NFL Draft Analysis...

Larry Gude

Strung Out
The short version: The NFL has gotten going with their annual millionaires lottery in which young bucks who think the world of themselves are told by grown men that no, we think much, much, more of you than the world!

The difference between what a high pick, say #1 Eli Manning last year with a $20,000,000 signing BOUNS, and some kid picked in the 2nd round on down is night and day. It's the difference between buying a mansion and a shack.

Are they THAT different, these young men who are forever labeled a #1st round pick or labeled a 'later pick'? How can they be in a team game with 11 guys running all over the place on every play, for each team?

Without fail, the mansions go off to prove that they are not worth anywhere near what is being paid and the the later guys, the fix'er up'ers, go about proving themselves in the suppossed goal; winning football games, making a team better.

Ah yes, but it that the goal, winning? Not if you judge the goal by how players are paid. (Or the coaches).

Eli's brother Peyton has proven himself as a great NFL quarterback, one of the best and was rewarded with a, what, $36,000,000 contract last year. So, that must have paid off in some more wins than before, yes?

Nope. The Colts got no nearer 'the goal' this past season than before and Peyton, like every other guy on the field is still ONE play away from being out for the year and useless to his team who will now soldier on with the back up QB who makes maybe $1 mil a year or so? So they should lose every game then, yes? Based on how the NFL values players?

Ask Jeff Hostetler who backed up Phil Simms and helped beat the Bills in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever. How about the no names St. Joe has won it all with?

Anyway, the goal, THE reason for all of the hype and absurd over payment of otherwise useless young men is about one thing:

The fans wallet BEFORE Superkid ever steps on the field. In short, it is marketing.

The 'excitement' gets us to buy the newest jersey and poster. We buy season tickets. We watch TV telling us how great/awful the new kid may or may not be. Radio. Print. Hell, what has ESPN gotten for their endless coverage of this event in add rates? Less than for Texas Hold 'em?

I don't think so scooter.

My main beef with all of this is I know, now that my team is run by a guy who markets his team by what it may do as oppossed to what it does, (ah, the good old days) guaranttes me yet another year of frustration pulling for my Un-Team.

Un-Team. That's what we've become.
 
Top