Good morning and welcome to a different version of Free Agent! I hope your staff’s “arm barn” is holding up alright.
It is NFL Draft week, and for those who’re closely invested on this, it is in all probability an indication your staff sucks and wishes the assistance. We’ll discuss how NFL Draft picks are getting screwed, and you will view these photos of draftees smiling subsequent to Commissioner Roger Goodell in a bizarre new gentle. Then we’ll transfer on to a potential new NFL stadium, a marathon report, and an superior TV present.
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The Decide Is In Screwed
When Cam Ward (virtually definitely) will get drafted first general by the Tennessee Titans on Thursday evening, he’ll earn a contract worth $43 million over 4 years. Should be good! However that worth is dramatically decrease than high draft picks have been getting 15 years in the past.
In 2009, Matt Stafford agreed to contract phrases with the Detroit Lions the day earlier than the draft—he went first general after which signed a cope with a complete worth of $78 million. The following 12 months, Sam Bradford went first general to the then–St. Louis Rams and inked a deal price a most of $86 million (or about $117 million in right this moment’s {dollars}, because of inflation). These offers had $42 million assured for Stafford and $50 million assured for Bradford.
However then draft decide salaries fell off a cliff. The next 12 months’s high decide, Cam Newton, bought simply $22 million for 4 years (totally assured). The 2011 collective bargaining settlement stripped away virtually all of the negotiating energy draftees had with groups. From then on by means of not less than the tip of the present labor settlement, rookies may both conform to the preset wage system or they might skip a 12 months—after which must get drafted once more and get caught with a preset wage once more.
Get extra sports activities from Jason Russell and Motive.
The cash went from drafted gamers to older players. Who do you assume negotiated the 2011 collective bargaining settlement for the gamers union? Future gamers like Ward, who was 9 years previous on the time, clearly did not get a say.
The opposite main skilled sports activities leagues do variations of this too. Whoever will get to choose Cooper Flagg first within the NBA Draft will get to maintain his rookie wage right down to just $13.8 million. When NHL draft picks get to the present, they signal entry-level contracts with a most wage underneath $1,000,000 (size varies from one to 3 years relying on their age). MLB guidelines are a mysterious fog that result in “service time” manipulation to maintain gamers from reaching free company too shortly.
With little negotiation energy, it is no shock some NFL draft picks, like Caleb Williams last year, do not have an agent (this could smash the Cush plotline in Jerry Maguire). For the reason that common NFL profession is between three and 4 seasons, many gamers by no means get to barter for his or her price in a contract.
The system works out nicely for the league’s house owners, who get to maintain a below-market ceiling on a big portion of their participant contracts. It really works nicely for veteran gamers, who get to absorb a much bigger portion of the salary-capped pie. It does not work out for younger draft picks—and it is a shock extra of them do not communicate out about it.
Who’s Taking Your Cash This Week?
The Washington, D.C., authorities and the Washington Commanders are closing in on a deal for a brand new stadium and an accompanying growth. When the whole venture is estimated to price $3 billion, with $2.5 billion coming from the staff, the deal sounds downright benevolent. The town authorities’s $850 million price appears small compared.
However $850 million continues to be some huge cash—$1,250 per resident, for those who estimate D.C.’s inhabitants at 680,000. The town is filled with die-hard Redskins Commanders followers, however I guess most residents would slightly see their $1,250 share spent on one thing else. (Frankly, being pressured by authorities to pay that a lot for a stadium and never even getting a free ticket out of it’s offensive.)
Even when the Commanders come to an settlement with Mayor Muriel Bowser, different political challenges lie forward. “It is unclear how DC has the cash to do that,” as stadium financing knowledgeable J.C. Bradbury posted. The town already has $515 million dedicated to Capital One Enviornment. Congress additionally has to approve town’s funds and may balk on the spending. Amazingly, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is likely one of the few native politicians within the nation who has the suitable line on taxpayer {dollars} and sports activities: “I’ve mentioned many instances that I help a stadium and welcome the return of our soccer staff, however with out the funding of public {dollars},” he told NBC News4. (However he nonetheless voted to “make investments” public dollars in Capital One Enviornment.)
The staff’s present stadium, Northwest Stadium (previously FedExField, and sure, it apparently was all one word) is in terrible physical condition and was horribly managed by former staff proprietor Dan Snyder. Maybe upgrades by the brand new possession group have modified issues since my final recreation, however the sorry state of affairs does not imply the D.C. authorities ought to subsidize a brand new stadium—sports activities are simply leisure, not an business that ought to or should be supported by authorities spending.
Boo Commanders. Boo proprietor Josh Harris. Boo Washington, D.C., authorities.
A File for Humanity
I get combined emotions about plenty of record-breaking achievements in sports activities, however new information in operating at all times carry a smile to my face. They really feel like achievements for all humanity, not simply the person.
When information fall in different sports activities, we get arguments about totally different enjoying eras, offensive kinds, and high quality of opponents. Operating information are extra about beating the clock than beating your opponent—and records are falling more and more often. They present how a lot humanity has discovered about well being, vitamin, physics, and athletics, every lesson constructing on high of one other. Even technological improvements in running shoes have performed a component.
With that in thoughts, congratulations to Sharon Lokedi for crushing the Boston Marathon’s course report for ladies by more than two minutes. She spent hours studying and coaching and all of it got here collectively within the race—I, personally, had nothing to do with it, nor did most individuals. However she could not have achieved it with out all the teachings we have realized about the right way to run 26.2 miles quicker and quicker with out dying. It is a small instance of one other barrier that humanity can break down when folks have the drive, assets, and freedom to pursue their goals.
By no means Lose Once more
I get it. It is playoff time, however your NHL staff is dusting off their golf golf equipment as an alternative of sharpening their skates. You want you needed to look at however placing the playoffs on makes you sigh.
Fortunately, Shoresy is right here that can assist you. It is the best TV show about hockey you’ll ever see. It is what Brockmire was for baseball besides the fourth season does not suck and it is nonetheless going sturdy. It is Letterkenny however with a plot. Anybody who’s ever felt a sports-induced emotion will adore it. You will giggle, you may cry, you may begin quoting it every single day, you may see the best TV romance you’ve seen in years.
Simply do not let any children watch it, or they will begin telling you to offer your balls a tug.
Replay of the Week
Sean Casey‘s not the one one to get thrown out at first base from left area anymore.
This may go within the books as a groundout to left area pic.twitter.com/1HGbZUEaIT
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 17, 2025
That is all for this week. Get pleasure from watching the actual recreation of the weekend, Arsenal in opposition to Olympique Lyonnais within the Women’s Champions League.
