Jags owner now admits

[Sweetness_34 0]

Ralph Wilson has the support of at least one fellow National Football League owner when it comes to opposing the recently approved labor deal with players.

 

Wilson, owner of the Buffalo Bills, has complained loudly that the new collective bargaining agreement will be harmful to small-market franchises because it pays too much -- 60 percent of all revenues -- to players.

 

Though he voted in favor of the pact Wayne Weaver, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars -- like Buffalo, a small-market franchise -- told the Florida Times-Union, Wilson's concerns are real.

 

"It turns out," Weaver said, "that Ralph was right, and he was far ahead of many of us."

 

The Bills were one of just two teams -- the Cincinnati Bengals were the other -- to vote against the CBA. Weaver told the paper he voted for the agreement because it was the lesser of two evils, that is, a deal that is flawed versus no deal at all.

 

"People portrayed Ralph as this older guy who wasn't thinking clearly," Weaver said. "Ralph was thinking just fine. He understood the situation perfectly."

 

The Bills have since lobbied to generate political support at the federal and state levels of government. In particular, Wilson has demonstrated concern in how the NFL will determine formulas for revenue-sharing and how it might impact the team's long-term future in Buffalo.

 

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue recently guaranteed Wilson a seat on an committee of eight owners that will ultimately establish policy for revenue-sharing, long a hallmark of the NFL's financial success.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

[Restricted 0]

At this point, as long as it keeps the football going, too bad for the mega-millionaires.

[Michael Sieger 0]

Weaver told the paper he voted for the agreement because it was the lesser of two evils, that is, a deal that is flawed versus no deal at all.

 

Isn't this the crucial point here? Is Weaver now saying no CBA and an uncapped 2007 would be better than the deal he agreed to?

[LOD01 198]

At this point, as long as it keeps the football going, too bad for the mega-millionaires.

 

[joelmrut 4]

At this point, as long as it keeps the football going, too bad for the mega-millionaires.

 

Yeah! Wouldn't it be great if the new CBA forced a small market team into do something drastic, like move or fold up, because the players are getting paid more than the owners?

[Sweetness_34 0]

Yeah! Wouldn't it be great if the new CBA forced a small market team into do something drastic, like move or fold up, because the players are getting paid more than the owners?

 

So would you prefer that a team like the Packers move to Los Angeles?

[joelmrut 4]

So would you prefer that a team like the Packers move to Los Angeles?

 

 

Being sarcastic. The new CBA just might have an adverse affect on small market teams. If the Browns can move when they are selling out on a regular basis, how far off is it to think that if the small market teams getting screwed by the CBA might relocate to a bigger market.

 

Just tired of millionaires crying about the owners and what they make. Excuse me, but aren't the owners the one putting up thier own money to buy the teams? Are they the ones assuming the risks, paying thecoaches, medical staffs, ground crews? But the players want the lion's share of the money. To me, that is just a joke. Now if the players start chipping in for stadium upkeep, and help pay the rest of the team's staff, then I have no problem with them asking for more. But not if it is just to make more money but they can't feed thier families making millions.

[Michael Sieger 0]

So would you prefer that a team like the Packers move to Los Angeles?

 

Although Green Bay is certainly a small city, the Packers are a high-revenue franchise that will be paying into the revenue-sharing pool under the new CBA, not taking from it.

 

Ironically, as recently noted by Packers beat writer Cliff Cristl, this means that the Packers will continue to fund Ryan Longwell's salary next season as the Vikings are likely to be one of the low-revenue teams that collects from the pool.

[Sweetness_34 0]

Although Green Bay is certainly a small city, the Packers are a high-revenue franchise that will be paying into the revenue-sharing pool under the new CBA, not taking from it.

 

Ironically, as recently noted by Packers beat writer Cliff Cristl, this means that the Packers will continue to fund Ryan Longwell's salary next season as the Vikings are likely to be one of the low-revenue teams that collects from the pool.

 

Not for long. Once favre retires, and the Aaron Rodgers era leads to a few 4-12 seasons like last year, the bandwagon will be empty (relatively). All these Favre-following-Packers will find another team to root for, if they haven't already after the disaster last year.

[Restricted 0]

Not for long. Once favre retires, and the Aaron Rodgers era leads to a few 4-12 seasons like last year, the bandwagon will be empty (relatively). All these Favre-following-Packers will find another team to root for, if they haven't already after the disaster last year.

 

Then people who have waited for 20+ years for season tickets will finally have their chance.

[Sweetness_34 0]

Then people who have waited for 20+ years for season tickets will finally have their chance.

