pc4th
16 Oct 2004, 08:02 PM
Source: The Detroit News research, The Hockey News
Average salary
MLB:$2.5 million.
NBA: $4.92 million**
NFL: $1.25 million.
NHL: $1.8 million
Top salary
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:Manny Ramirez (Boston Red Sox), $22.5 million.
NBA: Shaquille O'Neal (Miami Heat), $29.5 million.
NFL: Brian Urlacher (Chicago Bears), $15 million.
NHL: Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) and Jaromir Jagr (N.Y. Rangers), $11 million.
Average Team payroll
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:$68.1 million (25 players).
NBA: $59 million (12 players).
NFL: $71.8 million (53 players).
NHL: $41.6 million (23 players).
Player share of revenue
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:63 percent*.
NBA: 58 percent*.
NFL: 64 percent*.
NHL: 75 percent*.
Estimated annual revenue
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: $4.1 billion.
NBA: $3.1 billion.
NFL: $5 billion.
NHL: $2 billion.
Salary cap
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: None.
NBA: The NBA has a soft cap calculated annually as a percentage of league income. The cap is $43.9 million for 2003-04, but with various free-agent exemptions, the average is at $59 million. Teams must spend at least 75 percent of the cap on payroll ($33 million). There are also individual player salary caps based on years of experience.
NFL: A hard cap is set at 64.8 percent of defined gross league revenues, which works out in 2004 to $80.6 million. A salary floor is set at $67.3 million. Teams can exceed the cap, but have to allocate a percentage of certain contracts to future years (in the form of signing bonuses or back-loaded contracts) to do it.
NHL: None.
Luxury tax
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: $120.5 million. The Yankees were the only team to surpass it ($185 million payroll), and had to pay a $21 million tax (30 percent) this season.
NBA: Teams are taxed dollar-for-dollar at payrolls above $54.6 million, but only if league-wide player salaries exceed a specified percentage of revenue.
NFL: None.
NHL: None.
Revenue sharing
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Thirty-four percent of each team's locally generated revenue, including gate receipts, goes into a central fund. The money is split equally among all 30 teams. An expected $280 million will be redistributed in 2004 from large-revenue to small-revenue teams.
NBA: The ABC / ESPN contract which took effect at the 2002-03 season provides $4.6 billion over six seasons, or $25.5 million per team, per season.
NFL: The NFL is in the seventh year of an eight-year $18 billion television deal with major networks. Each of the 32 teams receives $75 million per year. By comparison, this is more than the NHL's total annual revenue from all sources. Also, 40 percent of all gate receipts goes into a pool that is eventually divided equally among all teams.
NHL: Television revenues in Canada and the U.S. split equally among the 30 teams — approximately $4 million per team last season. The figure is likely to be less in the future because the U.S. network deal with NBC and ESPN doesn't offer guaranteed money up front.
Entry-level system
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: None.
NBA: Fixed three-year contracts, plus an option year, for first-round draft picks based on where they were selected.
NFL: Money paid out to rookies is limited by a complex rookie pool, but top draft picks still receive generous multi-year salaries.
NHL: Most first-year players are subject to a three-year entry level system with a maximum annual salary for draft picks of $1.295 million.
Free agency
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Players with six or more seasons are unrestricted free agents at the end of their contracts.
NBA: Restricted free agency, subject to right-to-match option by the players' original team, in effect after the fourth season for first-round picks, and after the third season for all others. Unrestricted free agency applies in most other situations.
NFL: A tradeoff for players accepting the salary cap, restricted free agency kicks in after three seasons and unrestricted after four. Teams designate transition players and franchise players that are subject to right-to-match provisions.
NHL: The NHL has the most restrictive free agency system — players become unrestricted free agents at age 31.
Arbitration
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Players with at least three seasons and less than six are eligible. Both parties must agree for arbitration to go ahead.
NBA: None.
NFL: None.
NHL: Restricted free agents are generally eligible for salary arbitration after five years in the NHL, or at age 24 or 25. Only players can file for arbitration, which is why the system has been so good for them.
Contracts
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Guaranteed.
NBA: Guaranteed.
NFL: Not guaranteed. Teams can cut players at any time with no future obligations except signing bonuses, which for salary cap purposes are pro-rated over the life of the contract even if they're paid up front.
NHL: Contracts are fully guaranteed and can be bought out at two-thirds of their value.
Numbers that appear for players' share of league revenue may be based on different definitions of league revenue. They include major league salaries and benefits. ** NBA players can terminate the contract if their average salary becomes less than baseball, the NFL or NHL.
p.s. Is MLS contracts guarenteed?
