Drew Brees on the CBA via Twitter

[rajncajn]

Someone on twitter said to Drew:

 

Attending the NFL Players Association annual meetings as we speak. fb >>Tell them to get a deal signed. You all make enough money.

 

Drew Brees responds http://twitter.com/drewbrees

 

Check your facts. The owners are the ones who are picking the fight, not the players. We want to play, they want to lock us out

 

In the last 15 years, every NFL franchise has increased in value 500 percent. Would you say that is a good investment for them?

 

NFL revenues are as high now as they have ever been, yet the owners are asking us to take a pay cut. Does that make any sense?

 

Our salaries are based on a percentage of NFL revenue. So the better they do, the more we get paid. So who sounds greedy now?

 

By the way, if the owners lock us out it will put 100,000 workers out of a job. We as players want to play for our fans

[Seahawks21]

When are they finally going to understand that they don't need owners! The players need to own the franchises, hire bookkeepers to do their paperwork and make all the money for themselves.

[Chief]

they all make too much money so they can suck my balls.

 

+1,000,000

[MustOfBeenDrunk]

they all make too much money agree so they can suck my balls. not sure

[BearBroncos]

I hate this mentallity of "hey, your making more money so you need to pay me more". The arrogence of these players is nearly mind blowing. We are in a market system, even with football. If a team owner wants a player and badly enough, they will pay them and well.

[Jackass]

I hate this mentallity of "hey, your making more money so you need to pay me more". The arrogence of these players is nearly mind blowing. We are in a market system, even with football. If a team owner wants a player and badly enough, they will pay them and well.

 

Actually it's not a market system once a salary cap is introduced.

[BearBroncos]

Actually it's not a market system once a salary cap is introduced.

 

Um, sure it is. A salary cap doesn't dictate what a player makes but more what a team can spend as a whole and for teams really wanting to keep or trade for a player but their salary cap prevents them paying the players market value, generally other means are offered i.e John Elway was given a percentage of the team in lou of payment. Or teams can place the players pay at 500k for the life of the players contract and have a balloon payment at contractual end (not very common at all, but has occured) Hell, a team can pay what ever the hell they want for a player, but at the expense of their salary cap or some of their other players.

[Bronco Billy]

When are they finally going to understand that they don't need owners! The players need to own the franchises, hire bookkeepers to do their paperwork and make all the money for themselves.

 

 

If I didn't love NFL football so much, I'd love to see this trainwreck happen just to serve up a lesson in real life to the players.

[Seahawks21]

Um, sure it is. A salary cap doesn't dictate what a player makes but more what a team can spend as a whole and for teams really wanting to keep or trade for a player but their salary cap prevents them paying the players market value, generally other means are offered i.e John Elway was given a percentage of the team in lou of payment. Or teams can place the players pay at 500k for the life of the players contract and have a balloon payment at contractual end (not very common at all, but has occured) Hell, a team can pay what ever the hell they want for a player, but at the expense of their salary cap or some of their other players.

I still strongly disagree with the premise. If I pay $65 to watch a football game, I bought that ticket to watch the players, not the owners. I would want the larger portion of the money I spent to watch the game to go to the players rather than padding some billionaire's wallet. I have never, not once, went to a sporting event to watch an owner. There was a point where owners were needed in the NFL. Nowadays they are nothing more than an unnecessary evil that takes the largest cut off the top.

Edited March 15, 2010 by Seahawks21

[Seahawks21]

 

If I didn't love NFL football so much, I'd love to see this trainwreck happen just to serve up a lesson in real life to the players.

so you're saying you wouldn't watch as much or you would spend less money on everything football?

[Bronco Billy]

so you're saying you wouldn't watch as much or you would spend less money on everything football?

 

I'm saying that if the league were owned by NFL players they would drive it into the ground in very short order. They're willing to kill the golden goose with little thought to what happens after it's dead.

[Jackass]

Um, sure it is. A salary cap doesn't dictate what a player makes but more what a team can spend as a whole and for teams really wanting to keep or trade for a player but their salary cap prevents them paying the players market value, generally other means are offered i.e John Elway was given a percentage of the team in lou of payment. Or teams can place the players pay at 500k for the life of the players contract and have a balloon payment at contractual end (not very common at all, but has occured) Hell, a team can pay what ever the hell they want for a player, but at the expense of their salary cap or some of their other players.

