Seattle Seahawks just demonstrated to America why income inequality is a loser.

[Yavin4]

One theory I heard as to why the Seahwaks (and 49ers) are so good and well-balanced is that they do not pay their QB (Wilson) a ton of money. In the NFL, teams have salary caps, and they can only spend a certain amount each year on their players. A teams with a "franchise" QB tend to give that one player a significant chunk of their entire payroll.

IOW, franchise QBs like Peyton Manning are the top 1% earners in the NFL, and because they make soooo much money, their teams don't have enough resources to spend on other areas of the team like their defense. So, you may have a great QB, but a weak defense. When these payroll unbalanced teams play a payroll balanced team, they get crushed like the Broncos just did.

I know that this is just football, and many of you will poo-poo this post. However, this is how you can quickly and easily explain why income inequality in the NFL makes your overall team weak which can also be applied to real life.

[flying rabbit]

1. I think this sums it up nicely...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017171671

[freshwest]

20. Yeah, I loved that video. n/t

[Timez Squarez]

2. I am all for revoking the NFL's tax exempt status

to stick it to John Elway, a hard-right Republican for the last twenty years.

As well as Pat Bowlen.

They do not deserve to have a non-profit status anymore.

[kelliekat44]

7. Me too. nt

[ProdigalJunkMail]

61. you think the Denver Broncos are a tax exempt organization?

how cute...

sP

[Timez Squarez]

64. Never said Broncos. I said the NFL

re-read it.

No offense intended...

[ProdigalJunkMail]

68. then how does that stick it to John Elway?

he's a GM ...

sP

[former9thward]

62. The teams are not tax exempt.

Get real.

[Timez Squarez]

65. Where did I say teams?

I said the NFL should have their tax exempt status revoked. They haul in 30 billion dollars a year and flouts the tax-exempt status.

[former9thward]

71. Fail.

You said John Elway. Elway is with the Broncos and the Broncos are not tax exempt. The NFL brings in 9 billion a year --which are the teams and they pay taxes. Try and get your facts straight.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2013/08/17/how-the-national-football-league-can-reach-25-billion-in-annual-revenues/

[yawnmaster]

3. Denver made it to the superbowl with a "franchise" QB. Peyton just has a habit of choking in...

post season play.

[Yavin4]

4. Broncos made it by paying two teams who were not well balanced n/t

[TheDebbieDee]

5. I'm a Kansas City Chiefs fan. We are experts

When it comes to giving the unconditional love and acceptance required by teams that CHOKE!

Honestly, I don't know why I bother to watch the team after the regular season.....

[yawnmaster]

11. just have to enjoy each game for what it is...Like a cubs fan! eom

[Art_from_Ark]

32. Or a Bengals fan

[MFM008]

43. SeaHawks are one thing

Try being a Mariners fan..............................................................

[TheDebbieDee]

58. I've got you beat. This is the home of the Royals...

We've had good teams here and there but overall, the team has sucked since 1990....

[DeSwiss]

36. Elway choked too.

- 18 Plays -- SBXXII 42 - 10.

[rufus dog]

46. If I recall the Bronco defense got run over in that game

And Elway didn't play defense. I was never a big fan of the guy, but he made the most amazing pass I ever saw in a game.

[DeSwiss]

50. I saw it.

The first play of the game was by Elway -- a 56 yd touchdown to Ricky Nattiel.

The rest of the 1st quarter Washington sucked. Hard. On both sides of the ball.

Then the Hogs stiffen and Denver only gets a field goal, their last points of the day.

Then the historic SB22 2nd quarter begins and records are set that still stand today.

Five touchdowns -- thirty-five points in fifteen minutes -- and in only 18 plays.

After that Elway choked.

The Denver defense choked.

The final score: 42 - 10.

- Yeah, they choked. HARD.

[1000words]

6. Hawks had the highest payroll in the NFL

If they proved anything, it was: if you want to win, spend more than anyone else. And considering "defense wins championships," they spent wisely.