Average salary
MLB:$2.5 million.
NBA: $4.92 million**
NFL: $1.25 million.
NHL: $1.8 million
Top salary
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:Manny Ramirez (Boston Red Sox), $22.5 million.
NBA: Shaquille O'Neal (Miami Heat), $29.5 million.
NFL: Brian Urlacher (Chicago Bears), $15 million.
NHL: Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) and Jaromir Jagr (N.Y. Rangers), $11 million.
Average Team payroll
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:$68.1 million (25 players).
NBA: $59 million (12 players).
NFL: $71.8 million (53 players).
NHL: $41.6 million (23 players).
Player share of revenue
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL:63 percent*.
NBA: 58 percent*.
NFL: 64 percent*.
NHL: 75 percent*.
Estimated annual revenue
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: $4.1 billion.
NBA: $3.1 billion.
NFL: $5 billion.
NHL: $2 billion.
Salary cap
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: None.
NBA: The NBA has a soft cap calculated annually as a percentage of league income. The cap is $43.9 million for 2003-04, but with various free-agent exemptions, the average is at $59 million. Teams must spend at least 75 percent of the cap on payroll ($33 million). There are also individual player salary caps based on years of experience.
NFL: A hard cap is set at 64.8 percent of defined gross league revenues, which works out in 2004 to $80.6 million. A salary floor is set at $67.3 million. Teams can exceed the cap, but have to allocate a percentage of certain contracts to future years (in the form of signing bonuses or back-loaded contracts) to do it.
NHL: None.
Luxury tax
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: $120.5 million. The Yankees were the only team to surpass it ($185 million payroll), and had to pay a $21 million tax (30 percent) this season.
NBA: Teams are taxed dollar-for-dollar at payrolls above $54.6 million, but only if league-wide player salaries exceed a specified percentage of revenue.
NFL: None.
NHL: None.
Revenue sharing
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Thirty-four percent of each team's locally generated revenue, including gate receipts, goes into a central fund. The money is split equally among all 30 teams. An expected $280 million will be redistributed in 2004 from large-revenue to small-revenue teams.
NBA: The ABC / ESPN contract which took effect at the 2002-03 season provides $4.6 billion over six seasons, or $25.5 million per team, per season.
NFL: The NFL is in the seventh year of an eight-year $18 billion television deal with major networks. Each of the 32 teams receives $75 million per year. By comparison, this is more than the NHL's total annual revenue from all sources. Also, 40 percent of all gate receipts goes into a pool that is eventually divided equally among all teams.
NHL: Television revenues in Canada and the U.S. split equally among the 30 teams — approximately $4 million per team last season. The figure is likely to be less in the future because the U.S. network deal with NBC and ESPN doesn't offer guaranteed money up front.
Entry-level system
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: None.
NBA: Fixed three-year contracts, plus an option year, for first-round draft picks based on where they were selected.
NFL: Money paid out to rookies is limited by a complex rookie pool, but top draft picks still receive generous multi-year salaries.
NHL: Most first-year players are subject to a three-year entry level system with a maximum annual salary for draft picks of $1.295 million.
Free agency
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Players with six or more seasons are unrestricted free agents at the end of their contracts.
NBA: Restricted free agency, subject to right-to-match option by the players' original team, in effect after the fourth season for first-round picks, and after the third season for all others. Unrestricted free agency applies in most other situations.
NFL: A tradeoff for players accepting the salary cap, restricted free agency kicks in after three seasons and unrestricted after four. Teams designate transition players and franchise players that are subject to right-to-match provisions.
NHL: The NHL has the most restrictive free agency system — players become unrestricted free agents at age 31.
Arbitration
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Players with at least three seasons and less than six are eligible. Both parties must agree for arbitration to go ahead.
NBA: None.
NFL: None.
NHL: Restricted free agents are generally eligible for salary arbitration after five years in the NHL, or at age 24 or 25. Only players can file for arbitration, which is why the system has been so good for them.
Contracts
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Guaranteed.
NBA: Guaranteed.
NFL: Not guaranteed. Teams can cut players at any time with no future obligations except signing bonuses, which for salary cap purposes are pro-rated over the life of the contract even if they're paid up front.
NHL: Contracts are fully guaranteed and can be bought out at two-thirds of their value.
Numbers that appear for players' share of league revenue may be based on different definitions of league revenue. They include major league salaries and benefits. ** NBA players can terminate the contract if their average salary becomes less than baseball, the NFL or NHL.
p.s. Is MLS contracts guarenteed?