Is JaMarcus Russell now the biggest bust in draft history?

Sounds about right, but I don't think even the NFL Player's Association isn't pathetic enough to let that one fly. Now some kind of limit on rookie salaries? That is definitely possible because the NFL veterans are probably selfish enough to let it fly.

 

I agree, but he can only do as much as the players will allow. Upshaw wasn't the only problem in past labor disputes.

 

No way the union rolls over and allows that to happen. Entry-level wage scale? Yeah, because it protects the veterans who get cut because of salary cap reasons with too much paid to rookies.

But refunds because a guy bombs out? No more than refunds because a guy gets hurt.

 

No.

 

The players blame Upshaw for not having the guaranteed contracts that they have in MLB, NBA and the NHL.

 

The players need to look in the mirror on that one.

 

They'll get both.

The owners in all three major team sports are gonna bust the unions to bits, and by and large the fans will wildly applaud.

 

NFL has guaranteed contracts. They're just called signing bonuses.

And considering pretty much every player is one hit away from retirement, they should count their blessings that those bonuses exist. Astronauts could not get life insurance in the 1960s. Same thing. You choose to enter a dangerous profession, don't be surprised if you are viewed as a high-risk investment.

And no, "the average career is only four years" doesn't mean you get to make a lifetime's worth of money in four years. It means you spend the remaining 90% of your working years working at something else.

 

I really don't know where you get this from, but there is no reason to believe that can happen in baseball and there is plenty of reason to believe the NFL wants its players' union to stay exactly as it is -- just viable enough to survive, but still very weak.

 

The NFL desperately needs a rookie wage scale. As much as I hate David Stern and the NBA, they really got it right. No hold outs and a player has to hang around for a few years before they get insane money.

Things could have been a lot different for Russell if there was that kind of a rule in effect when he was drafted. He doesn't get as much money up front, but if he's at training camp on time in 2007 maybe things would have been a lot different for him.

When I was covering the NFL I always said I felt a lot more sympathy for NFL guys who were holding out for more $$$, than guys in baseball, hockey and basketball because the contracts aren't guaranteed and they're all one knee injury from being kicked out the door.