Watkins wants to get paid more

[Fan in San Diego]

Sammy is comparing apples to oranges. If he wants to get paid like an NBA player he should have played basketball. But you can't compare the salaries of the two sports. When you factor in the number of teams, # of players on rosters, number of coaches on teams, team facilities, only 16 games a year. it seems pretty equitable to me.

[bobobonators]

Just to be clear, I don't take any issue with those that think Sammy shouldn't hit send. He's a little tone deaf.

 

I also don't take issue with those people that think Sammy isn't worth "____ dollars." There is always someone that think a contract is great for the player and another guy that thinks it's great for the team.

 

I 100% take issue with "athletes make too much money." "You are lucky to have that." The NFL generated $13.3B last year. In every business those that generate the money make the money. If you don't want athletes to be paid that much stop funding the product!! Stop buying tickets, jerseys and hats. Stop clicking on the website. Stop playing fantasy football. Stop investing your time and money!! Until that happens the money coming in has to go somewhere. The players are the reason that it is coming in and should be entitled to a significant portion. In the NFL it's between 47-48% (I think) and in the NBA it's 51%. We have yet to see a reasonable argument that players deserve less. The money has to go somewhere.

Well said.

[Kirby Jackson]

Just as an aside, teams are hiding money from the players all of the time. There is so much money that never goes into the the audit. I can only speak for the BRI (basketball related income) audit but we buried money all kinds of places.

[bobobonators]

Sammy is comparing apples to oranges. If he wants to get paid like an NBA player he should have played basketball. But you can't compare the salaries of the two sports. When you factor in the number of teams, # of players on rosters, number of coaches on teams, team facilities, only 16 games a year. it seems pretty equitable to me.

The number of games is irrelevant. The revenue is generated in those 16 games.

Plus playoffs.

[nucci]

Sammy is comparing apples to oranges. If he wants to get paid like an NBA player he should have played basketball. But you can't compare the salaries of the two sports. When you factor in the number of teams, # of players on rosters, number of coaches on teams, team facilities, only 16 games a year. it seems pretty equitable to me.

I think his point may be NFL players deserve a larger percentage of the revenue generated by the league

[NoSaint]

 

Nonsense. He has just as much of a right to express himself as anyone else.

That it's a right doesn't mean it's the right choice or comes without response

[JackKemp]

I understand he was speaking to the we, but if he wants to be paid more he better play more.

[B Fan in LA]

First, who's fault is it that Sammy chose to practice pass routes instead of 3 point shots ?

 

Second, what good does complaining about wages do ?

 

You don't see ditch diggers complaining, do you ?

[Billsmovinup]

Or he can rally his fellow employees ( hence his tweet) / union brothers and create impetus to demand more at the bargain table for the next CBA. That's all this is. Nothing to see here .

Why are you posting if there is nothing to see???

 

What a silly inference to draw as if he's unhappy enough to contemplate a career change.

No sillier than 95% of what you post.

[hondo in seattle]

Here's my perspective...

 

Sports developed thousands of years ago as a way to teach children war-fighting skills and keep adult fighting skills honed. In American football, the ancient connection between sports and war lives on.

 

Team leaders are captains.

 

Games are won in the trenches and we enjoy watching the big men battle it out.

 

The offense will utilize both an aerial attack and ground attack and sometimes employ the bomb.

 

The defense will try to keep the enemy out of its territory and occasionally launch an all-out assault on the opponent called a blitz.

 

Bills fans love Jim Kelly because the guy was a warrior.

 

As someone who once had the honor of leading real warriors into combat, here's my problem: Fake warriors who play a children's game masquerading as war in order to entertain drunken fans get paid millions of dollars. And want more.

 

Real warriors who fight real wars where people die real deaths in the serious cause of national security get paid peanuts. And typically don't complain.

 

I get the point Sammy's making. I get that NFL players have special skills. I get how a free market economy works. I get all that. But if things were fair, real warriors would earn more than fake warriors. Public servants in general would make more than entertainers. In the big scheme of things, the teacher teaching my son math or the cop keeping my neighborhood safe ought to be paid more than Sammy. At least, that's how I see things.

