Why Kraft said no

[Catch22]

The 2009 salary cap is approx. $127m

Ask The Commish.com - Projected 2009 Salary Cap Figures

 

The last comparable number is 2008 which was $116m

NFL salary cap rising by $7 million for 2008 season - NFL - ESPN

 

Using GBP/USD 1.65 (& it was actually closer to 2 during that seaon which makes he gap even bigger) that is £70m

 

So roughly £20m less than we spent or £50m less than the Mancs

 

NFL contacts are a series of options.

 

The player gets a signing bonus (say $10m)

This is usually the only guaranteed cash

 

They then sign a series of options WHICH ONLY THE TEAM CAN EXERCISE.

 

Thus you never get the Kewell situation as they can just get rid for no cost.

 

This means that when it is reported that player x ha signed a 7 year $100m deal it s just PR & he almost never gets that as it includes 2 expensive years at the end which won't be exercised.

 

The top footballers now earn a lot more ON the field than their NFL counterparts

[aws]

The 2009 salary cap is approx. $127m

Ask The Commish.com - Projected 2009 Salary Cap Figures

 

The last comparable number is 2008 which was $116m

NFL salary cap rising by $7 million for 2008 season - NFL - ESPN

 

Using GBP/USD 1.65 (& it was actually closer to 2 during that seaon which makes he gap even bigger) that is £70m

 

So roughly £20m less than we spent or £50m less than the Mancs

 

NFL contacts are a series of options.

 

The player gets a signing bonus (say $10m)

This is usually the only guaranteed cash

 

They then sign a series of options WHICH ONLY THE TEAM CAN EXERCISE.

 

Thus you never get the Kewell situation as they can just get rid for no cost.

 

This means that when it is reported that player x ha signed a 7 year $100m deal it s just PR & he almost never gets that as it includes 2 expensive years at the end which won't be exercised.

 

The top footballers now earn a lot more ON the field than their NFL counterparts

 

very krafty system

[diego]

Its interesting that he chose to speak out now given that he avoided comment for so long when he was an active player in the saga. When Parry was seen with him in his box at a Patriots game they were at pains to describe it as a meeting in which Parry was acquainting himself with how Kraft had built their stadium.

 

His speaking out now could be a touch of "I told you so..." with reference to G&H's failure to build a stadium, or it could be a speculative "come and get me.." to G&H or other Premier League owners looking to make a sale or find an equity partner .

 

However, I think G&H have already sounded him out as a minority partner and he refused. Given his modus operandi I could not see him going into partnership with G&H unless they showed him a clear future path to majority ownership.

 

I would guess that he will enter the PL only if one of the clubs in financial trouble which already has a good stadium goes belly-up or is being sold at a distressed price. I guess he will already have looked at Newcastle but been frightened off by the wage bill and the long term player-contracts.