I didn't know this, but apparently Chris Cooley blogs at the Shutdown Corner part of Yahoo! Sports every Wednesday. This is in addition to his own blog, which is mighty fine reading by the way. His weekly story is called "The Cooley Zone," which is so very lacking in terms of a title. Of all the possibilities, they go with Booty Shorts Anonymous Cooley Zone?
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because this week's story is on how much the NFL rookies, and more specifically the first rounders, are making too much money. He makes a great (and very visual) analogy about the NFL Draft process, specifically the NFL Combine (By the way, don't click the below link if you have just eaten or are weak of heart.):
The NFL Combine is comparable to a strip club with owners and coaches for customers. The better the man looks running around in his spandex the more dollar bills end up on his stage. The funny thing is the onlookers at the combine are probably more excited than the creepy old man in the corner at the strip bar.
He makes an interesting point, especially for a guy who has come to realize the benefits of spandex.
Those shorts are really cramping his Hardy Boys. There's no mystery. (Image from here.)
Anyway, his article isn't only about vivid (and slightly disturbing) analogies. He goes on to talk about how certain high draft picks make more than Pro Bowl-type players. He uses Vernon Davis as an example. He points out how the simple fact that Davis was drafted high allowed him to earn more money than the likes of Jeremy Shockey and Antonio Gates. He continues:
In Jason Witten's second year he caught 87 balls for 980 yards. Davis caught 52 balls for 509 yards. Both are good stats for a tight end, but Davis is currently making $500,000 more a year than Witten. Even better, Davis made close to $4 million more in his second year than Witten did. A player making that kind of money should be a Pro Bowl-type player.
All this begs the question: should NFL rookies and their unproven talents be limited in the money they can make? A few weeks ago, the idea of a rookie salary cap came up, which Gene Upshaw (in his infinite wisdom) immediately dismissed. So, where do you stand on the rookie salary cap issue? Do you agree with Cooley or do you think those shorts are cutting off the circulation to his brain?
As always, hit up the comments.