"Tag", You Are it..."Franchise" Style

by LastRow

==== Oh, those two dreaded words that all NFL players cringe at…Being bitch slapped with the "Franchise Tag" label. Without a doubt there's probably not a player in the NFL who doesn't want to be thought of as "the franchise." It’s a gutless way for NFL teams to basically hold players hostage so to speak by using this procedure under the labor agreement…Which the players union had to sign off on before going into effect. This involves "tagging" free agents.

So each team is allowed to put a "franchise" tag or a "transition" tag on one of their available players. By doing so, they ensure that they will receive some sort of compensation in draft picks for their player if they sign with another team, but they also in turn offer them a one-year deal at the average salary of either the top five (for franchise) or top 10 (for transition) paid players at their position. While a top player might be thinking about a big signing bonus and a change of scenery through free agency, the scenario that plays out is quite often different given these tags….A catch 22 if you will. All teams want to keep their key pieces to the puzzle, while the players themselves are looking to get their fair share of the pie…Or what they believe is market value for their service. While the "franchise tag" benefits the teams and their owners rather than the players more times than not, it’s certain within the owners right to use this ploy. On the other hand, the NFL, unlike the other professional sports leagues, is known for not guaranteeing the money to its players over the long haul…Thus, players want to cash in while they are hot commodities. Very understandable to say the least!

When unproven players are breaking the bank so readily now…Signing contracts on potential and potential alone, one figures it’s within his right to increase the value of himself. Now as fans when the financial aspect comes to the forefront and contracts become headline news, we rarely side with the players! For we don’t have sympathy for these little babies crying over them not getting paid enough millions to survive everyday life! However, as the NFL has shown and is a staple of the league one can’t blame players for striking while the iron is hot. It’s just like in everyday life…Some new guy joins the team at work, making more cheddar than the poor bastard who has proven his worth time and again to the company! Sure, we are talking about a different tax bracket here…However, thet concept remains the same! The question everybody asks themselves include you and me is, "Are we worth more?" With the logical response coming from our cake hole is, "YES!"

Does getting slapped with the "franchise tag" limit the ways players live…Well, so to speak I guess. Instead of that NSX he might have to down grade to a Corvette. Downsize the house too…From 7,000 square feet to 4,000. It’s like Jay-Z tells us… "It’s a hard knock life" Although in the case of Lance Briggs…Seven million for one year sounds pretty damn good to me. I think everybody will agree. However, this never really made sense to me… For football players, if one really thinks about what they do, they’re really under paid if you look at the other professional sports leagues in the country! Not that seven million a year is like taking a dick up the ass by any stretch of the imagination, but in comparing apples to apples, I think several will agree with this.

With nothing guaranteed in the NFL in financial terms outside the signing bonuses, (and even those teams can get back)one is only good as his last play…Whenever that comes. While the "franchise tag" doesn’t restrict players from making a good living for themselves, it does affect his overall net worth and what he does for a living. No doubt there won’t be any hunger strikes and filing for food stamps anytime soon, but by teams using the "franchise tag" just goes to show us, when it comes to the financial realm of things nobody’s appreciated for what they bring to the table in the working environment…Where everybody seems to be undervalued!

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