NFL (American Football)

[InterFCAustin]

Teddy Bridgawater, the Vikings QB apparently went down at practice this morning. It was a non contact injury. Apparently he just fell on the ground,while dropping for a pass drill. I hope he's good and nothing serious with his health. Prayers for him. He was really coming along and the Vikings had high hopes for the new season. Such a bad luck!

 

[Kakaroto]

Fuck apparently he tore his ACL. Always like him and thought he'd have a great year after they added some weapons around him. Hopefully he comes back strong.

 

[dynasty27]

 

[TheNetworkZ]

Beyond insane, that's formula one drivers level of pay and even then only the top ones. How much do American footballers get paid because I know they're rolling in it as well

Too much given how long their season is in comparison to their off-season. But American football is everything a professional sport shouldn't be...so it's more fair to compare to NBA players who I believe still don't make that kind of money unless it's a combined total of their player earnings and sponsorships.

Forbes probably has a list on this tbh.

 

[thatdude]

Beyond insane, that's formula one drivers level of pay and even then only the top ones. How much do American footballers get paid because I know they're rolling in it as well

American Football players are probably the most underpaid athletes in relation to how much they put their body through if you're comparing them with other sports like Baseball for example. Some of the more physical positions in the league (running back especially) most players only last 3-5 years. Not to mention some of the guys who do stay in the league for an extended period of time come out of it with no short term memory due to the amount of hits in the head they take.

I honestly didn't know Formula One drivers made so much. I guess they are also putting their lives on the line. I just didn't know there was enough fanfare to garner that type of income. I imagine it's also a very small segment of society that is able to even have the opportunity to become one.

Either way I think footballers (the non american type) have it pretty good. They can last 10-15 years, make a shit ton of money, and still be able to live a healthy life afterwards.

 

[Ronaldo]

I don't think it has much to do with 'putting your life on the line'. IMO, formula one drivers make this much money because it's a sport for the elite.

Same as golf. How much does Tigerwoods put his life on the line?

 

[thatdude]

I don't think it has much to do with 'putting your life on the line'. IMO, formula one drivers make this much money because it's a sport for the elite.

Same as golf. How much does Tigerwoods put his life on the line?

Yeah I'm not saying it has anything to do with how much money they earn. I was more thinking about how much they "deserve" it in relation to other sports. At the end of the day though, life is not fair and you get what you get. NFL players earn less because the owners of the sport got together very early and came up with creative things like salary cap and no guarantee contracts.

 

[TheNetworkZ]

American Football players are probably the most underpaid athletes in relation to how much they put their body through if you're comparing them with other sports like Baseball for example. Some of the more physical positions in the league (running back especially) most players only last 3-5 years. Not to mention some of the guys who do stay in the league for an extended period of time come out of it with no short term memory due to the amount of hits in the head they take.

What is rugby?

Also those players who leave early have the benefit of being able to do so, given how much they are paid, arguably overpaid. And the mental/physical issues they have later on when they leave the game are thanks to the previous lack of concussion awareness, which is thankfully getting better in every sport. Most of it is because american football players don't know how to tackle at all, it is legit cringe to watch being a rugby player. There is a reason why rugby players and organizations host tackling clinics for football players now and are becoming a popular thing. In 10+ years NFL players will be lasting much longer and hopefully live better post-season lives.

Hockey and rugby are a lot tougher than american football yet both player bases last much longer in the professional and amateur sides of the game and it's due to how the players and coaches are taught how to handle the physicality of the sports, something I think football truly lacks. Too much focus on the commercial side of things and not enough on player wellness...

The NFL has been paying the price the past few years of not taking care of their players when they are there or when they leave.

 

[thatdude]

What is rugby?

Also those players who leave early have the benefit of being able to do so, given how much they are paid, arguably overpaid. And the mental/physical issues they have later on when they leave the game are thanks to the previous lack of concussion awareness, which is thankfully getting better in every sport. Most of it is because american football players don't know how to tackle at all, it is legit cringe to watch being a rugby player. There is a reason why rugby players and organizations host tackling clinics for football players now and are becoming a popular thing. In 10+ years NFL players will be lasting much longer and hopefully live better post-season lives.

Hockey and rugby are a lot tougher than american football yet both player bases last much longer in the professional and amateur sides of the game and it's due to how the players and coaches are taught how to handle the physicality of the sports, something I think football truly lacks. Too much focus on the commercial side of things and not enough on player wellness...

The NFL has been paying the price the past few years of not taking care of their players when they are there or when they leave.

