Dancing around the issue

[Ryan, Patrick S Maj RES USAFR 439 MSG]

Actually I purposely didn't bring the guaranteed contract part up as
sometimes the "union vs big business" political debates around here get
kinda nasty. 
 
Guaranteed contracts are not the root of all evil in professional sports,
but they're definitely among the co-conspirators. If we were still in the
days of "owners making millions a year, players making $42 grand" like in
the 60s (The Cousy example) then I'd probably fall more on the union side.  
 
The NFL has made non-guaranteed contracts work - stars still get paid large,
and even practice squad guys get six figures plus benefits. Pay for
performance, a living wage, and a league that generates interest in EVERY
team, not just the good ones, every summer camp because of parity. That
should be the goal shouldn't it? 
 
Doesn't league-wide interest every year help everyone - owners (by ticket
sales and merchandise), players (higher salaries), and fans (parity and
support through said sales) alike?
 
And this isn't just because the Celtics stink that I make this claim.  This
argument also highlights the obscene Red Sox now looking at Todd Helton to
ramp up to what - over $250 million in payroll next year? Disgusting - we've
become Yankees North. God help the Milwaukee Brewer fan.
 
I'm for BALANCE - union and business working together for the ultimate
payers of the checks - the fans. The NFL IS the model - wherein players,
owners, and the fans all have what they most desire, without the welfare
style guarantee that requires no work or effort after signing on the dotted
line subsequently handcuffing 2/3rds of the participants (the owner and
their customers) into little or no flexibility. The NHL is just the first to
be almost destroyed by this stupidity. That is the warning that baseball and
basketball SHOULD heed, but I have little doubt they will.  Too much power
in the hands of one of the 3 parts (owners, players, and fans) isn't good
for ANY of them. Early on the owners had too much power - almost killed the
league in the 70s. Now the players have too much - will it kill the league
in the future as the NHL before it? Only time will tell.
 
--------------------------------
You're on the right track but you've left out one additional factor -
guaranteed contracts.
   
  The NFL allows far more player movement because teams drop them easier.
There are not as many trades, but that has more to do with the nature of the
sport and the fact that a team plays only 16 - not 82 - regular season
games.
   
  Some would say that too much player movement hurts any team trying to
build a long term juggernaut, but it hasn't harmed some NFL teams. - Asterix