Would some players rather be out of the Playoffs?

[Mikie2times]

It sounds like an absurd question. Before you completely dismiss the idea hear me out for a second.

 

I'm sure a decent amount of people played Varsity football in high school. By the end of the year were you not physically exhausted? I've always been borderline obsessed with football, but when it ended each year a part of me always said thank god, now I can rest, heal, and have a life. I can't fathom what these pro's feel like. They play 16 games with contact speeds that mirror car crashes. The stress their body's are put threw is so intense NFL players have been proven to die at an earlier age then the average male.

 

We all know some play more for the money then the love. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the playoffs come with incentives until the SB (possibly Conference Championship?). You also have players like Nate who have huge deals pending at the end of the year. More games = higher propensity for injury.

 

To me the idea is not only possible, but probable for some. You would hope these feelings are never strong enough for it to effect player performance. I bet it rarely goes to that extreme, but if it doesn't exactly bother some pro's to be home for the playoffs it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

[Corp000085]

there's a lot of money involved, a lot of egos, and a lot of extra fluff placed on top of the actual game, but i bet if you got an honest to god poll at least 95% would play for free and would play for the trophy. its human nature to want to win, no matter what

[Dawgg]

Playoffs = Add'l Playoff Checks + Greater National Exposure + More Tail

 

 

It sounds like an absurd question. Before you completely dismiss the idea hear me out for a second.

 

I'm sure a decent amount of people played Varsity football in high school. By the end of the year were you not physically exhausted? I've always been borderline obsessed with football, but when it ended each year a part of me always said thank god, now I can rest, heal, and have a life. I can't fathom what these pro's feel like. They play 16 games with contact speeds that mirror car crashes. The stress their body's are put threw is so intense NFL players have been proven to die at an earlier age then the average male.

 

We all know some play more for the money then the love. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the playoffs come with incentives until the SB (possibly Conference Championship?).  You also have players like Nate who have huge deals pending at the end of the year. More games = higher propensity for injury.

 

To me the idea is not only possible, but probable for some. You would hope these feelings are never strong enough for it to effect player performance. I bet it rarely goes to that extreme, but if it doesn't exactly bother some pro's to be home for the playoffs it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

875812[/snapback]

[Whites Bay]

It sounds like an absurd question. Before you completely dismiss the idea hear me out for a second.

 

I'm sure a decent amount of people played Varsity football in high school. By the end of the year were you not physically exhausted? I've always been borderline obsessed with football, but when it ended each year a part of me always said thank god, now I can rest, heal, and have a life. I can't fathom what these pro's feel like. They play 16 games with contact speeds that mirror car crashes. The stress their body's are put threw is so intense NFL players have been proven to die at an earlier age then the average male.

 

We all know some play more for the money then the love. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the playoffs come with incentives until the SB (possibly Conference Championship?).  You also have players like Nate who have huge deals pending at the end of the year. More games = higher propensity for injury.

 

To me the idea is not only possible, but probable for some. You would hope these feelings are never strong enough for it to effect player performance. I bet it rarely goes to that extreme, but if it doesn't exactly bother some pro's to be home for the playoffs it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

875812[/snapback]

 

While I understand your point vis-a-vis the sheer physical exhaustion, I just can't imagine THAT aspect getting in the way of the players on a team like the Bills at this point. And I'm not saying that because I'm a homer, or because they're Supermen. It's because this team hasn't been "past December" in a long, long time. And there are other teams out there in a similar situation as well. If faced with the choice of a second turkey leg, or tying the laces a little tighter when you're on a team that just hasn't gone anywhere (think of Takeo Spikes)...........

