost their minds recently.

anyway, I can take my kids when they're old enough to a game. I'll make them want it. I'm not going to take them so I can take them. They're going to have to really want to go, for a while before they do. But if I have to drop a grand on tickets to go see it with them? I'll probably buy a new boat instead and make other memories. I know it costs way more than a grand for a new boat, but I don't care. I have dollars to spend and a summer of memories is worth a lot more to me.

Charging less for stadium tickets and limiting the 2nd hand market is not bad business sense. It ensures a good game day atmosphere of all sorts of fans. Make it up with the merchandise and the bulk of money comes from tv contracts anyway. and those should always have maximum viewership in mind, not limiting. Of course a balance has to be maintained there too.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

You are right, probably a better topic for its own thread. Let me just say one thing, almost two-thirds of the NFL's money comes from one uniform source: TV revenue. If the TV revenue ever decides to go away or reduce itself substantially, house of cards.