I was wondering why is it that an owner, of any league with a salary cap, can't find a loophole. Like why don't they sign a high priced player at league minimum and then pay them 3 million dollars to walk the dog or something like that?
Then whats the point of the salary cap? Plus if youre "the other team" wouldnt you complain? Why does someone else get to go around the rules and not you? They actually have done this before though with many players. The most expensive one was probably Lothar who asked for a luxury car and a $10,000 a month apartment in Trump Tower among his list of demands.
They've done it loads of times. Luis Hernandez got a car. Cobi Jones, Hong, Hernandez and a few more on LA were paid over the cap. DC near the end of their glory years had Pope, Moreno and Etcheverry all making way over the cap. The Metros have had Lothar and Pope confirmed as being over the cap. There have been a few more across the league. Plus, playing the short MLS season gives players opportunities to work other jobs like Joe-Max Moore's illegal internet prescription drug ring
Jorge Campost got a Ferrari. DMB was making 400 grand. Freddie is at what, half a mil? I've got a feeling that this will come up a few times with the new LA Divas USA team and their Transitional Internationals. And it will cause much wailing and gnashing of teeth here on the boards.
Players can legally be paid over the cap. Only ~270k will apply to the cap. It's a maximum cap charge, not a maximum salary. MLS itself has to approve all contracts. There is no free agency. 2 owners own 8/10 teams through the end of this year. For MLS the fact that the league approves all contracts makes this a nonissue. With single-entity, everyone are employees of MLS and thus if they act out of line can probably be fired by MLS. For the NBA, NFL, they probably have rules against this. I know in the NBA their is a rule that any action taken contrary to the "intent" of the CBA is not allowed. Don't know the penalty. Did some of these actions happen in MLS, probably. Did they help teams like LA, probably but it's tough to prove. We just have to live with that as long as we have single-entity and investors operating multiple teams. I think it has gotten better and will continue to improve.
Sure, players can be paid more than the cap. Hell, there doesn't even have to be a cap if the owners don't want one. But the owners like a cap, so there is a cap.