01-28-2020, 03:48 PM
(01-28-2020, 03:51 AM)Joelist Wrote: The real question is how can the front office manage to both be middle of the pack-ish in spending AND be perceived by players, coaches and front office people around the league as miserly?It's not a question to those who are able to look at the entite picture...
-Best stadium deal in league = No initial investment, and limited to no investment in operating costs.
-No practice facility
-Smallest scouting department in the entire league.
-No GM
-Front office salaries are paid out to family and friends
-Numerous accounts of extreme frugility: Locking up Garorade, coach tickets to free agents, not supplying simple ammentities like shampoo and soap, or adequete sized towels, renting HDMI cables at training camp, coin-operated soda machine in locker-room, etc....
Team/Family history... The NFLPA was initially formed as a result of Paul Brown's unfair contract negotiations, Paul and Mike being opposed to free agency, Mike's numerous comments throughout the years i.e. "Making the playoffs would cost me money"...
-No investment in Hall of Fame, fan events, or on-par alumni returns/reunions.
-Still holding Hamilton County to 75% of stadium upgrades while the Reds were gracious enough to forgive over 80%.
-Holding city, then county hostage for parking lot deal needed for music venue.
-Outdated approach to roster construction...Lack of free agent spending, refuse to cut under-performing players and eat dead-money, refusing to restructure deals, to better spend dollars season to season.
The list goes on and on. And as far as cap spending, there's a floor now in place. Every team falls within 10% of eachother. In fact, the last numbers I saw the last place team in cap spending over the 4 year window sat at like 92% while the first place team sat at 98.xxx. A difference of like 6%.
If you take into account total spending, players, staff, operating, and money spent on facilities and ammentities there is no doubt we are at the very bottom. If not dead last, then 2nd or 3rd least in total investment.
This franchise is cheap. Cheap and stubborn. Period.
