$68 Million Signing Bonus?

[mauchow]

WTF? He wanted a contract worth more than ARods. 268 Million in 6 years.. Isn't that a little farfetched?

[RPI-Fan]

What year is it?

[Neuqua]

What year are you in?

[mauchow]

lol... IT SHOULDN'T matter!! LOL

I'm in 2022 now.

[mauchow]

WHEW!! I signed him. I dropped the price down 100 million and added 2 years...

So I got him for 7 years at 178 Million.. What a bargain. Yay

[Honolulu Blue]

50 years ago, the thought of any professional athlete making $1 million a year was incomprehensible to almost everyone. These days there are hundreds making many times more.

With inflation, deep-pocketed owners, and ever-rising television contracts, all things are possible.

[kcchief19]

Exactly. Just a matter of time. At $25 million per, A-Rod makes more than 12 times the highest salary in major league baseball player in 1984, which by my sources was Dave Winfield at around $2 million per.

At that rate of change, the highest paid baseball player in 2022 would be making $312 million a year. Not saying that will happen, obviously, but I think it puts that salary increases in FOF into perspective -- if the salary cap increases between $2 to $8 million per season, that is what will happen.

If that's too much for your tastes, just make sure to use the salary cap inflation tool to bring it down.

[sterlingice]

Considering baseball is worried about the next tv contract being for *less* than the previous one, I don't think we'll continue to see the money go up as fast.

SI

[Eaglesfan27]

True, but Football's contracts continue to go up each year, and the popularity of football generally appears to continue to grow. Therefore, it is possible that contracts in football will continue to rise.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola, I meant to say that it appears Football's TV contracts continue to grow.

[Logan]

Originally posted by sterlingice
Considering baseball is worried about the next tv contract being for *less* than the previous one, I don't think we'll continue to see the money go up as fast.

SI

I'm pretty sure we've seen the end of the ridiculous contracts in baseball. Vlad can't even get any money!

[OldGiants]

Originally posted by Honolulu Blue
50 years ago, the thought of any professional athlete making $1 million a year was incomprehensible to almost everyone.

50 years ago, no athlete was making $100,000 per season, let alone a million. Can't remember exactly when the first $100,000 major leaguer came along , but it might have been Mantle around 1958.

Ruth topped out at $80,000, an amazing amount at the time. This prompted the question, "Babe, do really think you should be paid more than the President of the United States?"

To which Ruth answereed, "Well, I had a better year than he did."

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by OldGiants
50 years ago, no athlete was making $100,000 per season, let alone a million. Can't remember exactly when the first $100,000 major leaguer came along , but it might have been Mantle around 1958.

Ruth topped out at $80,000, an amazing amount at the time. This prompted the question, "Babe, do really think you should be paid more than the President of the United States?"

To which Ruth answereed, "Well, I had a better year than he did."

I love that quote.

SI

[Alf]

me too

[ZXTT]

The networks are losing tons of money on the NFL (they were in 2001 and I assume the economics have continued). I don't believe they will pay as much on the next contract as they did on the current.

Long term, salaries can rise at the rate of inflation plus population growth, modified by changes in fan interest. Inflation has been low, fan interest has, I believe, been falling slightly. MNF gets lower ratings - I think younger people (I'm 32) are interested more and more in other things. Population growth is good, but a large part of that, again I think, is in demographic groups that aren't part of the traditional fan base.

So, I'd say huge increases in salaries for the future are nonsense, unless the NFL converts Europeans and Asians into fans.