So this Revis situation has gotten me all upset. I'm a Jets fan. I have been since I started watching football 13 years ago. Holdouts are nothing new, players have been doing it for some time, but it wasn't until this year that it has really effected me.
Primarily, I'm a baseball fan. The way contracts are structured is great. I like the fact that there is no cap and yet even teams with very little cash can compete. Careers are typically in the 15 year range or so. Good players essentially get mandatory raises through arbitration after at minimum 2 years of service. It's a great system that keeps everyone relatively happy.
The NFL is a different beast. There are salary caps in place most seasons. Players typically only have 8-10 years of being relevant due to the physical nature of the sport. Players only have limited rights currently, in that they have to play 4 seasons before they can become free agents able to at least have their current team match the best offer from another team. That's four seasons where the player is restricted to his rookie contract. If the CBA isn't extended, players won't become unrestricted free agents until 6 full seasons in the NFL. Frankly, this isn't fair to players. In order to gain some leverage, many players who weren't drafted as elite first rounders but who end up being top players will hold out and refuse to participate in any team activities until they get more money. Revis is scheduled to make $1 million this year. He wants to be the highest paid cornerback, and wants somewhere around $16 million. By holding out he hurts his image, loses money through fines, and makes his team worse. Overall, it's bad for the league.
This brings me to the topic. What should be done about holdouts? Personally, I think that the NFL should introduce mandatory arbitration as a way to increase players salaries before free agency. This would most likely require the elimination of a salary cap, which I am also in favor of. The player wins in terms of gaining more money without holding out. The fans win in that they don't see their favorite players seem like greedy assholes. The teams and owners don't have to deal with this so they can focus on getting ready for the season. I am in favor of a floor though. Tell me what you guys think should be done in order to fight holdouts.
Primarily, I'm a baseball fan. The way contracts are structured is great. I like the fact that there is no cap and yet even teams with very little cash can compete. Careers are typically in the 15 year range or so. Good players essentially get mandatory raises through arbitration after at minimum 2 years of service. It's a great system that keeps everyone relatively happy.
The NFL is a different beast. There are salary caps in place most seasons. Players typically only have 8-10 years of being relevant due to the physical nature of the sport. Players only have limited rights currently, in that they have to play 4 seasons before they can become free agents able to at least have their current team match the best offer from another team. That's four seasons where the player is restricted to his rookie contract. If the CBA isn't extended, players won't become unrestricted free agents until 6 full seasons in the NFL. Frankly, this isn't fair to players. In order to gain some leverage, many players who weren't drafted as elite first rounders but who end up being top players will hold out and refuse to participate in any team activities until they get more money. Revis is scheduled to make $1 million this year. He wants to be the highest paid cornerback, and wants somewhere around $16 million. By holding out he hurts his image, loses money through fines, and makes his team worse. Overall, it's bad for the league.
This brings me to the topic. What should be done about holdouts? Personally, I think that the NFL should introduce mandatory arbitration as a way to increase players salaries before free agency. This would most likely require the elimination of a salary cap, which I am also in favor of. The player wins in terms of gaining more money without holding out. The fans win in that they don't see their favorite players seem like greedy assholes. The teams and owners don't have to deal with this so they can focus on getting ready for the season. I am in favor of a floor though. Tell me what you guys think should be done in order to fight holdouts.