I still think you're overestimating how much the average player in the NFL gets paid. You should check out this article: http://www.businessinsider.com/charts-expose-how-badly-nfl-players-get-paid-2013-9

I'm not saying they get paid less than Rugby players, but most players who are in the league for only a few years have to get jobs when they're finished. They also typically aren't given the choice of leaving, the level of competition just to get into the league is pretty insane. A lot of these guys really just end up getting the league minimum or are in and out of the league a couple weeks at a time as teams fill roster spots due to injury. If you're in that camp you are lucky to earn your $450,000, which is the league minimum for a full season.

As for players not knowing how to tackle, I don't think it's a form issue as much as it is an equipment issue. NFL players fly headfirst into each other without wrapping up because they have helmets and heavy padding on. If you striped them down to the level of a Rugby player they wouldn't be able to do the same things because they would no longer be protected. Trust me they would adjust rather quickly. I've watched Rugby and while there is tackling there are not as many "big hits" in an NFL sense and that's because if you attempted the type of stuff you can do with padding and a helmet you would almost surely be in the hospital.

As for longevity, I don't know much about Rugby, but I know that Hockey is not comparable. Here is the reason why, the talent pool with Hockey is just so much smaller. Especially in the U.S. Hockey is basically considered an elite sport here because of the high cost of equipment and ice time it takes to actually play competitively. Compare that with Football where there is a system in place that basically allows for poor kids from the inner cities to make it to a professional level. High School football is free, College is free if you're good enough, and then boom you're in the NFL. If you're anything below middle class in the United States odds are you might not even learn how to skate, very few of my friends for example do. They can all catch and throw a Football though.

 

[Shaun]

What is rugby?

Also those players who leave early have the benefit of being able to do so, given how much they are paid, arguably overpaid. And the mental/physical issues they have later on when they leave the game are thanks to the previous lack of concussion awareness, which is thankfully getting better in every sport. Most of it is because american football players don't know how to tackle at all, it is legit cringe to watch being a rugby player. There is a reason why rugby players and organizations host tackling clinics for football players now and are becoming a popular thing. In 10+ years NFL players will be lasting much longer and hopefully live better post-season lives.

Hockey and rugby are a lot tougher than american football yet both player bases last much longer in the professional and amateur sides of the game and it's due to how the players and coaches are taught how to handle the physicality of the sports, something I think football truly lacks. Too much focus on the commercial side of things and not enough on player wellness...

The NFL has been paying the price the past few years of not taking care of their players when they are there or when they leave.

I don't think hockey or rugby is tougher than American football. Well maybe hockey is, but I know people that have played both rugby and American Football who have told me otherwise.

The concussion stats in the NFL are far higher than they are in rugby (partly because like you said American football players don't know how to tackle). American football is a very tough sport. I know a lot of kiwis who think because they wear pads it somehow diminishes the physicality or the hits. The fact is that American Football is incredibly stop-start and explosive. They also tend to go head first into a lot of tackles which fucks players up.

I'm not saying rugby players don't put their body on the line in an extreme way as well (especially props who put their necks in extreme danger during scrums), but this continual ignorance about the insane physical battering NFL players take from rugby (and league) fans is really stupid. I also think comparing the sports doesn't really work because there is no way a 300 pound defensive lineman would last an entire game of rugby. Likewise many rugby players wouldnt be able to cut it in the more explosive American Football.

As for the money that various sports people get. I think a lot depends on the numbers of the teams. NFL squads are massive hence their pay not being as high as basketballers for example. Formula One drivers on the other hand tend to get a lot of money due to it being a mostly a solo sport (obviously they have big teams around them, but not the same)

 

[ADRossi]

Let's be honest, NFL players are superior athletes. They're faster than the average rugby player, and the collisions that take place are at a higher impact, with more violence because of the fact they wear pads. The NFL is by far the most profitable sport in America, yet their players arguably have the worst compensation package, especially when you consider the increased physicality of football over baseball or basketball.

NFL players are the only among the major four sports in North America that does not have guaranteed contracts. That's the result of the NFLPA constantly being bent over by owners in labour contract negotiations. Honestly, THAT is the real issue in all of this. The NFL will inherently have smaller contracts than say, the NBA, because the NBA has 40 less players on each team's roster.

 

[qb4ever_2k]

Besides the ability to drive, F1 drivers need to have physical capability and mechanical knowledge that approaches NASA's requirements for their astronauts so their wages are probably justified.

 

[Shaun]

Let's also be honest. The NFL has a far more lax attitude to PEDs than rugby too. You can get away with doping in any sport, but in the NFL you can get away with whatever the fuck you want, and if they do get caught they hardly get a suspension.

As for athletes I would say the NFL does have better athletes, but they're probably also less skilled. Not everyone in a American Football team is going to handle the ball for example.

 

[Shaun]

Besides the ability to drive, F1 drivers need to have physical capability and mechanical knowledge that approaches NASA's requirements for their astronauts so their wages are probably justified.

Some do have this knowledge, but F1 has had a lot of dummies for drivers too.

