Salary Cap

This post is a bit of a follow up to my last one. I have clearly voiced my distaste for the amount that professional sports players make. For this among other reasons more and more professional sports leagues are implimenting a salary cap. I often wonder though if salary caps are beneficial for sports.



The positives of a salary cap are that every team has an equal shot. Even small market teams have a chance to compete with the New York Yankees of the world. Players are also forced to play at their best everytime they step on the field because teams cannot afford to be employing unproductive players. This makes games more intense and competitive.



Currently of the four major sports the NHL, NBA, and NFL all have salary caps. The MLB is the only one without a salary cap. The benefits of not having a salary cap is that big market teams can consistantly put great teams on the field. This is great for tv ratings and is important in order to globally expand the sport. Another benefit is that teams can retain their best players for a long time. A salary cap greatly discourages the signing of big long term contracts. The reason for this is because if a player stops being productive the teams would have to take a huge hit to the cap to release them. Without a salary cap a team can still retain their big contract players and sign additional large contracts if needed.

Clearly both sides have legitimate agruments. Personally I think sports are better off with a salary cap because I like seeing every team have a chance. Comment on this blog and let me know whether or not you feel that a salary cap is a good idea for sports.