Edited July 3, 2017 by hondo in seattle

[Kirby Jackson]

Here's my perspective...

 

Sports developed thousands of years ago as a way to teach children war-fighting skills and keep adult fighting skills honed. In American football, the ancient connection between sports and war lives on.

 

Team leaders are captains.

 

Games are won in the trenches and we enjoy watching the big men battle it out.

 

The offense will utilize both an aerial attack and ground attack and sometimes employ the bomb.

 

The defense will try to keep the enemy out of its territory and occasionally launch an all-out assault on the opponent called a blitz.

 

Bills fans love Jim Kelly because the guy was a warrior.

 

As someone who once had the honor of leading real warriors into combat, here's my problem: Fake warriors who play a children's game masquerading as war in order to entertain drunken fans get paid millions of dollars. And want more.

 

Real warriors who fight real wars where people die real deaths in the serious cause of national security get paid peanuts. And typically don't complain.

 

I get the point Sammy's making. I get that NFL players have special skills. I get how a free market economy works. But if things were fair, real warriors would earn more than fake warriors. Public servants in general would make more than entertainers. In the big scheme of things, the teacher teaching my son math or the cop keeping my neighborhood safe ought to be paid more than Sammy. At least, that's how I see things.

I think that's fair and a utopian view. When that school makes $13.3B that teacher will have a strong case. There's a reason that the highest paid public employee in virtually every state is a coach. They make the money.

[Malazan]

I'm not a sammy basher, but what does he think he's done to "change the market"?

[BarleyNY]

That it's a right doesn't mean it's the right choice or comes without response

Exactly. Consequences for one's actions and what not.

[GoBills808]

I think that's fair and a utopian view. When that school makes $13.3B that teacher will have a strong case. There's a reason that the highest paid public employee in virtually every state is a coach. They make the money.

What that school makes is inarguably worth more than $13.3B, no matter how hard it is to quantify.

[Kirby Jackson]

What that school makes is inarguably worth more than $13.3B, no matter how hard it is to quantify.

It is but it's hard to pay a salary with that. Teachers, police, firefighters, etc... all deserve more. I don't think any would argue that. The fact remains though, even in the world of public employees, the revenue generators get the money. http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/19019077/highest-paid-us-employees-dominated-college-football-college-basketball-coaches

[Rochesterfan]

Let me be as succinct as possible so people don't think i'm arguing the wrong point:

 

1. Yes, I feel that contracts should be guaranteed in the NFL. Money has to go somewhere folks. And it's either going to go to the players, or stay with the owners. Players. Or owners. Again, players, or owners. Increase the salary cap per team, force the owners to spend more money. Or remove the hard salary cap and implement another formula that benefits the players a bit more.

 

2. Haynewworth is an absolute extreme example. He's highly regarded as the single worst FA signing in NFL history. But lets think about that for a second. The single worst FA signing in NFL history and the Redskins were only out what 35 million? The mets are still paying bobby bonilla millions.

 

3. And yes, Haynesworth deserved a payday. In any sport he would get a payday for being regarded as the best at his position when he hit FA. And what was his pay day in the end for being the best at his position? 35 million? If that is how an NFL player gets rewarded as compared to other professional sports, the system is broken. Again, I realize he was a bust, but Haynesworth is an extreme example of FA gone bad. At the end of the day, however, I'd rather the player benefit from FA going bad than the owners pocketing the revenue money as they sit in their nice suits in their luxury suites when it's -20 on a snowy day in Green Bay and player X dislocates his freaking knee cap.

 

The Money does go someplace - roughly just under 50% goes to the players for salary. Just over 50% to the owners to cover all of the administrative staff, coaching staff, food, training equipment, upgrades, practice facilities, uniforms, medications, and everything else the players need to be ready. I will not whine for the owners because they make a lot of money as an individual person, but after they cover all of the business costs and salary.