Here are some numbers:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/interactive/2013/nfl-salaries-positions-2013-2014#seattle-seahawks,denver-broncos

[RobertEarl]

12. Which goes to show

You want a winning product? Pay your help well.

[Drahthaardogs]

23. Hawks proved that PEDs can make a bunch of 5th, 6th, and undrafted players

into an all pro defense.

Sorry, nobody is THAT lucky. No scouting team is THAT much better than everyone else. Too many "diamonds" in the late rounds on that defense. As Don Corleone stated, "I am a superstitious man".

Pass the Adderall and Go Hawks!

[1000words]

25. A post worthy of the ESPN blogs

You may be correct, but until it's proven it comes off as sour grapes.

[Drahthaardogs]

29. Harbaugh said it too

Sherman stated half of the nfl does it while he appealed his own positive result.

[1000words]

30. Harbaugh isn't exactly known for his calm demeanor and diplomatic skills

I have no doubt PEDs are used, but if it is rampant then it's likely the Bronco players are using them too.

[Drahthaardogs]

35. Hawks have an adderall problem

Google it. Like Mc guire and Sossa breaking records. I thought it was fishy too. Too good to be true. Too mahy late round picks playing like probowlers. I dont believe it.

[liberal_at_heart]

63. adderall does not improve performance.

[Drahthaardogs]

72. Von Miller disagrees....

So does the NFL.

and on edit:

http://seattletimes.com/html/seahawks/2019776708_adderall28.html

[rufus dog]

47. They were pumped on something

The 49ers defense played like that three years ago. Eli took a shit load of abuse and hung around long enough to win the game at the end. In the previous playoff game I was afraid the 49ers were going to be the first team to kill a player in a game. I actually thought the Saints RB was dead on a goal line hit.

Anyway I didn't think a team could maintain that level and they couldn't. Even though they are delivering the hit, they are using their body to deliver the pain. And at some point the hits take effect, on the person delivering the hit.

I expect the Seahawks to go through the same process, they will not be able to play at the same level next year.

[Mr Dixon]

67. WHATEVER

Sore loser much? must be a 40whiner fan SMH

[Drahthaardogs]

73. Not at all. I am a KC fan. I like the Vikings, Charges, and Broncos in that order.

I hate the Harboughs because they acts liked damned fools on the sidelines, stomping their feet like little boys. Two grown men acting like little brats. I cannot stand them. However, I grew up on a ranch so I know bullshit when I see it.

I played some Division I ball in my day, competed in powerlifting competitions in the super heavy weight divisions and did some kickboxing before MMA got popular (no ground fighting back then). I know a thing or two about athletic competition and what talent looks like (I obviously did not have enough). My best friend was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 6th round back in the 1980's. I have been around this stuff more than most.

It is pure bullshit to believe that one team can take 8 guys drafted from the 5th round or later (4 of them not at all) and have them ALL play at the pro bowl level. The best defense in the league has 3 starters taken in the first three rounds? Bullshit. Oh, a Terrell Davis or Tom Brady or Deron Cherry happens now and then, but NOBODY is that damned lucky to have 8 guys on their team that NO ONE else saw their potential.

Didn't. Freaking. Happen.

Just like McGwire and Sossa suddenly hammer Roger Maris's record that stood for 50 years? Lance Armstrong wins all of those titles. If it sounds unbelievable, it probably is.

[JVS]

8. One could also read it as a result of meddling with the market (a salary cap)

[hughee99]

9. A better example would be the Ravens.

They won the SB last year, then broke the bank to re-sign their QB (losing several free agents in the process) and this year missed the playoffs.

[JVS]

34. This will happen again to the seahawks

It might take a couple years for enough free agencies to kick in, but what we see this year is a team heavy on drafted and younger players who haven't had the chance to demand full value for ther services.

[DeSwiss]

37. If they keep getting undrafted free agents like.....

...Jermaine Kearse, maybe not.

[hughee99]

40. Yes, talent evaluation plays a big role in this as well,

as does having a "system" that makes it easier to plug new players in. Finding diamonds in the rough is a tough business though, and it's hard to build a consistent championship caliber team if you have to rely on catching lightning in a bottle every few years.

