Baseball strike......

[HeavyStick]

players blame owners.... owners blame players.....fans blame greed on both sides.

The game is "watered down" Bud Selig is the key element and some people want to turn him into a hero if he prevents a stoppage.

Now "A-rod" Mr. I'm gonna hold out for 1/4 of a BILLION dollars, has been quoted as to saying

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez offered to slash his record-setting salary if it would help baseball, a novel approach to solving the sport's problems as it moved within a week of another strike.

"I would take a cut in pay -- 30 to 40 percent -- if it would make the game better,'' the Texas shortstop said Friday at Yankee Stadium before adding: "It's not a very realistic proposition.''

Rodriguez's $252 million, 10-year contract is the richest in sports, and many owners have pointed to it as a sign of baseball's imbalance between rich and poor.

A-rod the Asshole?

eidited to add link

http://msn.espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/0823/1421973.html

 

[islandman]

He's not an asshole. He's just an idiot, as his quote indicates.



Here's the problem:

1) average ball-player makes $100,000 A WEEK

2) Ticket prices keep going UP!

3) Team owners hold municipalities hostage by demanding new luxury box seat-ladened stadiums be built AT THE CITY'S EXPENSE

4) Luxury box revenues flow directly to owners

5) Baseball is headed by a horse's ass (bud selig) and the man without a brain (donald fehr).

6) WE'RE IN A FREAKIN RECESSION!



my two cents

 

[70/30]

Does anyone know the specifics about California taxing the pay checks of visiting players? AROD is in the AL WEST with Oakland and Anaheim, I've heard he loses a fair amount off the top from those state taxes. Then the feds get him, then sales tax, gasoline, tobacco, and beer tax (j/k). So $22million for this season quickly turns into less than $10million. There probably should be some sort of luxury tax maybe at $90million, the players are already given high consideration with guaranteed contracts being the norm. The NFL owners have much more control than the MLB owners possess. I happen to think the new NBA system works well enough and it is getting better, guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas are less and less likely to have maxed out contracts. Maybe grandfathering the current guys and setting the max per season at $16million with gradual increases.

 

[HighSchoolJock]

Does anyone know the specifics about California taxing the pay checks of visiting players? AROD is in the AL WEST with Oakland and Anaheim, I've heard he loses a fair amount off the top from those state taxes. Then the feds get him, then sales tax, gasoline, tobacco, and beer tax (j/k). So $22million for this season quickly turns into less than $10million. There probably should be some sort of luxury tax maybe at $90million, the players are already given high consideration with guaranteed contracts being the norm. The NFL owners have much more control than the MLB owners possess. I happen to think the new NBA system works well enough and it is getting better, guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas are less and less likely to have maxed out contracts. Maybe grandfathering the current guys and setting the max per season at $16million with gradual increases.

how can a-rod be taxed in california unless he lives/works there you cant get taxed just because you play somewhere otherwise all states would do that

 

[HeavyStick]

he can get taxed in every state he plays in.... cause that is where he's making money for that game. some players get seasonal contracts (rare) regardless of games played. Owners smartened up and pay most by game.

 

[JazzManJim]

Let them strike.

Let them strike for a whole decade.

I could care less at this point. I'm done with major league baseball. My only sadness at this point is that I"ll lose the joy of seeing my local minor league team play. I'd actuallyh come to enjoy those summer evenigns out watching guys work their asses off to play a game they love.

 

[Scruffy]

players blame owners.... owners blame players.....fans blame greed on both sides.

The game is "watered down" Bud Selig is the key element and some people want to turn him into a hero if he prevents a stoppage.

Now "A-rod" Mr. I'm gonna hold out for 1/4 of a BILLION dollars, has been quoted as to saying



A-rod the Asshole?

eidited to add link

http://msn.espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/0823/1421973.html

Don't know much about sports do you? A-rod didn't hold out at all. He was offered that money.

 

[HeavyStick]

hold out bad word.... delayed in signing

 

[70/30]

Waited for the best deal possible.

 

[HighSchoolJock]

he can get taxed in every state he plays in.... cause that is where he's making money for that game. some players get seasonal contracts (rare) regardless of games played. Owners smartened up and pay most by game.

so when he plays in toronto he has to pay canadian taxes? or if he plays an exhibition game in mexico he pays mexican taxes the oly one making money off this arrangement is his accountant

so how come so many athletes live in florida where there is no state tax ala ken griffey jr

 

[HeavyStick]

several states don't have income tax....

as far as international games....ask a CPA

 

[70/30]

From www.taxfoundation.org a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has monitored fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937.