 

The breakdown seems about right as every league with a cap puts the annual average players salary at close to 50% of the leagues revenue. The difference is guaranteed money and that is based on the sport. We do not need to use Fat Albert for the point - go around the league - if the NFL paid guaranteed money and gave a WR a 5 year contract and that guy sucks or is hurt - he would get paid just like Bonilla in you example - that is great for that player, but then every other player will get less because money is tied up in guys that are not playing or producing.

 

The NFL is a production league - you produce - you get paid. Your production drops - you get cut and can lose your big pay day. When that happens - what happens to that money. It is almost immediately spent on other players on the team. TT takes a pay cut and the Bills sign additional players with that money.

 

I have no issues with having more guarantees for the players, but it will come with something they will not like lower salaries because more money will be tied up in non producing players.

Exactly.

 

Lmao. Imagine the body count if these guys played 84 games. Youd need a roster of 500 guys.

I know - it is not possible, but even the NBA is seeing issues with teams resting players - do we will see things turn out shortly.

[Figster]

Here's my perspective...

 

Sports developed thousands of years ago as a way to teach children war-fighting skills and keep adult fighting skills honed. In American football, the ancient connection between sports and war lives on.

 

Team leaders are captains.

 

Games are won in the trenches and we enjoy watching the big men battle it out.

 

The offense will utilize both an aerial attack and ground attack and sometimes employ the bomb.

 

The defense will try to keep the enemy out of its territory and occasionally launch an all-out assault on the opponent called a blitz.

 

Bills fans love Jim Kelly because the guy was a warrior.

 

As someone who once had the honor of leading real warriors into combat, here's my problem: Fake warriors who play a children's game masquerading as war in order to entertain drunken fans get paid millions of dollars. And want more.

 

Real warriors who fight real wars where people die real deaths in the serious cause of national security get paid peanuts. And typically don't complain.

 

I get the point Sammy's making. I get that NFL players have special skills. I get how a free market economy works. But if things were fair, real warriors would earn more than fake warriors. Public servants in general would make more than entertainers. In the big scheme of things, the teacher teaching my son math or the cop keeping my neighborhood safe ought to be paid more than Sammy. At least, that's how I see things.

Real warriors enjoy good entertainment like everyone else IMO.

[GoBills808]

Real warriors enjoy good entertainment like everyone else IMO.

I don't find Watkins' comments entertaining. If I never hear about professional athletes being paid too little again it will be too soon.

[Rochesterfan]

How is that not the point? Obviously that's an extreme example but Watkins point remains. They are getting a smaller piece of the pie than the NBA players are getting. If NFL players got 51% like the NBA that would be about $212M per team for the players. That's a lot higher than the $167M that the cap is at.

I understand what you are saying - I think your numbers are a bit off though. If the current cap is set let's say 48% and is at 167 another 3% is only raising the cap maybe 9-10 million. It is not going from 167 to 212 million per team. That would mean each 1% increase would be around 15 million in salary cap space - so 48 % would be close to a salary cap of 720 million rather than 167 million. Remember the Salary Cap is not based on all revenue only some of it.

 

What the change from 48 to 51 would do in the NFL is exactly what it did in the NBA. 1 or 2 players on each team get the extra money - most likely the QB and DE. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant see huge salary bumps compared to other players on the team.

Edited July 3, 2017 by Rochesterfan

[Kirby Jackson]

I understand what you are saying - I think your numbers are a bit off though. If the current cap is set let's say 48% and is at 167 another 3% is only raising the cap maybe 9-10 million. It is not going from 167 to 212 million per team. That would mean each 1% increase would be around 15 million in salary cap space - so 48 % would be close to a salary cap of 720 million rather than 167 million. Remember the Salary Cap is not based on all revenue only some of it.

 

What the change from 48 to 51 would do in the NFL is exactly what it did in the NBA. 1 or 2 players on each team get the extra money - most likely the QB and DE. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant see huge salary bumps compared to other players on the team.

There are other things in there. $212M per team though is 51% of $13.3B. The salary cap is based on the shared revenue (which is why the number is smaller).