 

Right. So it's not a market system. Otherwise we'd have baseball which is a market system (or very close to it with the exception of the luxury tax which only moderately limits spending.

[Cunning Runt]

When are they finally going to understand that they don't need owners! The players need to own the franchises, hire bookkeepers to do their paperwork and make all the money for themselves.

 

I go exactly the other way with this. I'd like to see the owners break the union entirely.

 

In my opinion, you could sh-t can the entirety of the players in the NFL and bring up the "next" best. They would then become the "best" in the world in our eyes as the current group would fade into our memories.

 

The franchises are what have value IMO, not the individuals. Individuals come and go.

Edited March 15, 2010 by Cunning Runt

[Chief]

I still strongly disagree with the premise. If I pay $65 to watch a football game, I bought that ticket to watch the players, not the owners. I would want the larger portion of the money I spent to watch the game to go to the players rather than padding some billionaire's wallet. I have never, not once, went to a sporting event to watch an owner. There was a point where owners were needed in the NFL. Nowadays they are nothing more than an unnecessary evil that takes the largest cut off the top.

 

 

Salary cap hardly restricts the veterans, but it will stop the 70 million rookie bs. Whose stadium are you in? You seriously think the players would build something like Dallas stadium? hell no, they'd have more money in their wallets. I really hope they do a salary cap, it's far past due, and increase the retired benefits. Something even the current players are too greedy to make sure happens. You claim one side, but it's both. I've yet to see a business be created without out an owner shelling huge $ to make it happen and hope they see a return. I'm not sure who's more in a fantasy world, you or some of the players.

[Big John]

In my opinion, you could sh-t can the entirety of the players in the NFL and bring up the "next" best. They would then become the "best" in the world in our eyes as the current group would fade into our memories.

Like in 1987 for the strike replacement players?

[Cunning Runt]

Like in 1987 for the strike replacement players?

 

No, not like that.

 

And don't get me wrong, it's not going to happen, but I do believe that if the current players were gone and the "next" best became the players in the NFL, that football fans would consider those players to be the best and therefore worthy of being called NFL players. And going forward, the best college players would still go to the NFL - not the CFL or whatever.

 

Those guys were true "scrubs". What I'm saying is that if the players of today were actually permanently replaced, that the next up guys would be the new face of the NFL and going forward the NFL would still get the best college players.

 

Not advocating it. Just making an observation. I would like to see the union broken though if they don't make substantial concessions.

[Skilly]

Both sides are to blame, but a lot of this falls on the fact that the owners refused to control THEMSELVES and kept increasing the salaries, bonuses, etc. They can't expect the players to give that back now, however IMO the players should realize that keeping this going will only result in bankrupting the league. Teams will have to have a salary cap, and I think a rookie cap also. Left to their own devices, the NFL will become like baseball.

[Jackass]

Salary cap hardly restricts the veterans, but it will stop the 70 million rookie bs. Whose stadium are you in? You seriously think the players would build something like Dallas stadium? hell no, they'd have more money in their wallets. I really hope they do a salary cap, it's far past due, and increase the retired benefits. Something even the current players are too greedy to make sure happens. You claim one side, but it's both. I've yet to see a business be created without out an owner shelling huge $ to make it happen and hope they see a return. I'm not sure who's more in a fantasy world, you or some of the players.

 

If i'm not mistaken, there has been a salary cap for quite some time.

[Cunning Runt]

If i'm not mistaken, there has been a salary cap for quite some time.

 

I'm guessing he's referring to a rookie cap.

[Chief]

I'm guessing he's referring to a rookie cap.

 

 

Correct, just didn't word it like I should have.

[piratesownninjas]

When are they finally going to understand that they don't need owners! The players need to own the franchises, hire bookkeepers to do their paperwork and make all the money for themselves.

Dumbest post of 2010.

[Seahawks21]

I go exactly the other way with this. I'd like to see the owners break the union entirely.

 

In my opinion, you could sh-t can the entirety of the players in the NFL and bring up the "next" best. They would then become the "best" in the world in our eyes as the current group would fade into our memories.

 

The franchises are what have value IMO, not the individuals. Individuals come and go.

