Socialist Attitudes Strangling Rugby League
I'm gutted!
My beloved NZ Warriors Rugby League team, faces being docked up to six competition points before the new NRL season begins after the NRL's latest salary cap scandal was uncovered on Tuesday.
This is an ongoing problem for the NRL. The Bulldogs were stripped of the minor premiership and fined over $NZ500,000 in 2002, for salary cap breaches.
This has got me thinking about the salary cap issue. The idea was introduced by the NRL supposedly to "spread the talent around" so that no one club can buy the best players and dominate the game.
This socialist thinking has had, as all socialist ideas do, some nasty unintended consequences.
The worst has been the fostering of dishonesty and corruption as clubs have come up with all sorts of dodgy schemes and shady deals to attract and retain key players.
Sport mirrors life and we all know that human beings have an innate drive to betterment that will subvert any artificial barrier placed in their way.
In a free society, the way to improving one's circumstances is through honest achievement. In a regulated society, or an overtaxed society, the route to betterment always involves at least minor dishonesty or corruption.
By putting an artificial barrier on player salaries, the NRL has guaranteed that a culture of corruption will arise and scandals will be inevitable. This will further tarnish the image of what is easily one of the best spectator sports in the world.
The NRL would be better to remove all salary caps and let the market work.
Some teams might dominate for a while, but half the fun of watching sport is seeing underdogs beat the big boys.
Has the status of Manchester United ever harmed soccer? Has the dominance of the world's best provincial Rugby team, the Canterbury Crusaders, damaged the Super 14 competition?
If Rugby League is ever to secure its future as a growing sport, it needs to dump the socialist, "give everyone a chance at winning" attitude.
Abolish the salary cap, let the market work and allow huge talent the opportunity to earn huge money.
Go the Warriors!
posted by Trevor Loudon at
2/23/2006 05:55:00 PM
7 Comments:
This is the one instance that I'd have to disagree with you:
The NRL is made a richer competition through the fact that there is no dominance by a single player, that at the end of a season the typical difference between the spoon and cup is still only 5/6 games, and that the spoon of one season is frequently in the quarters of another.
OK - Im going to have a hard time arguing with the philosophy side of it - because on that I agree with you...
Two points:
1. Professional sport is different from other businesses. In sports, you rely on the existence of your competitors for your business to succeed. If your competitors are too weak, the games will not be interesting and your profits and theirs will both suffer. It's a unique situation.
2. The NRL is not actually independent competing businesses. It is a monopoly consisting of multiple franchises. If McDonalds, for example, had a monopoly on fast food, it would not be in their interests to have their individual outlets competing with each other on price.
So I don't think the socialism analogy works here - but I do agree the enforcement problems are similar to ones that exist in socialist economies.
Wow
S7G
I agree, BUT believe that the game of football here in the UK is the poorer by having Chelsea and their billions dominating the game. :)
Man U and Arsenal earned their way into financial prosperity and hence do well. Probably off the subject but I don't like Chelski! HA ha ha.
Salary Caps are good and bad! In football its not about the sport its about the money which is not how it should be! Yes it limits the talent in the game but it makes it a sport hence the term "sporting"! Making things even for everyone is the best way to go!
Rugby League or Rugby Union? Which is better?
Personally I think Rugby League out classes union by far, though being a Wakefield Wildcats fan makes me a little biased! However I do admit that internationally Rugby League needs some work so Rugby Union has that on its side but what about the game itself?
It seems that Rugby Union is just a collection of dog piles most of the time followed by short lived runs which either involve running straight into the other teams players or scoring the odd try, WHY!?
In Rugby League I can see the point in running straight into your opponent as you have to make some ground only having six tackles to do it but in Union, it’s just a way of losing the ball! Fools!
I mean I like doing a little every other week but when it comes to Rugby Union, its just boring! KICK! THERE INFRONT! KICK! THERE BEHIND!! KICK THERE INFRONT AGAIN!!! OH NO WAIT!! THERE BEHIND AGAIN! RUN THE DAMN BALL!!!!
Anyway I’ll stop my rant here and give someone else say what they think!
Rugby League or Rugby Union? Which is better?
Personally I think Rugby League out classes union by far, though being a Wakefield Wildcats fan makes me a little biased! However I do admit that internationally Rugby League needs some work so Rugby Union has that on its side but what about the game itself?
It seems that Rugby Union is just a collection of dog piles most of the time followed by short lived runs which either involve running straight into the other teams players or scoring the odd try, WHY!?
In Rugby League I can see the point in running straight into your opponent as you have to make some ground only having six tackles to do it but in Union, it’s just a way of losing the ball! Fools!
I mean I like doing a little every other week but when it comes to Rugby Union, its just boring! KICK! THERE INFRONT! KICK! THERE BEHIND!! KICK THERE INFRONT AGAIN!!! OH NO WAIT!! THERE BEHIND AGAIN! RUN THE DAMN BALL!!!!
Anyway I’ll stop my rant here and give someone else say what they think!
Sorry the last post messed up.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home