best baseball strike sign

[kami]

Meh, I already gave up on baseball after the last strike. MLB will be gone in 10-15 years IMO

 

[notfred]

how sad

 

[MrDingleDangle]

what sux is that even if they do settle before the strike, what is it gonna be a whole 4 more years before this happens again?

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: kami
Meh, I already gave up on baseball after the last strike. MLB will be gone in 10-15 years IMO

Same here; haven't watched baseball more than a couple of World Series games since. I don't think MLB will die, its too strongly entrenched into Americana, but it's certainly going to go through a lot more convulsions.

 

[Lunarcade]

Originally posted by: CPA

Also, remember those who cried for parity in the NFL back in the 80's now you those who cry that there are no longer any dynasties.

Who's complaining about a lack of dynasties in the NFL?? I thought it was pretty agreed on that having the teams more level was a great thing, it sure as hell makes the series as a whole a lot more fun to watch!

 

[diamondgoat53]

Originally posted by: McPhreak

Originally posted by: diamondgoat53
if injuries didn't destroy 8-12 football teams a year, there'd be no balance their either. if baseball's attrition rate was the same as football, there'd be more balance. Warner doesn't get hurt in 2000, the Rams have three in a row.

Actually, that's 2 in a row. The Pats destroyed the Rams fair and square. No major injuries involved.

I do believe that there's plenty of balance in the NFL. If you told me 10 years ago that the Rams and the Colts are the favorites for a Championship trophy, I would have slapped you upside the head and thrown you out the door. They probably had a combined 5 wins back then. The salary cap is a great way to force teams to even out. Look at the Ravens. Salary cap problems will make them probably the worst team in the NFL this year. They had to give up like 8 of their starting defensive players cuz they simply couldn't afford them. The same happened to the Niners a couple years back.

actually, Warner was in a cast the entire offseason. if he's not hurt, it's not a game. a last second field goal is not "destruction", either. injuries play a larger part than anything else. if Jamal Lewis doesn't get hurt last year, the Ravens would have been fine. letting all the defense go, that's managements call. they overpaid for one title. happens all the time. has nothing to do with salary cap. those contracts, when signed, were understood to be 1 or 2 year deals. the nfl contracts aren't guaranteed like baseball's. that's another problem the MLB has. signing bonus is where the players make the money in the NFL. they rewarded a few guys for a great year. everyone else had to go. seems fair for a title, no? don't you think the Red Sox fans would like that?

 

[jonnyjack]

i was watching espn once and i saw a kid hold up a sign that said:

"you want more money? i'll give you my allowance, please don't strike."

 

[manly]

Originally posted by: MrDingleDangle
what sux is that even if they do settle before the strike, what is it gonna be a whole 4 more years before this happens again?

Not necessarily. If the owners get a deal they can sustain viable businesses with, then there wouldn't be a strong reason for them to be so aggressive next time.

As for the players, I can guarantee you that player salaries will continue to go up. With the union perhaps weakening a touch from this round's "loss", why would they need to whine again in 5 years if they're making even more money than now?

Look at the NFL or NBA. The owners have more or less gotten favorable CBA deals for themselves in recent times, and as long as the players still make bank, everyone is happy. Obviously, baseball is a tougher business right now than the other two sports, but a settlement tonight would go a long way towards stabilizing the economics.

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: murphy55d

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
as bad as it seems. I'm on the players sides with most issues. This is mainly because i do not believe in socialism. Why should ballclubs who make money have to give a portion to the struggling teams?

So the league isn't run by a handful of teams. Who wants to see that? I get tired of seeing the same teams in it every year. As long as Steinbrenner has the freedom to spend as much as he wants, the Yankees will be winning every year almost.

The NFL is the model league... that's how baseball should be run. Never will be though.

i didnt say i was not for a salary cap, i said i was against the sharing of profits. Salary caps are, for the most part, good for the fan. It creates more teams playing at the same level. This is more exciting. However, players don't like it because it lowers their salary.

But unlike football and basketball where most of the revenue is from NATIONAL TV contracts Baseballs bread and butter is LOCAL revenues. Now I don't know how exciting it would be to see the yankees play the dodgers every weak BUT I do Know that there is currently almost zero revenue sharing.

Sports are unlike any other bussiness model.

The yankees NEED to have other teams where as Burger King would thrive should mcdonalds close up shop.

You need to look at the ENTIRE Picture when the Yankees can get 300 million in local revenue and the expos can only get 50 million there is a problem. There is no way these to teams are even close to being on a level playing field. And while the players gripe that it;s the owners who write the checks for these extravigant salaries the player sued the owners because the owners didn't want ot pay.