[DeSwiss]

49. You're right, it always helps when people.....

...in any profession can think outside the box.

[hughee99]

38. I suspect it will, but some of their stars are younger players still under control,

so they may have another shot at it (or possibly two) before it happens.

[JI7]

10. has this been the case with previous winners ? also how did they make it to the finals ?

[Yavin4]

15. Look at Peyton Manning's career

He's been the highest paid player in the NFL for most of his career, and yet he's only won 1 Superbowl. And in that year, his defense and running game played above their level. Most of his career, his defense has been very, very weak.

[JI7]

18. i don't watch football at all

but i am always paying attention to how "spoiled" those associated with it can be. from the owners to the players, the tax issues concerning stadiums etc.

[liberal_at_heart]

13. Wilson is a newbie. Of course he is not being paid a ton right now.

We'll have to see how things shake out when some of the players contracts come up for renegotiating.

[brewens]

16. Ya got that right! Look at the old Chargers with Dan Fouts. Always on the verge of being a

Superbowl winner but never getting there. He really may have been the greatest QB of all-time but they could never afford (or wouldn't afford) to pay to keep a balanced team around him. They filled the stadium every game despite letting other quality players go for years. They had a killer defense if you could have combined the players that came and went over about five years. Fred Dean was one that ended up with the 49ers.

[rufus dog]

48. Shitty assed owner

Which is why I never became a Charger fan even though they play 70 miles away.

[SunSeeker]

14. Nice analysis.

Same applies to manufacturers who pay their CEOs insane amounts of money, while paying their line employees --the folks who actually build the product that is making everyone all that money -- slave wages.

[BuelahWitch]

17. I think you explained it in terms

that the average Joe would understand perfectly.

[Upward]

19. I Think That's a Fair Assessment

When I think of all the truly great QBs over the years, the ones that led their team to Playoff and SB championships, what stands out is how many of the other players you could also name from those teams.

What I noticed last night, when the announcers talked about Denver, it was "Manning, Manning, Manning, Manning, Manning." When the talked about Seattle, it was "Sherman, Wilson, Lynch, Harvin, Chancellor."

And it's why I loathe the Southern worship of Manning. All that shit about "individual achievement" just masks some peoples' preferring to follow Big Daddy over a cliff rather than think for themselves.

[freshwest]

21. +1

[TexasTowelie]

53. +2

[bluestate10]

22. Your analogy makes sense. More even distribution of income lifts economies is a more

robust and sustained way.

[Cha]

24. thanks Yavin

[sheshe2]

26. Excellent OP!

Thanks Yavin.

And Seattle rocks!

[FarCenter]

27. Richard Sherman Says The Seahawks Figured Out What Peyton Manning's Hand Signals Meant

The Seattle Seahawks decoded Peyton Manning's pre-snap audibles just a few drives into the Super Bowl, Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman told the MMQB's Robert Klemko.

Manning is known for employing a series of shouts and gestures before the snap, all of which are designed to adjust offensive plays to take advantage of whatever coverage the defense is playing.

His now-famous "Omaha!" had baffled teams and onlookers for weeks.

But Sherman says the Seahawks figured out what the hand signals meant early in the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos, and just started dominating.

...

Here's what Sherman told the MMQB:

"'We knew what route concepts they liked on different downs, so we jumped all the routes. Then we figured out the hand signals for a few of the route audibles in the first half.'

"He demonstrates the signs Manning used for various routes, and says he and his teammates were calling out plays throughout the game and getting them right. 'Me, Earl [Thomas], Kam [Chancellor]… we’re not just three All-Pro players. We’re three All-Pro minds,' Sherman says. 'Now, if Peyton had thrown in some double moves, if he had gone out of character, we could’ve been exposed.'"

The Seahawks were essentially gambling, if Sherman is to be believed.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/seahawks-peyton-manning-hand-signals-2014-2

A far more plausible explanation of their relative performance.

