salary cap penalties on skins and cowgirls

[Ken Gargett]

rob and i have been debating the pernicious penalties imposed of the skins and the cowboys (though that latter lot might just be the laws of karma).

in reality, i suspect neither of us knows as much about it as we should or as we claim.

it has come up because of various reports in the press that the skins might seek justice and look to an injunction for free agency to sort it out.

we'd be interested in hearing both sides, the background, etc etc, from anyone who knows more than we do (or anyone who supports the skins).

[Livo]

Not sure how much you already know so not sure how much info I'm adding.

Everyone knew if the CBA was allowed to expire the 2010 season would be played without a salary cap. We also knew that if it got that far the skins would hopefully take advantage and restructure contracts heavily into the 2010 season in order to basically dump all of the terrible contracts they had (Haynesworth and the like). Snyder has plenty of money to pay out so no issue for him to pay a bunch of the contracts off at once. Then we would be in a much better position in regards to the cap going forward. The CBA expired and the skins did exactly this. It was not against the rules. In fact, the new contracts (the restructured ones) were approved by the league as contracts must be.

The problem is the league at some point made an agreement behind closed doors to have a gentleman's agreement cap, if you will. This is obviously collusion. The problem is when the new CBA was being negotiated at the time the union, as part of the new CBA, agreed not to bring any collusion suits against the league. Further, when the league announced the penalties the union agreed to them because the dollars that were removed from the skins and cowboys caps were spread around increasing the salary caps of the rest of the teams in the league (except for the Raiders and another team that I can't remember at the moment because they were found to have violated the gentlemen's agreement, but not enough to be penalized) so the total dollars cap of the league was not reduced (i.e., the same total amount of money was available to be paid to players league-wide).

The league claimed the skins had an unfair competitive advantage, but the rules were the same for everyone. The skins choose to take advantage, other teams didn't - that's not unfair competitive advantage that simply a strategic choice.

It's already gone before an arbitrator, but he just dismissed it thanks to the union's bungling. I believe an appeal of some sort has been simply dismissed as well. The skins are now considering a last ditch effort - sue the league and seek an injunction delaying the start of free agency, claiming irreparable harm if not granted the injunction.

If anyone thinks I've messed up a detail feel free to chime in.

BTW Ken, I was at the Seahawks game. Sad day...

[tmac77]

Unlikely Redskins and Cowgirls will win this but it is a complete joke that Joe Mara was able to get the league to impose the fines in the first place. God I despise the Giants !!!

[Ken Gargett]

guys thanks very much for this. filled in a lot for me.

yes, whoever would have thought that the giants would become at least as despised as the cowgirls. but some justice to see the skins beat them twice with the penalties and for them to finish below both the skins and the cowgirls.

not completely familiar with US law on this buit i'd be surprised if the union could bargain away anything preventing collusion. i suspect no one want that coming out.

i don't see what synder has to lose. who care what mara and other owners/teams think. be nice to see them get the entire 35 back but ft chance i suspect.