 

[HOWITIS]

if i was the owners i would fire every single player. institute a salary cap, bring in minor leagers. the fans would love it. players who wanted to play. after 3or4 years i would let 20 or so of the old players come back.... maybe

 

[mskalak]

Back in the 1920's, the Supreme Court said that baseball WAS NOT a business, and therefore is exempt from all antitrust laws and the such. In both basketball and football there is A LOT of revenue sharing. Basketball especially. When Michael Jordan sold a gozillion jerseys across the nation, the Bulls did not see all of the money, the money was split between ALL NBA teams. Football does the same thing. For money made from attendance, the home team takes something like 70% and the away team takes 30%. Even TV rights are shared in football. The only thing football has that is 100% their own revunue is for louge seating in the stadiums. Baseball does these things, but only to an extent, albeit very very small.

Just some random thoughts.

 

[StattlichPassat]

I love the roofers and smoking one, but this one is the best!

 

[MichaelD]

What these idiots in the stands fail to realize is that as cool and witty as their little "fcck off!" signs may be, they PAID to get INTO the PARK. By doing so, they are DIRECTLY putting money in the player's pockets.

Want to make a statement? Don't go...Period. If not a single person showed up at ANY major league game during the month of August, I can GUARANTEE you any talks about a strike would be met with a resounding "huH? Ummm, nah man, don't know wat'chu talkin' bout!"

I gave up completely on professional sports many years ago. They all suck. Every last player on any major league basketball, baseball or football team sucks Toe Jam thru a straw.

 

[MichaelD]

There should be a salary cap for all players of all sports. As a matter of fact, there should be four Tiers of the payscale.

The Derek Jeters of the world are "Step A." --> 750K per season. MAX.
The Almost Dereks J's of the world are "Step B." --> 600K per season. MAX.
The regular players that have been on team more than two seasons, or are seasoned and acquired from other teams, but are nothign special are "Step C" --> 400K/season
The new players just out of Triple A are "Step D" 250K per season MAX.



Let these guys work for tips. Let them work for minimum wage. Let them hold down two or THREE jobs to feed three kids and keep a fatass wife from leaving you and sticking you in the booty with a 50% child support garnishment.
Again, they ALL suck ass! :|

 

[HomerSapien]

Here is what i think they should do....The fans win, the players lose, if you want to call it that, and the owners lose as well. LOWER TICKET PRICES. LOWER VENDOR PRICES. PARKING SHOULD NOT COST $12.

Make salaries based off work performance. Sometimes at the game, the beer guy and cotton candy girl should be making the big bucks considering they are more enjoyable than the devil rays. This game has turned from a national past time to a national business. How many times you see guys sign huge deals and go bust the next season or get injured...Cough...Juan Gonzalez..Cough...Albert Belle...Cough...Frank Thomas...Cough..Cough...

Every team should get equal tv time so each team should get an equal share. So what you get to watch the devil rays, i saw them beat the indians in a good game. If not, you get to watch them get beat badly. I like to watch all the teams, so this would benefit people like me. I lost interest in particular teams when players started selling themselves to the highest bidder instead of trying to be team leaders. I have more, but its late...

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: HomerSapien
Here is what i think they should do....The fans win, the players lose, if you want to call it that, and the owners lose as well. LOWER TICKET PRICES. LOWER VENDOR PRICES. PARKING SHOULD NOT COST $12.

Make salaries based off work performance. Sometimes at the game, the beer guy and cotton candy girl should be making the big bucks considering they are more enjoyable than the devil rays. This game has turned from a national past time to a national business. How many times you see guys sign huge deals and go bust the next season or get injured...Cough...Juan Gonzalez..Cough...Albert Belle...Cough...Frank Thomas...Cough..Cough...

Every team should get equal tv time so each team should get an equal share. So what you get to watch the devil rays, i saw them beat the indians in a good game. If not, you get to watch them get beat badly. I like to watch all the teams, so this would benefit people like me. I lost interest in particular teams when players started selling themselves to the highest bidder instead of trying to be team leaders. I have more, but its late...

NICE! This is what I'm talking about! The "simple things" like parking should not cost twelve bucks, dammit! They gouge you at every turn. There is no more team spirit or sense of unity. It's all about Prima Donnas vs. The Rest of the Scum on the Team." It's wrong, man...on SO many levels.

Just once, I want to see a commercial for Nike running shoes or Hanes undies or Wheaties. And there's some normal dude or gal selling it!!