[1000words]

28. Carroll revived something he learned from Monte Kiffin at Arkansas in '77

"4-3 under" defensive scheme. Few had an answer for it, especially the Broncos.

[AtheistCrusader]

44. Rommel you magnificent bastard! I READ YOUR BOOK

[wildeyed]

60. Wow!

After watching the kerfuffle over Sherman's earlier comments, I came to the conclusion that he is not just smart, he is wicked smart, and this adds proof to that theory. But he should have kept quite. Now all the teams will be more careful about tipping their hand.

[exboyfil]

31. Given how much a SB is worth to your

legacy. I always wonder why players that have more than enough money still go for the highest salary. If I was Manning I would say take $5M and work towards getting me the best left guard you can get. So I make $14M instead. The added endorsement deals from a Superbowl victory would probably make up the difference anyway.

I think Tom Brady gets it. Here are his stats compared to Manning (who is the 4th highest paid QB)

Tom Brady -- $11.4 million (Signed extension in 2013: 5 years, $57 million, $33 million full guaranteed)
Peyton Manning, Denver -- $19.2 million (Signed in 2012: 5 year, $96 million, $18 million fully guaranteed)

[AtheistCrusader]

45. And you might play a season or two more

before your knees give out under all those punishing hits

[kwassa]

33. What? The Seahawks are owned by Microsoft.

or rather, co-founder Paul Allen, rich as hell Paul Allen.

His personal estimated net worth is $15 billion dollars.

[obxhead]

42. And that doesn't matter, it's not baseball.

The NFL has a cap meaning no matter how filthy rich the owners are, the team can only spend so much for the entire team.

Most teams run right at the max allowed under that salary cap.

However, I don't think that was the problem. Peyton was simply shut down the entire game. He couldn't throw deep and he had to dump a screen pass behind the line of scrimmage 90% of the game.

[fishwax]

39. It's an interesting theory, but I don't think it pans out

For one thing, there are a few even better reasons that Denver's defense wasn't very good: first, they were on the field for almost a full game's worth in the first half alone. No surprise that they were worn down in the second half. For another, the defensive unit has been riddled by injuries all year. By the time they got to the conference championship they had five starters on injured reserve, along with a few reserves as well.

For another thing, although Manning makes far more than Russell Wilson (who, as a third-round draft pick had a much smaller rookie contract than Manning's veteran contract), the Seahawks are still top heavy in salaries. The top five highest-paid Seahawks (only one of who plays defense) make more than the top five highest paid Broncos.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

41. The problem is you can't keep those teams together long

The players become stars, and then they go elsewhere to make big money.

And to be honest, the Denver defense was not weak. It was injury plagued. While I believe the Seahawks are the NFL's best team, this could have been a very different matchup if Denver had the healthy roster they did in September.

[cherokeeprogressive]

51. What the Seahawks demonstrated was that Payton Manning is the ACTIVE LEADER among QBs

in turnovers.

[Vashta Nerada]

52. What's league minimum, like $460,000/year?

Excuse me while I don't care about income inequality in the NFL.

[gopiscrap]

54. interesting

[bluedigger]

55. There is a little more to it.

Wilson is still playing under his rookie contract, and those are now capped under the latest agreements. Bill Barnwell discusses the contracts of Wilson and Manning in his excellent post game analysis at Grantland:

One of the reasons why Schneider was able to take a calculated risk on bringing in Harvin, of course, was Wilson, the most valuable contract in football. Wilson plays football’s most important position at an extremely high level, but because he was a third-round pick in a league that slots rookie contracts at a given price, his contract ensures that he’ll be a bargain for years to come. Wilson just finished the second year of a four-year, $3 million contract that counted for just $681,085 against Seattle’s cap this year. After starting his career 24-8 and winning a Super Bowl in just his second year at the helm, Wilson’s about to receive a hefty raise to … $817,302.

