Mekkar's Restructuring Plan - Sports
(originally written 2/12/02)

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There is a "great need" of Regulation Of The Sporting Realm. These guys can't straighten it out, so The President will!

The sports industry is supposed to be affordable entertainment for the common person, however this state of affairs is not the majority. All current major sport (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB) labor contracts & negotiations would be declared null & void and would be re-done with the president decision as final and binding. Anyone who the President requests including all league commisioners, labor lawyers, star athletes, & player representatives would be required to attend or be punished.

A Presidential imposed financial cap will be instituted - circumvent it and risk punishment by death. Remember, going to a movie is still affordable for the average person.

Professional Athletic franchises are only obligated to pay the salaries of athletes who perform their duty, i.e. If players don't play - they don't get paid! This decree will be applicable and retro-active to those athletes that previously signed long-term "playing contracts" and are not currently performing their job function. All contract negotiations completed, in this manner, before this decree was announced will immediately be declared null and void. Athletic franchises will not be obligated to continue to fullfill the previous terms of these types of contracts (For instance, the Brian Bosworth/Seattle Seahawk situation would be affected by this decree).

All Athletes, in all sports, would be restricted to one-year performance based contracts, i.e. like Walter Alston, former manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This excludes the "lifetime" clause.

All long-term contracts set-up for athletes will be declared null and void, as of this moment. The only exception would be lifetime contracts obligating athletes to the same team for their "playing life". Penalties for breaking the "lifetime" clause, either on the part of the athlete or by the franchise trading that player away, would be a $100 million dollar fine imposed by The President!

No Athlete will earn over a maximum salary (annual total gross income from their employer) of $1 million per year (including various benefits and bonuses). Remember, 10 year old children can play sports, but can that same 10 year old child do accounting ? No!
Athletes, along with Actors, etc., will be restricted to a product endorsement maximum of 3 (with financial caps on endorsements). The only exception for exceeding this limit would be "Free" endorsements for agencies that promote the public good i.e. Public libraries, Boy Scouts, etc..

Salary arbitrators, appointed by The President, will be instituted to determined performance salaries and bonuses, etc.. No pay increases will be granted unless arbitrators determine that performance has increased. Remember, that athlete salaries can be reduced based on reduced performance from the previous season.

All Sporting Teams will be required to hire more employees with the money saved from paying these outrageous athlete salaries. At the same time, a "freeze" will be in effect for any franchise that is planning on laying off more employees. Teams will need to make a profit or fold or relocate. However, If teams want new arenas - they pay for them themselves - and not "hold hostage" city or state governments with threats of relocation to another city.

No sports teams will be part of, affiliated with, or sponsored by any educational institutional systems (Universities, colleges, high schools, on-down to elementary schools) - it be on a intramural, city parks & recreation league, or club team basis like in Europe (where all have the opportunity to participate). Participants, in this type of format, will "pay a fee to play". They will also have to attract team sponsors to pay for uniforms, equipment, etc.. Those club teams would then rent the sporting facilities, but not necessarily have priority scheduling.

It is not the primary purpose of educational systems & schools to be a sporting developmental league or to provide extra-curricular sporting events, but to educate. However, sports & athletes have come to take precedence in these institutions - in the way of resources, favoritism, and many other behind-the-scenes actions. This has happened instead of & in place of providing a quality education. No student will "slide by" on their academic requirements anymore, due to their athletic prowess.

Each will play "on their own time"! Current school Physical Education programs will not be affected! Money from sporting programs, at any level, have never benefitted non-athletes in our school systems. Take a look at "the books"!

Athletic attitudes will be changed. Talking excessive "smack, trash, etc." or "tauting" opponents during athletic contests, at any level, will not be tolerated, at any level of competition. Punishment will affect any athlete violating this rule. Severe punishment, for violation of this decree, can be directed at any athlete by The President. Unfortunetly, athletes are seen by many and whose actions are imitated by the American youth of today, this decree will help athletes to "clean up their act"!

Any Athletes suspected of using drugs, narcotics, etc. will receive an unwavering "lifetime" ban from their respective athletic endevour. Also, individual athletes violating this decree will be "dealt with harshly".
The selling of autographs by athletes, actors, writers, etc. for economic purposes would become illegal and punishable by the Government.

All league organizations and referees will eliminate preferrial treatment and extra protection for their sports' star athletes. Everyone will be treated on an equal basis or else!

Useless organizations like the NCAA, CFA, bowl committees, etc. would be banned.

Some of these organizations think they are "the only game in town" and they act like it! Some employees have been rude and pompous. It seems to me, that the whole organization has this attitude that WE are the only professional sport in this area - so get used to it! This stance is not excusable whether the team experiences success or not. However, this is no way to maintain a continued fan base in the expected lean years ahead. Remeber, there is competition for the entertainment dollar.

It is well known that some teams would make a profit, even if no fans ever attend the games, because of advertising revenues. However, NO advertising dollars are generated, if there is a lack of interested individuals who care to go to the games, watch the contests on television, or listen to the games on the radio, etc..

It is essential to realize that, if current residents will eventually turned off by this haughty posture and won't "give a rip" about the team, it might suffer the fate of an exodus not unlike the NHL Minnesota North Stars. In the meantime, my response will be to consider other alternatives, since the "major league" teams focus on their corporate "fan-base" and forget about the commoner who can now only afford the "minor-league" sports.