Hi. My name is Frank. I work in a warehouse 60 hours a week and on the weekends, I play softball with the guys. I used to have a lot of pain in my feet when I ran, but since I started wearing these Nike Baserunner X2T shoes, the pain is gone and I get around the bases lickety-split!!!!"

How about THAT for an ad? Michael Jordan can kiss my poor, opinionated, non-sporty playing ass.

 

[poopaskoopa]

Employees are worth what they are willing to accept, and their bosses are willing to pay. I have no problem with all the major leaguers wanting to sign with big spenders like the Yankees, the Braves and the like so they can get their 17 mil/yr contract. What I don't get is that these players swear up and down that big spenders and their payroll have no significant advantage over small market teams, and they expect the outsiders to believe them.

Anyway, I think it's good that they can stand strong against their bosses. Personally, I think the NBA and NFL players have been made their respective owner's bitches. Sure, the even playing ground on which the NFL teams play is nice to some extent, but I've always felt that the NFL players are getting screwed whenever I read about a player in the last year of his contract get released because his salary doesn't fit the cap. I find it pathetic that these owners and GMs with some $70 million in payroll budget didn't have some kind of forecast on what their expenses would be 3, 4 years down the road. In fact, that's downright irresponsible, when you're signing players to multi-year "contracts". The MLB players have a chance to prevent this type of behavior by the owners, so I sympathize with the players more than I thought I would. Good luck to the MLBPA, and helloooo NFL season!

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: poopaskoopa
Employees are worth what they are willing to accept, and their bosses are willing to pay. I have no problem with all the major leaguers wanting to sign with big spenders like the Yankees, the Braves and the like so they can get their 17 mil/yr contract. What I don't get is that these players swear up and down that big spenders and their payroll have no significant advantage over small market teams, and they expect the outsiders to believe them.

Anyway, I think it's good that they can stand strong against their bosses. Personally, I think the NBA and NFL players have been made their respective owner's bitches. Sure, the even playing ground on which the NFL teams play is nice to some extent, but I've always felt that the NFL players are getting screwed whenever I read about a player in the last year of his contract get released because his salary doesn't fit the cap. I find it pathetic that these owners and GMs with some $70 million in payroll budget didn't have some kind of forecast on what their expenses would be 3, 4 years down the road. In fact, that's downright irresponsible, when you're signing players to multi-year "contracts". The MLB players have a chance to prevent this type of behavior by the owners, so I sympathize with the players more than I thought I would. Good luck to the MLBPA, and helloooo NFL season!

I understand SOME of your points...particularly the one about getting cut in the last year of your contract...that's bad business. But, the players are currently striking for MORE MONEY, not "fairer treatment." How can you feel bad for some tool that is making 50K per GAME and is whining that he's underpaid?

Maybe you don't realize (no offense!) that no matter what SPIN the player's lawyers put on it, it's all about the Benjamins? I'm telling you, man; if you put salary caps in place (like I suggested in my response above) suddenly, all these niggling little complaints would disappear in an eyeblink. Why? B/C these scumbags would realize that it's "game over"; whine and you'll get no addition money.

I am confident that eventually, all this will come back and bite them all in the ass.

The owners? They are ALL money grabbing scum. But guess what? WELCOME to CAPITALISM. They are the privelaged few. They hold ALL the dice. You have talent? I'll hire you. You'll make what I tell you you'll make!

I have trouble sympathizing with some hormone injecting Neanderthal that makes $1M/year for smacking a baseball around. I work two jobs to make ends meet...and I don't drive a M5 complete with rotating plastic surgery enhanced, cocaine-carrying, Angelina Jolie lookalike-hookers. Jealous? Yeah. So? The point is that they should be grateful for what they have instead of always trying for more, More, MORE!

 

[poopaskoopa]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: poopaskoopa
Employees are worth what they are willing to accept, and their bosses are willing to pay. I have no problem with all the major leaguers wanting to sign with big spenders like the Yankees, the Braves and the like so they can get their 17 mil/yr contract. What I don't get is that these players swear up and down that big spenders and their payroll have no significant advantage over small market teams, and they expect the outsiders to believe them.

Anyway, I think it's good that they can stand strong against their bosses. Personally, I think the NBA and NFL players have been made their respective owner's bitches. Sure, the even playing ground on which the NFL teams play is nice to some extent, but I've always felt that the NFL players are getting screwed whenever I read about a player in the last year of his contract get released because his salary doesn't fit the cap. I find it pathetic that these owners and GMs with some $70 million in payroll budget didn't have some kind of forecast on what their expenses would be 3, 4 years down the road. In fact, that's downright irresponsible, when you're signing players to multi-year "contracts". The MLB players have a chance to prevent this type of behavior by the owners, so I sympathize with the players more than I thought I would. Good luck to the MLBPA, and helloooo NFL season!