His opposite number on Sunday is in the middle of a five-year, $96 million deal that will cost Denver $17.5 million this year and next; Manning will make more per game than Wilson will make all year. The Broncos obviously weren’t wrong to sign Manning, but they had no choice but to pay him this much, given the competition surrounding him on the free market as an unrestricted free agent two years ago. Even beyond that large sum of money, the Broncos are paying for Manning’s deal in another way: In a league where every competitive team is trying to spend up to a hard cap, they’re incurring the opportunity cost of not being able to use that $17.5 million cap hold on anybody else.

That’s what makes Wilson so valuable. In a vacuum,4 Wilson is a bargain, but his contract looks even better when you consider that the typical quarterback of his caliber takes up something like $17.5 million of his team’s salary cap. The Seahawks can take the $16.8 million difference and go spend it elsewhere, which changes the value proposition. Manning is probably a better quarterback than Wilson, but is Wilson plus $16.8 million worth of players better than Manning?

http://grantland.com/features/seattles-best/

[Packerowner740]

56. Wilson will get a contract extension and a big payday

They all do it. Baltimore won the SB last year and QB Flacco got a huge (unwarranted) raise. Greenbay won in 2010 and last year QB Rodgers got a huge raise. They all do it. The reason Wilson isn't making as much is he's a 2nd year player.

[Are_grits_groceries]

57. There is one thing that needs to be crystal clear about Peyton and his salary.

ALL players try to get max deals that can hurt a team. QBs get the biggest because of the position they play. Many QBs have huge deals that hurt their overall team.

Some people on Du don't follow sports and could get the mistaken idea that Peyton is the only one.

Peyton helped out the Colts by restructuring his salary to give them more money to pay other players. Tom Brady and others have done this too.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2773817

In addition, this holds true of most pro sports. The difference between sports will be whether they have a salary cap or not.
Baseball doesn't have a salary cap. That's why teams like the Yankees sign gawd and everybody. They do have to pay a 'luxury tax.'
Here are the 3 factors leagues use to limit payroll:

Hard salary cap[edit]
A hard salary cap is where the league sets a maximum amount of money allowed for player salaries, and no team can exceed that limit.
Soft salary cap (NFL,NHL)[edit]

A soft salary cap has a set limit to player salaries, but there are several major exceptions that allow teams to exceed the salary cap. For example, in the case of the NBA, teams can exceed the salary cap when keeping players that are already on the team. (NBA)

Luxury tax[edit]
A luxury tax system does not have a limit to how much money can be spent on player salaries. However, there is a tax levied on money spent above a threshold set by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the players union and the owners. For every dollar a team spends above the tax threshold, they must also pay some fraction to the league. This system is used to discourage teams from greatly exceeding the tax threshold, with the goal of ensuring parity between large and small market teams. (MLB)

[wildeyed]

59. QB doesn't get much b/c he is still on his rookie contract.

Everyone thought he was too small to play pro-ball, so he was ignored despite having excellent stats in college. He will make much, much more in the future.

I don't follow football all that much, but my understanding, Seahawks are a "Moneyball" team. Did you see the movie or read the book? It is about how a cash poor baseball team managed to put together a very competitive team through untraditional recruiting tactics. They decided that certain skills were overvalued in the market and then looked for players who had other strong but undervalued skills and recruited them. Russell Wilson is a total Moneyball player. Great skills, but "too small", so he was cheap. Sure worked out for the Hawks

[Mr Dixon]

66. Agreed

I'm a hawks fan and i know for sure that a balanced payroll is why they kill the broncos, and the ravens sucked this years because one person got all the money.Not seeing a change in the future.

[n2doc]

69. The 1% don't care

If a sports team were run like a corporation, the QB would make 60 mil a year, the next top players 10 mil each, and the bottom 40 players or so would make league minimum. And they would lose, and not give a crap.

[Arkana]

70. I lost all respect for Manning when he started shilling for that asshole

at Papa John's.

Plus, I think John Elway's a FYGM asshole.

[fizzgig]

74. denver has never been good at balancing offense and defense

and they have the uncanny ability to completely self-destruct no matter who is on the roster.