The end of the NFL as we know it!

[Fiz]

Your analogy fails because law firms have few to no relation to sports franchises at all.

not in the least.

Sports teams are businesses, plain and simple. Just because you have an irrational emotional attachment to one and are terrified that a truly level playing field will disadvantage them doesn't change that.

[Fiz]

Because Reagan was obviously a genious when it comes to economics... oh wait no he was wrong. The "trickle down" philosophy only aided in increasing the gap between the wealthy and poor which when aided with the nonsense Carter and Clinton's administrations pushed through put us in the gigantic mess we are in now.

clearly we have no deregulated enough. I only need to point to the miracle of Chile in the 80s to demonstrate what a truly free market can lead to.

[RealisticFan]

that people that are willing to pay more for a better product should be allowed to do so without the intervention of unnatural forces, in this case the government granting the nfl an anti-trust exemption.

Oh really? Please tell me more...

I am loving this by the way.

[BlanksKarma]

the owners that are willing to spend more will theoretically have a better product.

this better product will attract more fans.

other owners will have to spend more to keep up.

fans will have to work harder to afford tickets.

In the end, everyone becomes better. I hesitate to quote one of our greatest Americans, Ronald Reagan, but I feel that here it's appropriate. "A rising tide lifts all boats."

Lifts all boats my ass, lifts them straight to L.A. or Europe. What about Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Tennessee they might as well dissolve right now and save their money. The only thing that keeps the NFL competitive is the draft, salary cap and revenue sharing.

Get ready to root for the Tokyo Jaguars, Berlin Falcons, Moscow Bengals.

GO USA!!! GO FREE TRADE!!!

If this crap goes unchecked in 10 years there will be 20 teams, in 20 years there will be no teams.

[Fiz]

Oh really? Please tell me more...

I am loving this by the way.

Dan Snyder is obviously constrained in how much he can spend by the salary cap.

In a truly conservative nfl he'd be willing to spend as much as he pleases on players.

It's the natural way it should be run. In nature, a bear hunts as much as he is hungry. There isn't some unnatural force telling him to not eat any more deer.

[Brandon]

not in the least.

Sports teams are businesses, plain and simple. Just because you have an irrational emotional attachment to one and are terrified that a truly level playing field will disadvantage them doesn't change that.

The NFL teams are not separate businesses though.

clearly we have no deregulated enough. I only need to point to the miracle of Chile in the 80s to demonstrate what a truly free market can lead to.

Sorry but free market will never exist in the United States, period. Not because it's not the best way but because people in power are having far too much fun abusing a rather broken system.

[Fiz]

Lifts all boats my ass, lifts them straight to L.A. or Europe. What about Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Tennessee they might as well dissolve right now and save their money. The only thing that keeps the NFL competitive is the draft, salary cap and revenue sharing.

If the Bengals, Jaguars, and Titans wish to stay competitive, their owners will simply have to invest more in their franchises.

If those teams are sold, far be it from any of our roles to tell a business owner where he can or cannot operate his business, even if that means moving to a more fertile market.

[Fiz]

The NFL teams are not separate businesses though.

due to the anti-trust exemption that has just been done away with.

Sorry but free market will never exist in the United States, period. Not because it's not the best way but because people in power are having far too much fun abusing a rather broken system.

it is clearly about to exist in the nfl and i for one welcome it's arrival.

perhaps it will serve as an example to the IT industry.

[RealisticFan]

Dan Snyder is obviously constrained in how much he can spend by the salary cap.

In a truly conservative nfl he'd be willing to spend as much as he pleases on players.

It's the natural way it should be run. In nature, a bear hunts as much as he is hungry. There isn't some unnatural force telling him to not eat any more deer.

Oh, so whose principle is that you speak of? A scholar like yourself should know this.

It is a dated philosophy and is not used in the way that you represent it though.

Most economists use another type these days, but Google some more and you will eventually find it. I have true confidence in you, my prodigal son..

[ElkinPanthersFan]

clearly we have no deregulated enough. I only need to point to the miracle of Chile in the 80s to demonstrate what a truly free market can lead to.

Easily counterable with the free market ideas with Canada and Mexico from NAFTA. Both of switch have suffered more than they have gained from NAFTA. Look at all the steel workers in Unions in the North, keep driving up their wages and pay. How many of those jobs still exist in the Automobile Manufacturing Industy in Detroit? The Union had so much free power to drive up the cost of what they made with their demands that many of those people lost their jobs.

Remind me where the socialist, highly regulated Chinese economy is going compared to progressively free market that America has shifted to in the past 50 years. 10 years ago, the US economy was 3x the size of China. By 2016, our economy is not going to be number one.

[Fiz]

lol i cant do this anymore

[Brandon]

due to the anti-trust exemption that has just been done away with.

It hasn't been done away with yet, as I recall. The final ruling has not been made.

[mountainpantherfan]

Fiz and I disagree on some big points but one thing we do agree on is that I do believe a free market would not turn the NFL into the MLB nor would Dallas or Washington win every Super Bowl. The makeup of the game is just so different that you can't just buy a championship (or the talent to win as it is) like the Yankees try to do all the time. And I believe that mid-level markets like Charlotte could have sustained success. The biggest difference between a free maket and what we had under a CBA was the ability for team to quickly turn their on field fortunes around. In a free market a owners will have to be more careful with their money if they don't have it to burn.

However I don't think the league will survive as is. Ideally, the NFL would be 24 teams in a free market and a lot of teams would have to relocate in order to stay apart of that 24. I could see LA with two team and Chicago adding a second. Even cities like Philly and Houston that have teams would be more economically friendly to owners than a city like Buffalo or Jacksonville. Local investment in the form of marketing (naming rights and "official" trademarks) and television rights are the real revenue of sports business. Ticket sales really only have a operational impact to the success of a team.

All in all, the NFL looks like it is changing and the things that have allowed many of us to fall in love with the game are probably going away forever. Teams may not be able to buy a championship but never again will we be as excited or hopeful as we were when the draft and free agency ruled the NFL. You see the Cowboys might not be able to buy a championship but for the fans, they will be able buy hope. And that in many ways is much more valuable.

[Wyank]

Be careful what you wish for.