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Thursday, December 14, 2000
Hockey player$ doing just fine
By Al Morganti
Special to ESPN.com
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It's come to the point where it seems like half the stories written about the NHL involve money. Forget about A-Rod and MLB for a second and realize that more than the three other major sports leagues in North America, the NHL is the most plagued by financial issues.
Part of that equation is the inherent "Canadian problem," which involves the disparity between the monies available to Canadian-based clubs as compared to those based in the United States. But even beyond that, there is the undercurrent of what sort of Armageddon lies ahead when the current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2004.
"Something is going to have to be done," said Washington GM George McPhee, who has actually seen his club's season ticket base increase this season from about 2,900 to over 10,000. But there is still a huge problem in meeting the bottom line.
"When you compare us to other sports in terms of income, some of the numbers just don't make any sense," said McPhee.
For whatever purpose, you can make a spread sheet say just about anything you would like. But what you're about to read is not intended to support either the NHL or the NHLPA. It's just an unscientific, yet eye-opening, view of what hockey players make compared to some NFL players -- specifically, what some NHL players make compared to some NFL quarterbacks.
|  | | Peter Forsberg, left, and Rangers goalie Mike Richter make a heck of a lot more than most NFL quarterbacks. Does that make sense? |
There aren't many more high-profile positions than the starting quarterback of an NFL team. And when you consider professional sports as a business, there is no league comparable to the NFL.
It is what you might call an "idiot proof" league, in that any idiot could own a team and make money. One reason why is that the NFL runs on the basis of revenue sharing -- which might be the only proof we've ever had that communism can work.
There is also the matter of guaranteed contracts and a strict salary cap -- both issues which will come up in the NHL's next CBA negotiation -- and the cap's presence has been a blessing for NFL owners and a curse for their counterparts in the NHL.
For what it's worth, consider the following:
The most popular athlete in Arizona might be starting quarterback Jake Plummer -- at least before the Cardinals went completely in the tank -- who makes $5.175 million per season. That is about equal to the $5 million paid by the Coyotes to Jeremy Roenick, and less than the $8.3 million due Keith Tkachuk, and not so far from the $4.5 million to Teppo Numminen.
Teppo Numminen!
Now, ask yourself, with the money allotted to each league in terms of TV contracts, marketing deals and such, is it more astonishing that NHL players are compensated at such a level (hooray for the NHLPA) or that the
NFL has done such a horrible job?
In Denver, starting quarterback Brian Griese makes $375,000 per season, a heckuva lot less than the $10 million paid to Peter Forsberg and the neighborhood of $8 million each to Joe
Sakic and Patrick Roy.
But even more amazing is that almost every starting quarterback makes less in base salary than any player on the NHL team in the same city except the back up goalie.
In Chicago, where you might not have noticed but the hockey team is struggling, there is not a single player on the Hawks who makes less than the $338,000 paid to Bears quarterback Jim Miller.
Every player but one on the entire roster of the San Jose Sharks makes more on an individual basis than the 'Niners QB Jeff Garcia at $271,000.
Any argument that Carolina is football country rather than hockey country? Just take a look at the Canes' attendance, and then figure out how Ron Francis ($5 million) , Sandis Ozonlinsh ($4 million) and Rod Brind'Amour ($4.25 million) make more than the Panthers starting quarterback Steve Buerlein at $2.86 million.
Somehow, Ozolinsh isn't going to pack the house at the local NASCAR event as a guest driver. Buerlein would.
In Buffalo, a small market, goalie Dominik Hasek
($7.5 million) sails over both Bills quarterbacks Doug Flutie ($2.8 million), who can sell a whole lot more Wheaties, and Rob Johnson ($5.8 million).
Even in a new market such as Atlanta, goaltender Damian Rhodes ($2.25 million) makes about as much as Falcons starter Chris Chandler at $2.3 million.
In Miami, 13 of the Florida Panthers make more than Jay Fiedler's $1.26 million with the Dolphins.
The most popular athlete in America last year might have been St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner. His situation was unique, signing as a free agent, so his base salary of $385,000 this season is absurd. However, even when his signing bonus of $11 million is stretched out over the length of the contract, he still runs head-to-head with the Blues Chris Pronger.
Perhaps the most striking example is a case in which the quarterback makes more money, but not a whole lot more. You want a sports icon, how about Troy Aikman, veteran Super Bowl winner who makes $9.3 million per season? On the ice side of things, you've got hockey icons Brett Hull and Mike Modano, at $7 million per season. As much as the Stars have done to promote hockey in the Lone Star State, even with their Stanley Cup rings, is there any argument that puts them up near the value and star appeal of Aikman?
And in the New York market, Kerry Collins makes $3.2 million with the Giants, and Vinny Testaverde $4.43 million with the Jets. Compare that to the Rangers payroll for Brian Leetch ($7.7 million), Theo Fleury ($6 million) and Mike Richter ($5.6 million).
Mind you, there are many cases in which the comparisons are not apples to apples, and the NFL does have the huge signing bonus for rookie quarterbacks chosen at the top of the draft. However, one issue that is very clear here is than when you consider the pecking order of each sport across America, the guys who run around the ice on skates for a living have cut themselves a very nice deal.
But in the opinion of many people who are paying the bills, it might be too nice.
Al Morganti covers the NHL for ESPN.
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