I understand SOME of your points...particularly the one about getting cut in the last year of your contract...that's bad business. But, the players are currently striking for MORE MONEY, not "fairer treatment." How can you feel bad for some tool that is making 50K per GAME and is whining that he's underpaid?

Maybe you don't realize (no offense!) that no matter what SPIN the player's lawyers put on it, it's all about the Benjamins? I'm telling you, man; if you put salary caps in place (like I suggested in my response above) suddenly, all these niggling little complaints would disappear in an eyeblink. Why? B/C these scumbags would realize that it's "game over"; whine and you'll get no addition money.

I am confident that eventually, all this will come back and bite them all in the ass.


The owners? They are ALL money grabbing scum. But guess what? WELCOME to CAPITALISM. They are the privelaged few. They hold ALL the dice. You have talent? I'll hire you. You'll make what I tell you you'll make!



I have trouble sympathizing with some hormone injecting Neanderthal that makes $1M/year for smacking a baseball around. I work two jobs to make ends meet...and I don't drive a M5 complete with rotating plastic surgery enhanced, cocaine-carrying, Angelina Jolie lookalike-hookers. Jealous? Yeah. So? The point is that they should be grateful for what they have instead of always trying for more, More, MORE!

I don't feel bad for the MLB players, and you're right in assuming that I can't sympathize with these guys making 50k every night they show up for work. Hell... That's MY dream, dammit. The moment they institute the luxury tax(or salary cap), then they join the ranks of the NBA and the NFL. It's about making more money, most certainly, but it's also about keeping things the way they were(for baseball), in terms of money. They are treated "fairly"(I realize that's an understatement, but you used the word ), and if they agree to everything the owners want, then they stop getting treated that way. I can't blame the players for trying.

Whatever gave you the impression that I ignored the money aspect? Like you said, it's "game over" for the players if some form of cap is instituted. You're right. There'd be less whining, but that's not a good thing for the players. Do we disagree on anything here?

Hell yeah they're hard to sympathize with. I'm always amazed that some of these guys are less than grateful to have the opportunity to live out their wildest dreams, maximize their potential, to set themselves up for life, hook up with famous models, etc, but none of those are legitimate reasons to implement salary caps.

What I'm surprised about is that there's no apparent division among the owners(between the large-market and smaller-market teams). Are they under gag order or something? I mean.... They're obviously a contributing factor to the players getting richer and richer. They actually say yes to the players' demands.

 

[SludgeFactory]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
The owners? They are ALL money grabbing scum. But guess what? WELCOME to CAPITALISM. They are the privelaged few. They hold ALL the dice. You have talent? I'll hire you. You'll make what I tell you you'll make!

Heh, that's the way it was for the first 100 or so years of baseball. The players have very strong representation, they know what issues to take a stand on, and they never lose in court. They're not pussies like the NFL players and their union, who all caved during their pathetic 1987 strike.

The players want everything to stay status quo, the owners want to put some limits in. The players have conceded in principle to all the owners demands, they just need to compromise on the percentages.

Both sides are greedy -- that's the American way. I tend to believe that the owners are bigger scumbags than the players, with past collusion and current accounting lies. It's ridiculous that it comes down to this every time, but they just don't negotiate without somebody threatening to take the ball and go home. Morons...

 

[SludgeFactory]

Originally posted by: poopaskoopa
What I'm surprised about is that there's no apparent division among the owners(between the large-market and smaller-market teams). Are they under gag order or something? I mean.... They're obviously a contributing factor to the players getting richer and richer. They actually say yes to the players' demands.

They actually are under a gag order from Bud The owners have done a good job of keeping their differences out of the press this time -- that's usually their downfall in any meetings they have, with the clash of 30 gigantic egos.

I personally think that if the owners would take the luxury tax off the table, and instead demand even higher revenue sharing, that baseball would be more competitive and the players would still make plenty of money and have no salary-cap. But the high-revenue owners probably object to giving away that much of their money.

 

[diamondgoat53]

if i didn't know better, i'd think MichaelD was bitter about having more kids than his skills allow him to pay for. envy is always ugly, but when the word "greed" is thrown in because your own skills are unmarketable (or you have none at all), then it's just sad.