Ttite changes for Bengals Personnel leaders

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(9 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: For every Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford, the world can also point to a Jamarcus Russell and Sam Bradford.

That's not my point.

My point is Jamarcus Russell, Sam Bradford, and Matthew Stafford all got to engage in a semi-free market (in at least they could negotiate for their contracts even if they got their rights drafted away).

Cam Newton got to neither choose where he was going, AND his ability to earn was artificially deflated. So you can't just compare it to a job or an entertainer. These are people who have rare traits, skills, and abilities that generate a >$20b market.

Imagine being the best plumber in the world to graduate from trade school that year (and that trade school made billions off you working there for 3 years too and you weren't allowed to get paid for your work for the longest time), and you're told "you're going to have to move to Y city and work at X company for just 5-20% of what you could have made on the open market for the next 5 years or you can retire from as a plumber". THAT is why it's silly to compare NFL players to normal jobs. Every step of the way has been artificially created to reduce their earning potential, so THEY don't need to be told it's a job.