NFL Parity, At a Cost

02-20-02

I’m Chuck Wilson with an ESPN Radio Extra Point,
This week, as the Houston Texans stocked their team through an Expansion Draft, we saw the full effect of the NFL’s Salary Cap...a quality player like Tony Boselli, left unprotected, not because of a perceived loss of playing ability or poor attitude, but because of economics. As fans, we like familiarity. There’s comfort in knowing year-to-year that a team’s identity doesn’t change much, that the key players remain the same. You used to be able to name entire starting line-ups of teams. That’s changed. 20-to-25% of a team’s roster turns over from one season to the next. It’s hard to keep track of the players. Dynasties have disappeared. Gone are the nicknames like the Steel Curtain, the Doomsday Defense, the Fearsome Foursome, and the Orange Crush. I miss that. But, it’s hard to argue with the NFL model. Today’s parity means every team is in the hunt. You won’t be able to keep your team intact but you will have your chance to win. The NFC West recently saw 5-different division winners over a 5-year stretch. The Patriots just won the Super Bowl. Familiarity replaced by the unexpected.
I’m Chuck Wilson