CanadaSpurs
Well-Known Member
- Aug 14, 2013
- 1,450
- 4,367
The only way a salary cap could be good is if it came with iron-clad provisions redistributing the excess down the ladder, and it would have to apply across Europe. Otherwise the talent would bleed away to another great league that doesn’t have a cap.
In North America, they can all get away with it because they’re the only game in town. Of course MLS has one but as a new North American league it was always going to. That’s another reason why MLS, while not as bad as it was, is still utter dross at time. The best young players still leave to get paid. All the other leagues have no meaningful international market for their players at the higher end of the wage scale.
In the NHL and NBA, punitive rules for paying young players means young European players who are already playing professionally in European leagues often take a paycut to play in North America. If they can stick it out, eventually they could earn more in the long run, but since North American youth are content to be paid $0 until they’re 18 or 19 years old and the leagues have drawn up rules mandating their salary for the first three professional years, it’s a raw deal for young players.
As you can imagine, teams have caught on that to really compete, you need players who will perform well above their value on these “entry-level” contracts, to maximize the value you get from your salary-capped squad. Eventually, however, your young players grow up and then you have to figure out how to pay everyone. Inevitably, you can’t.
Watching the front office and the salary cap has become perhaps 30-40% of the fan experience in North America, and at least 50% when watching the pundits, who will wax poetic about the business side of the game whenever given the chance. It’s been a poor experience all around.
In North America, they can all get away with it because they’re the only game in town. Of course MLS has one but as a new North American league it was always going to. That’s another reason why MLS, while not as bad as it was, is still utter dross at time. The best young players still leave to get paid. All the other leagues have no meaningful international market for their players at the higher end of the wage scale.
In the NHL and NBA, punitive rules for paying young players means young European players who are already playing professionally in European leagues often take a paycut to play in North America. If they can stick it out, eventually they could earn more in the long run, but since North American youth are content to be paid $0 until they’re 18 or 19 years old and the leagues have drawn up rules mandating their salary for the first three professional years, it’s a raw deal for young players.
As you can imagine, teams have caught on that to really compete, you need players who will perform well above their value on these “entry-level” contracts, to maximize the value you get from your salary-capped squad. Eventually, however, your young players grow up and then you have to figure out how to pay everyone. Inevitably, you can’t.
Watching the front office and the salary cap has become perhaps 30-40% of the fan experience in North America, and at least 50% when watching the pundits, who will wax poetic about the business side of the game whenever given the chance. It’s been a poor experience all around.
