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Andrew Brandt

Bookmark and Share Print This Send This October 29, 2008, 10:34 AM EST
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Why is this week important for contract extensions of NFL players?

Monday is the deadline for contracts to be submitted with the possibility of bonus and salary entirely applied to the 2008 Salary Cap.  In other words, contracts can be structured – as we did in Green Bay and several teams now do – to allocate a disproportionate amount of Cap to the present to allow for maximum flexibility in the future.  After Monday, teams can still extend contracts through the last Saturday of the regular season, but bonus will necessarily be prorated through the term of the contract, thus only a portion of the money will be allocated in 2008.  With an average of over 7M of Cap room per team; look for some extensions to happen.

Why would a team not use its remaining Cap room? Many reasons.  It may feel that there are no players worthy of extending right now.  It may want to see what shakes out with the impending uncapped year in 2010 – although there are controls to prevent teams dumping salary in that year.  It may try and player agents and players want more than teams are willing to give.  The market for all positions has jumped considerably since 2006.

Why would players be suspended for taking a water pill or diuretic? The NFL has a zero tolerance policy for substances that are on the banned list, which this was.  It is no excuse to make claims about a cold medication or a diet pill or something bought at GNC, whatever.  If the substance in question is on the banned list, then it is banned and the player will suffer consequences.  With the substance in question – Bumetanide -- being a water pill and a potential masking agent, I would think the issue becomes not the diuretic, but whatever the diuretic is trying to mask.  That is the bigger issue.

Why is Jamar Nesbit suing the manufacturer of the product he tested positive for earlier this season? With the zero tolerance policy mentioned above, Nesbit was reportedly suspended for – and served – four games due to the same banned substance, Bumetanide.  He and his lawyer understood and accepted the fact he tested positive for a banned substance and did not appeal.  However, Bumetanide is not a listed substance in the product ingested by Nesbit, a product made by StarCaps.  Now Nesbit and his lawyer are going after StarCaps for recovery of his lost wages, over $235,000. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3669872

Why were the names of the allegedly to-be-suspended players public? That is a problem.  The television station in Denver seems to get that information somewhere, which violates the hallmark of all the NFL policies:  confidentiality.  When a player is suspended, the official announcement is that he is suspended for violating the Steroid Policy or the Drug Policy or the Personal Conduct Policy; no information beyond that is given.  For the names to be released by various media sources, this is a major concern for the NFLPA and will be another agenda item in the long list of bargaining topics.

Why did the Commissioner meet with Larry Johnson and Vince Wilfork yesterday? With Tuesday as the players’ off day, that is the day that the chosen few are summoned to the principal’s office.  Johnson is in hot water due to his actions off the field involving a couple of bar incidents and an assault charge; Wilfork has been charged with some dirty play on the field.  Certainly, both players were contrite and apologetic and advised to look the Commissioner in the eye and apologize.  We’ll see where that gets them in terms of discipline.

 

Why is the NFL now talking about games in Scotland? The more the merrier.  As we live in an increasingly flat world, the league is trying to grow the product. As the first general manager of the Barcelona Dragons, I was there when fans cheered at the wrong times and did the wave the entire game long.  It was not just a job; it was an adventure.  The two regular season games so far in London is a first step, there will be more and in more locales, perhaps Scotland.

Comments

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Patrick Craig
Oct 29, 2008
10:48 AM

Why Scotland indeed ?

Talks of expansion and games overseas leaves me befuddled especially when you have 3-4 Teams every week who barely sell enough tickets to avoid a blackout. I understand it's the American way to try and milk every dollar you can out of your business but it would make more sense to me to improve the quality of the product first before you talk about expansion or playing games overseas. As a tax payer and part owner of the Packers I'd be royally PO'ed if the Packers lost a home game and the money it brings to the city and the State because of a game in Scotland.

Andy
Oct 29, 2008
11:25 AM

Flat world?? Remember what happened to Columbus' fourth ship!

Bob Lovely
Oct 29, 2008
11:29 AM

I am waiting for the first NFL game in Terra Del Fuego. ;^)

Seriously, playing regular season NFL games away from home for the designated home team makes little business sense for the team [versus league interests] and it is a bust for the ticket-holder fans in the home city and for the home city because of lost revenue for local businesses. Pre-season games are different because they are merely exhibitions. There is lost local revenue, of course, but the games do not count.

I can see expansion off shore at the right time.

Bob

Andrew
Oct 29, 2008
11:40 AM

If you have three or four teams who can't avoid a blackout, there's one radical solution which people won't like: move them. The AFC Really, Really East, say in London, Glasgow, Cardiff and one of the NFL Europa cities (Amsterdam's close enough).

Six in-Europe games per team, obviously no problem there. Then you've got the in-conference and out-of-conference teams you play - each of them will have two games in Europe, two games in the US, so they do a two-week road-trip to Europe followed by their bye weeks.

You've got the one-off games against the other two teams from your conference, only one of which will be in Europe, so four teams each year have the one-week Europe trip which the Saints and Chargers had this year. Not great, but if the season's extended, those could become two-week trips too easily enough (or the season could be extended through an extra bye-week or two without adding games).

And the European-based teams could each set up American bases for their games abroad - say do it as two four-week road trips.

It's conceivable. Just about.

Except - imagine Cincinnati at Amsterdam. Ocho Cinco y Amsterdam Cafes. The NFL might wish it had expanded to Vegas instead...

Uncle Rico
Oct 29, 2008
02:32 PM

I assume this is also the time of year many teams roll over unused cap space to the next year with bogus incentives. If a team rolls over, say $7m, increasing their cap ceiling next year, does it also increase their cap floor by the same amount?

British
Oct 29, 2008
04:16 PM

Mr Brandt,

Do you think expansion teams in the UK/Europe is a possibility?

Or is it just unworkable?

Andrew Brandt
Oct 29, 2008
05:21 PM
Andrew Brandt

Rico--
The rollovers are usually at the end of the year when no more room is needed. Yes, the team will have more room next year but the floor is calculated off of the leaguewide Cap amount, scheduled to be around 123M next year.
Andrew

Andrew Brandt
Oct 29, 2008
05:21 PM
Andrew Brandt

British-
No time soon.
Andrew

Erik Swanson
Oct 30, 2008
08:51 AM

Why isn't the NFL playing games in Germany? Shouldn't they be rewarded for supporting so many NFL Europe franchises? It amazes me that the NFL is ignoring the only part of europe that expressed interest in american football.

Mack
Oct 30, 2008
02:51 PM

Glasgow is a terrific sports town. The Claymores never should have been disbanded. Forget Bears and Packers or Cowboys - Redskins. You want to see an intense rivalry, try Glasgow Celtic vs Glasgow Rangers.

Andrew Brandt
Oct 30, 2008
02:59 PM
Andrew Brandt

Mack-
Would love to see that.
Andrew

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