I have no respect for pro sports where championships can be bought

[slydevl]

Hockey and Baseball are the worst. Why do the other teams bother playing when the teams with the most money can stack the deck like the Wings and the Yankees. The draft doesnt do enough to even things out.

NBA is not quite as bad but still richer teams can pay the luxury tax.

NFL is the only pro sport worth watching.

 

[mathmajors]

Not that I'm particularly picking on Duke, Sly, but there are many major colleges that can afford to keep or hire the best coaches. The differences being the players, of course.

Baseball needs to be changed in so many basic ways it's almost not fun to keep up with it anymore.

 

[Tiorted Snoil]

that's why I don't root for Alabama anymore.

 

[imking4aday]

Oh, so what the Redskins did a few years ago by loading up their team with high payroll doesn't count cause they didn't win??

 

[slydevl]

Originally posted by imking4aday
Oh, so what the Redskins did a few years ago by loading up their team with high payroll doesn't count cause they didn't win??

The Redskins had to play under the same rules as everyone else. They sacrificed depth for high priced talents and payed the price when the injuries came or people didnt perform.

As for Duke, there are plenty of great coaches that can't be bought by money. Cress at COC and McKillop at Davidson are two that come to mind.

 

[T_Schroll]

There's a difference between the Redwings and the Yankees Sly.
Players going to the Yankees all get mega bucks contracts, those going to the Redwings will often take below market deals just to be there. Hull did it, Robitaille did it, hell even Federov took less money to stay.

 

[Superfluous_Nut]

The 49'ers used to pull all sorts of cap tricks to sign people. That's how they stayed good for so long.

The problem with sports, tho, is that there's so much money in advertising that you don't need to pay the best players in cash, you pay them in exposure and wins. They make the cash from that. Free Agents stars understand this and use it.

The NFL is less affected by this because of the size of the team, the specialized nature of each position, and the helmet (which keeps players somewhat annonymous on the field).

The NBA is a poster child for it. The star players are on a stage with only 11 other players. They are allowed to act our and express themselves in all sorts of ways. They talk, they make faces. Their personality comes through. They create a personna that can then be marketed to sell all sorts of stuff. Then, it's all about market size and wins.

 

[Turbo]

Even though I don't like the Red Wings, I have to disagree here. The Wings weren't "bought". They signed 3 players this offseason. The rest were either drafted of traded for in earlier years.

 

[mramailman]

Originally posted by Turbo
Even though I don't like the Red Wings, I have to disagree here. The Wings weren't "bought". They signed 3 players this offseason. The rest were either drafted of traded for in earlier years.

I was getting ready to say that..... good point. The Red Wings could have won it all last year IF they Hasek or an equivalent.

They have needed a dominant goalie since they last won the Cup.