Hey, you can go watch your homer team play with second-rate players all you want, and pay your owner for his product, or...

 

If Adrian Peterson's team plays against Peyton Manning's team in a parking lot somewhere I would pay to go watch the some of the best athletes in the world, regardless of who is owning their team.

 

To each their own I guess.

 

If Peyton Manning got 45 of his buddies together, and Tom Brady got 45 of his buddies together and Peyton said "hey Tom, why don't you bring your buddies, I'll bring my buddies, we can play against each other, we'll rent a stadium, or get backing to buy stadiums, sell some spamshirts and offer tickets to fans to come watch us play", you seriously don't think they could sell out the stadiums, and become filthy rich in the process?

 

Why in the world would they need some rich guys to come take money off the top?

 

There is a great book on this very thing written almost 100 years ago. It is amazing how much of this same stuff happens today. The baseball players had enough of the owners making all the money, and they were going to start their own league. Only a small amount ended up leaving as the rest got cold feet, and the players that left got blacklisted from the league, but they had the right premise, they just didn't have the unity and leadership. If the right players and leaders get behind it, I have no doubt it would work out better for everybody except the owners.

[scottyjets]

The NFL is all branding. The players can't and won't run off and start their own league.

 

They are going to have to work it out or we're going to lose a year.

[Bronco Billy]

Both sides are to blame, but a lot of this falls on the fact that the owners refused to control THEMSELVES and kept increasing the salaries, bonuses, etc. They can't expect the players to give that back now, however IMO the players should realize that keeping this going will only result in bankrupting the league. Teams will have to have a salary cap, and I think a rookie cap also. Left to their own devices, the NFL will become like baseball.

 

The NFL owners have worked together in remarkable fashion to control themselves, and most especially the most ego-driven & deep pocketed amongst themselves. Seriously - what other sport of this magnitude could have a publicly owner team like Green Bay that competes at a high level with the rest of the league? The owners quite frankly were incredibly generous in the percentage of gross revenue allowed to the players - find me another business this size that specifically contractually dedicates that much gross revenue to only a portion of their employees.

 

The salary cap is generous to the players while simultaneously affording all teams to remain on a relatively competive level with all other teams. I agree that the NFLPA and the league should have and still should hammer out a rookie cap so that more money goes to proven vets, but the union hasn't taken a very strong stand on that issue either (which really puzzles me). Do the owners profit handsomely? Of course they do - they're the freakin' owners! They are entitled to capitalize on their risk and investment, and because they have managed the league so well and turned it into such a successful cash cow.

 

Most importantly, the owners and the union have worked hand-in-hand even when it wasn't all smiles for the greater benefit of the league. Both the owners and the players have reaped substantial financial rewards while maintaining the best business model of any pro sports league. It's amazing that both sides can't get together now given the can-do attitude of the previous decades, when there is so much more at stake for the league as a whole (and personally I think there is more than a little posturing going on and that the sides will get this done) .

[Cunning Runt]

Hey, you can go watch your homer team play with second-rate players all you want, and pay your owner for his product, or...

 

If Adrian Peterson's team plays against Peyton Manning's team in a parking lot somewhere I would pay to go watch the some of the best athletes in the world, regardless of who is owning their team.

 

To each their own I guess.

 

If Peyton Manning got 45 of his buddies together, and Tom Brady got 45 of his buddies together and Peyton said "hey Tom, why don't you bring your buddies, I'll bring my buddies, we can play against each other, we'll rent a stadium, or get backing to buy stadiums, sell some spamshirts and offer tickets to fans to come watch us play", you seriously don't think they could sell out the stadiums, and become filthy rich in the process?

 

Why in the world would they need some rich guys to come take money off the top?

 

There is a great book on this very thing written almost 100 years ago. It is amazing how much of this same stuff happens today. The baseball players had enough of the owners making all the money, and they were going to start their own league. Only a small amount ended up leaving as the rest got cold feet, and the players that left got blacklisted from the league, but they had the right premise, they just didn't have the unity and leadership. If the right players and leaders get behind it, I have no doubt it would work out better for everybody except the owners.

 

You're missing the gist of what I'm trying to say.

 

You can make your argument TODAY, because you know of Peterson and Manning, but in time, those guys would be memories and whoever replaced them would be the "top" players.