Quote:
Originally Posted by SBXVII
I have a hard time siding with anyone on either side of the issue's. I could care less about if the owners not opening up their books and I could care less about the players wanting to know what the $$ amount is the owners are trying to hide. I do think it's unfair to not be completely open, but this is business and most business's are not completely open about business afairs.
I look at it this way... if the players are not happy with what they are making then stop playing and get a job like all of us at a fraction of the pay they are making now. I don't see any reason why they need to know what the books say? simply put, they get drafted by a stingy owner then after their contract is up they can leave for a team who has an owner who will pay them. No different then if common citizen wants a job in a specific field he can look at several companies and chose the one he wants to work for or the one that pays the best or the one closer to where he lives.
The only issue I have is for years the market has been good, and most likely still is when it comes to football. But with the economy crashing I'm sure the vendor's are taking a hit by people partying in the parking lot prior to entering the game. Which means the owners are taking a slight hit because I'm sure the vendors probably pass on a % of their take for the day to the owner in order to sell at the stadium. Then there is the hats and jersey's, and whatever else people purchase that in the long run makes it back to the team. I'm sure the teams are taking a hit there due to the economy being bad and people not being able to afford them. So one has to imagine the owners are taking some sort of loss, I'm not saying they are in the red or negative money wise just saying I'm sure they are not making as much as they have in the past.
I bring this up because some owners own their stadiums and are paying a mortgage, some are tied to the city paying a portion, and some rent their stadiums. So what I'm getting at is the actual income after paying the players, paying for the stadium, paying for other employee's (coach's, secretaries, etc.), equipement, and other expenses I'm sure the owners take home is less then it used to be. Now top that with a horrid market in which other teams like the Skins and Cowboys who have to throw money at to support cuts into the income as well and even more with the bad economy.
Yet the players want more. 60% of the overall take goes to the players right now. It's not 50/50 like it should be. The players already take the majority of the income.
But this is just one issue.
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The players and owners negotiate a percentage of the revenue. So your concern for the owners in the bad economy is already taken into account, because as the revenue goes up or down, the players take adjusts accordingly.
One thing do I know is the owners did not always share in the merchandise money until the 80's or 90's CBA agreement. The owners until then took it all. The owners at the time also did not want to open the books on the merchandise revenue numbers either and they finally did.
Your claim of the players taking 60% does not ring true if the owners are not completely opening the books. As you well know, the players take 60% of what the owners are willing to reveal and share. Not the entire nut.
Another thing some people do not take into account is the value of the franchises and stadiums continue to going up and up. I am not saying the players should have any of it, they should NOT!
But don't cry poor for the owners when they are cash poor and hurting financially day to day. They can sell the team make a bundle and there will be a line of wealthy owners to buy.
Leonard Tose former owner of the Eagle bought them for $16m, paid himself a $6M a year salary off the team revenues, and then sold them for $65M.
Jack Kent Cooke bought Redskins in the 60's for a few Million, then sold them in the 90's for $800M.
The players have short careers, take all the risks to health and life, and their star power is what draws the crowds and sells the merchandise. Don't compare them to an everyday working folks. As you well know in the Sports and Entertainment business it is the stars that generate the revenue, not the owners.