I really dislike the draft system in US sports. Seems like an unamerican system that protections incompetency from owners
It doesn’t have to be incompetency. If you’re a small market team or a team in a less desirable city, you’ve got little to no chance of locking down free agents so the only way you can really build is through a draft.
If there was no draft in the NBA would a team like the Bucks have a shot in hell of getting a player like Giannis? No fucking way.
And I don’t think it provides cover for bad owners. The O’s drafted high for years and were fucking awful. The Browns drafted high for years and were awful.
The real cover for bad ownership in North American sports is the absence of relegation.
Yeah it benefits the teams and owners not athletes which is the problem. It nuts they have zero say in where they go as professionals. What other industry do you see that?
We don’t know that, but as with other sectors/professions in life the talent pool does have the ability to regulate itself. Not all individuals want the same thing or experience, Big market teams can’t collect all the stars or emerging talents due to salary caps and roster space constraints .
I’m in favour of free agency once someone declares for the pros, the onus should be a team, coaching staff, owner to make a pitch to an athlete on his role with the team and offering an appropriate contract to obtain his talent. That’s a more equitable system that properly rewards athletes who have the most risk, kills orgs tanking for picks if you’re actually force to improve and should create a better product on the pitch/floor.
Draft is just a way for owners/management to obtain elite prospects and arbitrarily control their rights whilst paying them nothing on rookie contracts, for left leaning guy I wouldn’t think you’d defend that knowing these kids get fucked over in college whilst schools collect millions in TV revenue. (That’s not a shot btw)
Oh I think the college set up is absolutely wage theft. There’s no two ways about that.
As far as “defending” the draft system? It is what it is. The players have a union and this is what they bargained for. The draft system does lock you into a certain amount of time with a club you didn’t choose, trades can also force you to go to a city you don’t want to live in, but that’s why the players have unions. That’s why I think you’ve seen the NBA owners up in arms about players like LeBron or KD picking and choosing their destinations because it wrestles that power dynamic away from management and puts it with labor.
North American sports have a history of trying to control labor at all costs. Look how long it took baseball to get free agency. MLS still barely has it.
But unlike football where there’s an acceptance that some teams will really never grow beyond a certain level, there’s a baked in myth in North American sports that every team has a fair shot at winning. It’s very socialist for leagues that are controlled by uber-capitalists. I’m not saying it’s the reality because famously, the Moneyball teams in Oakland didn’t win shit and they were doing more or less what you’re suggesting by innovating and making pitches to players.
I do think the NBA lottery system is an attempt to not reward tanking. The team with the worst record isn’t guaranteed the first pick, just a greater amount of chances to win the first pick. It’s not perfect but it’s certainly better than the alternative when you can have teams running out a D league lineup in a race to the bottom. But again, that’s where the lack of relegation really benefits the owners. Imagine a scenario where there was a draft and relegation but finishing in the relegation places barred a team from winning the first pick.
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Tim Lewis has a new title per Twitter.
You can’t compare baseball in terms of “every team has a shot” to Football, for example.
Sports that have an actual salary cap do a pretty good job of achieving this goal. Kansas City, as a tiny market in comparison can win… as can Green Bay, or Seattle, etc. The disparity in baseball is absurd and frankly is much more akin to the European style. The other big difference is in leagues where teams can negotiate (and reap the benefits of) their own TV deals (this happens to some degree in US baseball) - in Spain it is one reason the disparity is massively exacerbated between Real/Barca and the rest.
In England at least there is some sharing of TV revenue based on league position or something.
Anyway, i would argue that US Football actually achieves this parity objective pretty well. NBA struggles moreso b/c one player has so much influence on the quality of team and there is more cache to certain markets. Hockey is better but too.
Draft is interesting (and frankly is a marketing bonanza on NFL), but I think the salary cap is a much more relevant and important factor in sports (in baseball time from draft to actual contribution is usually like 3-5 years)… salary cap has the natural effect of “success = have to pay more to keep players” and becomes its own moderating/balancing force. NFL has created a situation where the GMs perhaps are the most important part now b/c they manage the contracts, salary caps, etc. and it is a huge separator now.
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That’s the guy who has a hairstyle like the guy from Ancient Aliens?
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Stan Kroenke’s Net Worth Soars by $2 Billion Following Arsenal’s Stellar Season
Stan Kroenke, majority shareholder of Arsenal since 2011, has seen a $2 billion increase in his net worth, now standing at $14.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Arsenal’s return to the Champions League and their second-place finish in the Premier League, earning significant prize money, have likely contributed to Kroenke’s increased wealth. His other sports franchises, including a Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets reaching the NBA Finals, have also boosted his fortunes.
With Arsenal’s upward trajectory and a crucial summer transfer window ahead following their impressive 2022/23 season, it’s expected that Kroenke’s net worth will continue to rise.
The reasonable reaction: “his investment in the team has paid off”
Average Arsenal fan reaction: “wooooooooaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr it’s high time he put some of that money back into the club, wooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr he needs to sign at least ten starting quality players, woooooaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr I’ve got so much fahkin mentaliteeeeeeee”
This really is the golden age for Kroenke sports franchises - Super Bowl two years ago, Stanley Cup last year, very likely Nuggets win the NBA Championship, and Arsenal with their best league season in nearly 20 years and looking strong going forward.
Hopefully they are committed to doing everything possible to get Arsenal to join the group of teams actually winning big titles.
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I think most Arsenal fans accept that Kroenke has not only loosened the purse strings and helped us with refinancing our debt in recent years but has provided with Arteta with adequate backing.
I can’t remember the last time I even heard angone say anything negative about Kroenke and family
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Yes. The issue previously was spending money poorly or perhaps, backing Wenger too long (which is understandable from Stan’s point of view if you are familiar at all with what he has done with coaches/managers in the past), but money was being spent. Investment hasn’t been the problem.
Thankfully, they’ve hit on the right manager/DOF combo to entrust and they are spending the money very well over the past few seasons. Let’s hope that continues this summer.
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It was more a comment on Arsenal fans as a collective having become more entitled than usual after this season.
I do sense some scepticism from people still. I was there before, I thought there was gonna be a “catch”, especially after we stabled the ship again.
It’s hard to say that now though. They were ready to back Arteta the past 2 windows, they’re showing willingness retaining top talent, they’ve supported Arteta and co. reconnecting the club and fans.
I think this summer will be crucial to put the lack of investment criticism to bed. I’m expecting another summer of big backing, probably the biggest one yet.
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Think the bottom line is with most fans not named Manchester City, the board is never truly trusted.
Soon as one deal on a player doesn’t get done the accusations are always ready to spew.
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Norwich scarves at the ready 
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Remember when we were funding the ranch. 
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Nahh don’t do this shit again KSE. Either compete for honors or sell up.
We don’t need the same selling of top talent and replacing with mediocre jobronis. We did that already.
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I mean, business expects to make profit isn’t really a shocking or terrible perspective.