 

You must not remember the 70s and 80s when the packers were the Siberia of the NFL. I used to remember packer tickets being left on front windows of cars for anyone to pick up.

 

The best sign I ever saw at Lambeau field during the downtrodden packer years - "Yeah, you may beat us, but you cannot lick our dickey"

 

 

PS: The only question I have is does Mcarthy have a dog that could be shot when the packers go 4-12 with Rodgers (or even with favre again)

[ellisonb11 0]

i hope nothing drastic happens...we small market jags will be screwed

[lechuza 0]

when Wilson spoke out against it he was unfairly criticized. people thought that because he was old he forgot everything he knew about football. the reality is that the big market teams controlled the CBA agreement and the small market teams just followed along. Wilson and Brown were the only two with balls to speak out against the big markets and now the smaller teams like the jags are realizing what Wilson already realized- small market teams are in danger with the new deal.

[swamp dog 0]

So would you prefer that a team like the Packers move to Los Angeles?

 

is this a trick question?

[DrJ 0]

Although Green Bay is certainly a small city, the Packers are a high-revenue franchise that will be paying into the revenue-sharing pool under the new CBA, not taking from it.

 

Ironically, as recently noted by Packers beat writer Cliff Cristl, this means that the Packers will continue to fund Ryan Longwell's salary next season as the Vikings are likely to be one of the low-revenue teams that collects from the pool.

 

To my understanding, the entire league will be subsidizing a portion of Longwell's contract so that the richer owners can take a larger portion of money.

 

The way it apparantly works is that the salary cap is based off of all league revenue, whether sharable or not. So when a big market team comes up with 10 million in non sharable revenue, that means that the league cap goes up by $6 million. (League cap is about 60% of total revenue). So, every team in the league is responsible for paying a portion of that $6 million in salary. The big market team is only responsible for paying 1/32 of that, or like 200K, and so are all other owners.

 

So the team that doesn't have that non sharable revenue is out $200K there. That's extra money they are forced to spend without having the resources to support it. The big market team gets to collect an extra $9.8 million - great for them.

 

There is no way for a team that doesn't have these large pools of non sharable revenue to compete. They have to pay out like $.65 on the dollar so that the large revenue team can soak up non sharable revenue and only pay like $.50 on the dollar they take in. And this is why the Bills and a lot of small market teams could actually LOSE money under this arrangement and they'd be forced to move to a city that will attract them with luxury suites, etc, etc.

 

And the big market teams don't want to give that non sharable revenue to the teams on the lower scale without having some input into how they operate their business....so, it's still a big mess. But we have a cap, so fans are happy.

[gatorbait7391 0]

i hope nothing drastic happens...we small market jags will be screwed

 

Tell me about it

[DrJ 0]

One thing I read elsewhere is that back in the day Wilson at one point was supporting teams like the Patriots and other teams with his own personal money. What's the story behind that one?

[Wildman 0]

The old-school owners, Wilson, Wellington Mara, Art Rooney...they were more about the welfare of the league. It makes sense from their perspective because they were involved with the NFL during the time it was still struggling to earn money and a standing in the US sports scene. They helped each other out to keep the league going.

 

Nowadays many of the owners made their money outside of football and they have a different mindset. They never watched the league struggle in all the ways it did...

[Grigs Allmoon 0]

The old-school owners, Wilson, Wellington Mara, Art Rooney...they were more about the welfare of the league. It makes sense from their perspective because they were involved with the NFL during the time it was still struggling to earn money and a standing in the US sports scene. They helped each other out to keep the league going.

 

Nowadays many of the owners made their money outside of football and they have a different mindset. They never watched the league struggle in all the ways it did...

 

Yup...

 

Unfortunately the game is running out of these types of owners.

 

Say what you want about Ralphie, but I firmly believe this man deserves a spot in Canton.

 

Bills' fans know it, too. I remember going to an open practice a couple years ago, and there were probably 15k at the stadium, and Wilson drove out on the field in a golf cart and got a standing ovation. All the players stopped what they were doing to see what was going on, too. It was a pretty neat scene.

[buffalobillsffl2003 0]

One thing I read elsewhere is that back in the day Wilson at one point was supporting teams like the Patriots and other teams with his own personal money. What's the story behind that one?

 

 

Ralph was doing that to keep the AFL afloat most likely. It's known that Ralph gave money to Al Davis to keep the Raiders going.

[t.j 35]

Yup...

 

Unfortunately the game is running out of these types of owners.

 

It's no wonder Tagliabue wants out.