Employees of Professional Sports Franchises Paying Income Taxes in Up to 20 States as State Governments Compete for Funds with "Jock Taxes"

Washington, DC, July 3, 2002—A report to be published by the Tax Foundation on July 8 about the "jock tax" reveals how state governments are extending their income taxes to more and more nonresidents who just work for a few days in their states.

The report is released to coincide with Major League Baseball's All-Star Game in Milwaukee, where every player, coach, trainer or announcer will be racking up taxes due to Wisconsin, one of 20 states that have extended their income taxes to visiting professionals athletes – and almost everyone who travels with them.

"The jock tax began with California trying to get back at Michael Jordan for beating the Lakers in 1991," commented David Hoffman, Tax Foundation Economist and author of the new report, "but a decade later, it's getting out of hands. Thousands of people are forced to file income tax returns in more than a dozen states, and many of them aren't athletes or earning a lot of money."

The report gives examples of how much money professional athletes are paying in extra taxes to states where they travel to play games. The athletes who pay the most are those who make their homes in states that have no state income tax or a low rate. Alex Rodriguez, whose home state of Texas has no state income tax, will be paying almost $ 9,000 in jock taxes to Wisconsin for the privilege of playing a few innings in baseball's annual exhibition.

Hoffman points out three major reasons the jock tax is ill-conceived:

The tax is poorly targeted. Advertised as one that hits only ultra-rich athletes, the jock tax has quickly spread to many people with moderate incomes, such as trainers and scouts.

The tax is arbitrary. Professionals in other occupations with comparable incomes over their working lives, such as doctors and corporate executives, are not penalized by a "doc tax" or "exec tax."

The tax imposes an unrealistic administrative burden on people who have to file more than a dozen state income tax returns.

 

[brisbon]

I remember when it was about the sport, now it's about money.
I gave up on it a few years ago, could care less if they strike or not.

 

[70/30]

With the high tax rates about half the money goes back to the people (lol, government) anyway. To be a worldclass athlete people punish their bodies and invest countless hours for up to 30years to make good money. Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Will Smith, Harrison Ford, Mike Myers, Bruce Willis, and the other Hollywood A LIST making 20-25million plus merchandising and points, those are the guys you need to complain about. Boycott the movies, please I beg you to-horrible products and I'm not into the family value/censorship thing-they are not explicit/mindbending/truth telling enough.

 

[Purple Haze]

Baseball players don't "punish" their bodies, it's a boy's game.

Pay a hundred bucks to take the family to a ballgame? Ain't gonna happen.

What a bunch of spoiled crybabies, they can go fishing for all I care.

 

[Lasher]

Employees of Professional Sports Franchises Paying Income Taxes in Up to 20 States as State Governments Compete for Funds with "Jock Taxes"

It's not just states that do it. The City of Pittsburgh taxes the income of professional football and baseball players earned while playing games in the city. This was part of the financing detail that was put in place to pay for the two new stadiums recently built here. A similar tax is to be included in the recently released financing plan for the building of a new arena to host Penguin's hockey games.

As far as the strike's concerned I say bring the fucking thing on. The only way things are going to return to reality is with the bankruptcy of several teams finally bringing to light just how messed up the system is.

Think about this one for a second. The salary cap in the NFL is based on players receiving a minimum of something like 53% or a max of about 64% of team revenue in salary. Can ANYONE who's ever run a business think of a situation in which you could have that high of a percentage of revenue going to employee compensation and actually be successful?? In situations I've been in which I've been responsible for maintaining a payroll I've always had to keep that number around 8%. Obviously the margins are different in pro sports... But does anyone understand the significance of this? It's just mind boggling.

MLB will continue to be a joke until it learns the lessons of the NBA and NFL and puts them to good use.

 

[70/30]

Baseball players don't "punish" their bodies, it's a boy's game.

Pay a hundred bucks to take the family to a ballgame? Ain't gonna happen.

What a bunch of spoiled crybabies, they can go fishing for all I care.

Throwing a baseball 90-100mph isn't punishment, it is completely natural. 162games(plus spring training and postseason) in the summer heat, completely natural. My team has a stadium in its 3rd season without a bad seat in the house, you can get a ticket as inexpensive as $5 and they are an entertaining team to watch. Don't buy beer, food, or visit the giftshop because they are complete ripoffs. A fiscally conservative person that says "why do hotdogs cost 5.50" well don't freaking buy one. If you can't afford to go to a game-stay home and/or watch it on TV. I too say let them have a strike if that is what it takes to iron things out but don't become an antiFAN because they are trying to find a reasonable agreement.

