NFL's Integrity* on display again: league hid $100M+ from players to keep salary cap down

[BTTA]

The NFLPA discovered the discrepancy when conducting an audit of the league’s books; it is unclear why it took them three seasons to notice it.

Sounds like Goodell's administration doesn't have exclusivity on incompetence.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I love football as a sport, but the NFL as a business/league is the most shady and corrupt in American sports imo.

I just hope Goodell's email server is secure.....

 

[RobertWeathers]

Doesn't make sense for a $11b enterprise to squirrel away ~$120m.

 

[Jackson 2]

One might say it undermines the integrity of the game.

Yes, except that it's not possible to undermine something which doesn't exist...

 

[BTTA]

I just hope Goodell's email server is secure.....

I've thought for quite a while that hiring a hacker to get in to the NFL email and file systems might put a quick end to all of this. I've not the knowledge, connections, risk tolerance, nor interest level to do so, but given the passion expressed by others on this board, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

 

[BTTA]

Doesn't make sense for a $11b enterprise to squirrel away ~$120m.

They are doing a lot of things that aren't entirely rational.

Goes back to that old saying, "We know what God thinks of money. Look at who he gives it to."

 

[RobertWeathers]

The basic financial model of the NFL is that two parties, the owners and the players, work together to create revenue. That total revenue is split between them. The more revenue there is, the more money they both make. Every few years, they sit down to negotiate about who gets how much, but that's just an argument about pennies on the dollar. The basic structure of the NFL is this partnership between the two. The fans are the people they are both getting the money from; we are their target.

The most basic imbalance in this relationship is that the owners also profit when the value of their franchise increases, thus providing them (in recent years) a greater benefit than the players from NFL success. That's always struck me as the achilles heel in the relationship, as resentment over that is going to eat at the players.

It's complicated for sure.

You can make the argument that the owners deserve more of the revenue pie as they are the ones fronting the cash for operating costs.

I'm not advocating it but it's understandable.

The problem is that there is too much greed to have trust.

 

[BTTA]

It's complicated for sure.

You can make the argument that the owners deserve more of the revenue pie as they are the ones fronting the cash for operating costs.
I'm not advocating it but it's understandable.
The problem is that there is too much greed to have trust.

Yes, and the owners are the ones who bought in to the business; it is the basic capitalist model, and thus largely unassailable lest one risk waking up the Defenders of 'Merica.

On the other hand, the concussion issue may sway this a bit; which party is literally putting their future on the line with every snap of the ball? The owners from having one more swig of champagne in the luxury box, or the players on the field? CTE isn't just a loss of memory and health, it is about literally being tortured every waking minute of life. We still are in denial about its implications.

 

[borisman]

Cap deflation is a blatant violation to the integrity of the game. The NFL is sure to investigate and suspend someone from the NFLPA (probably Brady since it was Brady vs. NFL) for not catching this in time. Someone has to "pay".

 

[RobertWeathers]

Yes, and the owners are the ones who bought in to the business; it is the basic capitalist model, and thus largely unassailable lest one risk waking up the Defenders of 'Merica.

On the other hand, the concussion issue may sway this a bit; which party is literally putting their future on the line with every snap of the ball? The owners from having one more swig of champagne in the luxury box, or the players on the field? CTE isn't just a loss of memory and health, it is about literally being tortured every waking minute of life. We still are in denial about its implications.

Yep...concussions, CTE, hiding revenue, appeal hearings, insane punishments all foster a lack of trust.

 

[DarrylS]

Maybe the NFL owners should deduct the $120 million from Goodell's salary, then they would be getting "good value".....

Any organization can only poke the bear so many times before there is major backlash by its employees...

 

[RobertWeathers]

Maybe the NFL owners should deduct the $120 million from Goodell's salary, then they would be getting "good value".....

Any organization can only poke the bear so many times before there is major backlash by its employees...

...which would be a role below when he first started

1981- Unpaid Intern
2016- Intern who Pays so he has somewhere to drink coffee

 

[Ring 6]

The basic financial model of the NFL is that two parties, the owners and the players, work together to create revenue. That total revenue is split between them. The more revenue there is, the more money they both make. Every few years, they sit down to negotiate about who gets how much, but that's just an argument about pennies on the dollar. The basic structure of the NFL is this partnership between the two. The fans are the people they are both getting the money from; we are their target.

The most basic imbalance in this relationship is that the owners also profit when the value of their franchise increases, thus providing them (in recent years) a greater benefit than the players from NFL success. That's always struck me as the achilles heel in the relationship, as resentment over that is going to eat at the players.

I don't think the players resent that the value of franchises increase.
But they are enemies fighting over every crumb not partners working together to grow the pie.
In theory they should be in practice it's not even close.

 

[BTTA]

I don't think the players resent that the value of franchises increase.
But they are enemies fighting over every crumb not partners working together to grow the pie.
In theory they should be in practice it's not even close.

How would we know? We are only privy to awareness of at most 10% of the interactions between the parties.

 

[Ross12]

I'm with @Joker , when do we start pressing RICO charges?

 

[OhExaulted1]

Reason #11 billion to fire Roger amd clean out that NYJ Rat infested LO.

 

[Ring 6]

How would we know? We are only privy to awareness of at most 10% of the interactions between the parties.

Because the league is corrupt and keeps screwing the players?

 

[OhExaulted1]

Maybe the NFL owners should deduct the $120 million from Goodell's salary, then they would be getting "good value".....

Any organization can only poke the bear so many times before there is major backlash by its employees...

The owners need to fire him. He's the commissioner and therefore responsible for the conduct of his office.

"Ignorance is not an excuse"

-Roger Goodell on the year long suspension of Saints coach Sean Payton in the #BountyGate scandal

 

[RobertWeathers]

From the GQ article a couple of years ago.

Tagliabue sees Goodell’s laser focus on profit and his combative stance toward players as key parts of the problem. "If they see you making decisions only in economic terms, they start to understand that and question what you’re all about," he said. "There’s a huge intangible value in peace. There’s a huge intangible value in having allies." As for his relationship with his protégé, Tagliabue says, "We haven’t talked much since I left. It’s been his decision. Bountygate didn’t help." In our conversation, Tagliabue seemed disappointed, and a bit sad, about the sorry state of the game he ran for seventeen years.

This is what the owners wanted. They didn't want a peacekeeper or someone who reached across the aisle to broker partnerships and a win-win. They wanted an individual who was driven and determined to protect their collective business interest, leverage and power at all costs.

Roger Goodell's Season from Hell

 

[Kontradiction]

Maybe the NFL owners should deduct the $120 million from Goodell's salary, then they would be getting "good value".....

Any organization can only poke the bear so many times before there is major backlash by its employees...

Agreed. Expect a very extended lockout once the current CBA expires. I'm going to love it too.