WHY SALARY CAPS ARE BAD

I hope some of you that trumpet salary caps in professional sports are Chicago Blackhawks fans.

Since the Hawks won the Stanley Cup two months ago, they have bid good-bye to eight players because they can't keep them within the salary cap confines of the National Hockey League.

This is not a New York Yankee situation where they just open up the cheque book and sign whoever they want.  This is a team that was built through the draft and with some clever trades.  Now, it's over.

For the record, I loathe salary caps and I also despise the New York Yankees, who lost 8-6 to the Toronto Blue Jays tonight despite a starting pitching rotation of $65 million dollars as compared to the Blue Jay staff of $6 million.

How can I hate both?  It's simple.  The Blackhawks built their team by the draft (Toews, Kane), through trades (Sharp, Ladd) and also with some astute free agent pick-ups (Campbell, Hossa).  Now, they did spend big on Campbell, Hossa, and Cristobal Huet (some would argue stupidly, but in the case of Hossa and Campbell significant contributions were made to the Cup team); but I would suggest you should be allowed to decide whether or not you want to keep your team together.  For example, I would say you can go over the cap to keep players in town; but you cannot go over the cap to bring them in.  Therefore, Antti Niemi's new contract shouldn't count against the cap. If the Hawks are up against the cap before re-signing all their players, I say it's fine.  Allow them to re-sign their players, but they can't add anyone from outside the organization until their team salary comes down to the point where it's affordable.

The Yankees are a different animal.  They have the financial resources to take on huge contracts without even giving up prospects.  The Astros were happy to rid themselves of Lance Berkman over the weekend.  Getting a warm body is a bonus.  The same was true years ago when Bob Abreu was moved from the Phillies to the Yankees.  Anyone remember what Philly got in that deal?  I checked today and Kei Igawa is still drawing a $4-million a year paycheck from the Yanks.  They are so flush with cash they can be middle of the pack as far as management acumen is concerned and they'll still easily win 100 games and be right there for a World Series.  If you are a Blue Jay fan, how can you have any hope at all knowing the Yankees will be first place?  You are left with hoping Boston (who spends a lot, but only about 1/2 of what the Yanks do) stumbles and Tampa decides to tear apart their talented young team (they will).

Players like Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Derek Jeter I have no problem with.  They were brought up through the organization and when their contracts were up, the Yanks paid them accordingly.  Where things become unfair is when CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, and AJ Burnett become free agents.  The Yanks overpay them to the point of stupidity so that no team will even come close to matching.  Sabathia, for instance, didn't want to play for New York when he was a free agent, but how do you turn down $25 million a year?  Especially, when nobody else was willing to go higher than about $15 million.  Burnett used a clause that allowed him to opt out of getting $12 million from the Blue Jays because the Yanks said they'd give him $17 million and also extend him multiple years.

In short, I'd like to see salary caps thrown out the window; and I would like to see it replaced with a free agent acquisition budget. 

If the Yankes want to give Derek Jeter $20 million a year to remain a Yank, fine.  When Teixeira's contract is up and the team wishes to give him another $25 million a year then I have no issue.  But, Carl Crawford?  Different story.  I'd like to see it be a bit more of a level playing field when he becomes a free agent.  Tampa Bay should have the advantage though and be able to sign him to whatever they want without it counting against a cap.  But, mark my words.  Crawford will be a Yankee come next April.