Lasher, luckily Redwave doesn't seem interested in baseball or we'd hear the long speech to the proletariat because 8% payroll is rather sparse. The owners as a group bring it on themselves, the players make what the market allows. Trying to get the revenue closer to 50-50 is something to look at but you can't just say "poof" 50-50. There are coaching staffs, minor league systems, scouts, administration, travel considerations, etc that come off the top. Owners need to be more cost efficient in many areas to prevent bankruptcy, payroll is one of them-so let them strike just don't be bitter about it.

 

[HeavyStick]

Why did you say the "R" word.....? fuck.....

 

[Lasher]

Lasher, luckily Redwave doesn't seem interested in baseball or we'd hear the long speech to the proletariat because 8% payroll is rather sparse.

Actually 8% was rather generous for the business I was in at that time. The owners of that particular shop were much happier when I was able to keep it down around 6.5%.

Again, I don't know the specifics as far as budgeting MLB. But I think it's quite obvious that before you determine what the max percentage of revenue is to delegate to payroll you figure out what your other expenses are. That's a no brainer. I was indicating that MLB should take the exact figures that the NFL uses to determine it's cap and just institute it *poof*.

But the one thing that has been proven by both the NFL and the NBA is that a salary cap does work and does make competitive balance possible between large and small market teams. Just ask sports fans in Sacremento and Green Bay how exciting the last few years would've been if they're teams had to rely only on locally generated revenues to compete against team in New York or Chicago or Los Angeles.

The biggest mistake that many MLB owners are making is in thinking that their team is their only business concern, and that's just false. Their second mistake has been their unwillingness to allow any Commissioner actual control over the sport. The NFL is what it is today because of Pete Rozelle. MLB just drifts because it's only strong leader is Donald Fehr, lol.

 

[Jim_Henson]

MLB will continue to be a joke until it learns the lessons of the NBA and NFL and puts them to good use.

Damnit, dont make sense and scare us lash.

Anyone would think its the American way to strike... I mean all of em have done it, the major sporting codes all have done it.

Do you see another missed world series because of the dual arrogance of players and owners? Do you think that this one is the one that drives EVERYONE finally away from the game so called 'Americas pastime'?

Somethings broke, something needs to be fixed, and there is noone going to fix it it seems.

 

[SINthysist]

It's evolutionary.

The dinosaurs have to go.

I'm watching pre-season and thank Gawd college football started last night!

 

[Orwell84]

This is probably a rant that is broader than the thread topic, but here goes. I am sick and tired of the rich athletes bitching about everything. Many of these athletes are dumber than a rock, and would be nowhere except that God has blessed them with physical tools.

Whatever happened to the day when sporting events were activities that a family could afford to attend and enjoy. Most professional sporting events are now so expensive that families can't afford to attend. In fact, sporting events in general are now frequented not by sprots fans, or event fans of the teams participating. They are now more like corporate events attended by people in business attire talking on cell phones and not even watching or caring about the event. WHAT UP WITH THAT???

OK, I feel much better now.

 

[70/30]

Actually 8% was rather generous for the business I was in at that time. The owners of that particular shop were much happier when I was able to keep it down around 6.5%.

I think you broke the management code with that statement but I agree with the rest of the post. There are about 800 roster slots for MLB. Closer to 300 for NBA and over 1200 for NFL. MLB shouldn't offer the same player security as the NBA but nor should it be as unsecured for the players as the NFL. Putting some power into the head office and finding a system in the middle of those models is what the MLB must do. I think the stakes have to be high to get to real negotiations going, if it takes a strike so be it.

I really enjoy following American professional sports leagues-I'm not going to spitefully chunk them. I see my grandmother all the time, she is legally blind, 65% deaf and has advanced diabetes with kidney malfunction-she has zero interests to occupy her (except shopping). If I was in her spot or paralyzed I'd at least have MLB, NBA, and NFL year round to follow. So be serious about your team but don't let it get you mad-they'll be back and the sport will be exciting to follow.

 

[HeavyStick]

This friday decides if they go through with it

 

[Willing and Unsure]

I remember when it was about the sport, now it's about money.
I gave up on it a few years ago, could care less if they strike or not.

same here. if I watch baseball now, it is just the world series and only if the Yankees are playing. I've also found triple A and other leagues more interesting in terms of the game. they always seem to be out there to have fun and win the crowd, not for the money. when that changes, baseball will ahve lost me as a spectator forever