re: Roger Goodell sees Apple and Google as NFL’s competition instead of NBA and MLB

Honestly would suggest reading that article, it was published in a top law journal written by attorneys heading major firms that represent major corporations including pro sports franchises in corporate/contract law.

Many teams are drowning in debt and have never been profitable. The only way they continue to exist are the owners taking on debt to finance operations

When ownership changes, the new owners take out syndicate loans for billions, which includes one loan for the acquisition and another thats revolving credit to cover op ex.

The RELI is a term loan, serviced regularly. However the note for the acquisition is a balloon due in one payment at some point in the future. The capital paid to the previous owners via the loan mostly just pays off that owners bullet loan + other debts incurred throughout their ownership

The leagues basically have 100% control over every team when it comes to financial decisions as they’re tied together via cross-collateralization, including external financing.

The loans use the franchises existing assets and future revenues as collateral (ticket sales, merchandise, concessions, tv deals, sponsors, parking, venue rents, player insurance, etc), there is a lien on all assets and all revenues go directly to the lenders, but the debts are subordinate to the league’s claims and via loopholes created by language in the by laws, foreclosure is pretty much impossible

And I’m sure their debt ceiling/credit limit is tied to “franchise value”, which would explain the dramatic increase in evaluation the past few decades. It effectively creates equity that’s then borrowed against

Edit: Way TL/DR, but that article is very interesting and sheds light on some of the BS in sports

i’m so sick of the NFL and moronic statements like this are a big contributor

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No because pretty much everyone touches the ball in soccer

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Ok so you’re saying in basketball the PG and C do the same job since they both touch the ball? There’s no other rules to know? How about a LF and 1st Baseman?

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The same flip can be done the opposite of what you did.

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You’re right about that. But I do think he’s right about one of the reasons football has had a harder time catching on is because the sport is less intuitive.

Every team sport has different positions, but in football many of the positions are vastly different. A CB and a C might as well be playing different sports. There’s basically rules that are specific to those various different positions. Not everyone touches the ball. How the ball is moved is variable. Different types of scores. Multiple stoppages associated with downs/plays.

The rules are so confusing and subjective sometimes even the officials don’t know things like what is and isn’t a catch or pass interference

American football will never come close to the popularity of World football. It’s apples and oranges.

Football, in it's structure, is the closest thing in sport to war. You have an army of players that specialize in different things. You have field generals planning attacks via ground and air. Even some of the terminology in football refers to war, blitz, bomb, air raid, etc.

Football simulates war and Americans love to fight.

If you really think about the dynamics of the sport and when it was invented/what the US’s m.o. at the time was, the game was obviously invented to create teenagers that would be superior soldiers

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The NFL (and college football) always leaves you wanting more.

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I don't know sitting through three hours of commercials and game stoppages doesn't leave me wanting more.