 

[junkie]

I don't think it has much to do with 'putting your life on the line'. IMO, formula one drivers make this much money because it's a sport for the elite.

Same as golf. How much does Tigerwoods put his life on the line?

How the fuck not, you try to fuck all those bitchez and stay alive

 

[TheNetworkZ]

I don't think hockey or rugby is tougher than American football. Well maybe hockey is, but I know people that have played both rugby and American Football who have told me otherwise.

The concussion stats in the NFL are far higher than they are in rugby (partly because like you said American football players don't know how to tackle). American football is a very tough sport. I know a lot of kiwis who think because they wear pads it somehow diminishes the physicality or the hits. The fact is that American Football is incredibly stop-start and explosive. They also tend to go head first into a lot of tackles which fucks players up.

I'm not saying rugby players don't put their body on the line in an extreme way as well (especially props who put their necks in extreme danger during scrums), but this continual ignorance about the insane physical battering NFL players take from rugby (and league) fans is really stupid. I also think comparing the sports doesn't really work because there is no way a 300 pound defensive lineman would last an entire game of rugby. Likewise many rugby players wouldnt be able to cut it in the more explosive American Football.

As for the money that various sports people get. I think a lot depends on the numbers of the teams. NFL squads are massive hence their pay not being as high as basketballers for example. Formula One drivers on the other hand tend to get a lot of money due to it being a mostly a solo sport (obviously they have big teams around them, but not the same)

So it's a tougher sport because the players can't tackle properly? You're just adding to my point tbh.

I'm not claiming american football isn't tough, however I think rugby and hockey are just a lot tougher to play. Also you're underrating how good rugby players are, and how explosive the athletes have to be. Being able to explode off the line on defense as well as adjusting positions on the fly is incredible tough. Rugby players imo, especially the forwards, are more skilled and well-rounded athletes than most NFL players. Mind you, not all NFL players are brought up to be such, but still. It's just two very different worlds.

I'm not trying to take anything away from grid iron football, but I think it's overrated in a lot of aspects. I'm also not a fan of how it's commercialized, but that's a different topic.

 

[Pimpin]

you guys sound like my mother, if we were to pay things based on how much they are detrimental to health, gattuso would make 10 times of what messi does. Rugby players make less because not many people watch them. As for the NBA/NFL comparison, NBA has 15 players per team, whereas NFL has 53 players, who only play 16 games on a 17 weeks season. Add to this that approx defense plays half of the game, and Offense the other half, it snot out of this world how much NBA players are making.

there's always a reason why someone is making whatever he is making.

 

[Shaun]

So it's a tougher sport because the players can't tackle properly? You're just adding to my point tbh.

I'm not claiming american football isn't tough, however I think rugby and hockey are just a lot tougher to play. Also you're underrating how good rugby players are, and how explosive the athletes have to be. Being able to explode off the line on defense as well as adjusting positions on the fly is incredible tough. Rugby players imo, especially the forwards, are more skilled and well-rounded athletes than most NFL players. Mind you, not all NFL players are brought up to be such, but still. It's just two very different worlds.

I'm not trying to take anything away from grid iron football, but I think it's overrated in a lot of aspects. I'm also not a fan of how it's commercialized, but that's a different topic.

I think it's tougher (on the brain) due to the more explosive and impactful nature of the sport. It's going to be that way due to the stop-star nature. I think rugby or league would definitely be tougher on joints and muscles due to the more repetitive nature, longer seasons, and smaller sides.

 

[TheNetworkZ]

you guys sound like my mother, if we were to pay things based on how much they are detrimental to health, gattuso would make 10 times of what messi does. Rugby players make less because not many people watch them. As for the NBA/NFL comparison, NBA has 15 players per team, whereas NFL has 53 players, who only play 16 games on a 17 weeks season. Add to this that approx defense plays half of the game, and Offense the other half, it snot out of this world how much NBA players are making.

there's always a reason why someone is making whatever he is making.

The original argument was comparing money to what the athlete has to go through, I know rugby players make much less because the professional game is still growing.

I think it's tougher (on the brain) due to the more explosive and impactful nature of the sport. It's going to be that way due to the stop-star nature. I think rugby or league would definitely be tougher on joints and muscles due to the more repetitive nature, longer seasons, and smaller sides.

Luckily rugby has probably some of the best conditioning in global sports. This is why we see so many players, particularly in the tight 5, play into their 40's. It would be great if other sports had this treatment as well. I think the over commercialization of some sports really hurts player welfare, particularly in the NFL.

 

[crzdcolombian]

I like the Giants and my company usually gives me tickets to go to the games. Last few I went to they got wrecked. They are either awesome or Eli goes full retard.

I hate the Packards and Aaron Rogers. He smashes Psylocke!!! So I hope one of the Giants Injure him.