[Mikie2times]

there's a lot of money involved, a lot of egos, and a lot of extra fluff placed on top of the actual game, but i bet if you got an honest to god poll at least 95% would play for free and would play for the trophy.  its human nature to want to win, no matter what

875813[/snapback]

I'm not saying these feelings change how hard a guy plays. I don't think it ever goes to that extreme, if it does I'm sure it's very rare. I'm saying that when the seasons over and these guys are at home, resting, recovering, making the same amount of money as if they made the playoffs, and not threatening injury to their career in the playoffs. Well I just don't think missing the playoffs bothers SOME players to the degree in which fans think.

[Whites Bay]

I'm not saying these feelings change how hard a guy plays. I don't think it ever goes to that extreme.  I'm saying that when the seasons over and these guys are at home, resting, recovering, making the same amount of money as if they made the playoffs, and not threatening injury to their career in the playoffs.  Well I just don't think missing the playoffs bothers SOME players to the degree in which fans think.

875816[/snapback]

 

I've heard quotes from Marino regarding how he assumed he'd be back after making the Big Dance in his second year. Never happened. Maybe when you're younger, you don't give a $#!+, because you assume that you'll be in the same position next year. Jiminy Crickets - think of US in 2004.....we were just one or two players away, as I recall...........

 

Never, never take it for granted.

[BuffOrange]

Playoffs + Add'l Playoff Checks + Greater National Exposure = More Tail

875814[/snapback]

 

[Lurker]

I'm wrong

875812[/snapback]

[Mikie2times]

875885[/snapback]

Creative

[bbb]

I've actually thought about this myself lately. Unless things have changed, the money they make from playoffs, Super Bowl, etc. is a pittance compared to the regular season. There has got to be players who could care less, I would think. I think they are the small minority, but I would still think there are some.

[ans4e64]

It sounds like an absurd question. Before you completely dismiss the idea hear me out for a second.

 

I'm sure a decent amount of people played Varsity football in high school. By the end of the year were you not physically exhausted? I've always been borderline obsessed with football, but when it ended each year a part of me always said thank god, now I can rest, heal, and have a life. I can't fathom what these pro's feel like. They play 16 games with contact speeds that mirror car crashes. The stress their body's are put threw is so intense NFL players have been proven to die at an earlier age then the average male.

 

We all know some play more for the money then the love. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the playoffs come with incentives until the SB (possibly Conference Championship?).  You also have players like Nate who have huge deals pending at the end of the year. More games = higher propensity for injury.

 

To me the idea is not only possible, but probable for some. You would hope these feelings are never strong enough for it to effect player performance. I bet it rarely goes to that extreme, but if it doesn't exactly bother some pro's to be home for the playoffs it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

875812[/snapback]

 

I felt the same way when playing football in high school like you describe. However, that was high school, we had lives, grades, girls, and things that were just more important. This is their professional careers, this is what they do in life. Its like your career, you dont want to stay at an entry level position the rest of your life because you can skip out early when other people are working. You want to become the best at what you do, whether that be manager, CEO, whatever. I think that's how it is for the players.

[Pyrite Gal]

I'm glad I read the entire idea before completely dismissing it. Now having read it, i can comfortably completely dismiss it.

 

I do not disagree at all that after the end of a season a player may well be whipped beaten and tired.

 

However, the idea that these feelings of personal exhaustion would hatch or even justify a solution to this personal problem of penalizing all the players' teamates and all of the teams fans seems a little selfish to say the least.

 

I think that most folks who are so hurt that they do not want to play would simply take the course of faking a headached or some other difficult to diagnose injury to not go through the pain of competiton rather than hope their teammates and the teams fans have to endure the frustration of missing the playoffs simply so an individual player might involve the pains that come from playing.

 

While I think it is human nature on the part of many people at the end of a grueling season to judge they do not want to play any more, the idea that their solution to get this point would be to screw everyone else involved with the team seems odd.

[Mikie2times]

I'm glad I read the entire idea before completely dismissing it.  Now having read it, i can comfortably completely dismiss it.

 

I do not disagree at all that after the end of a season a player may well be whipped beaten and tired.

 

However, the idea that these feelings of personal exhaustion would hatch or even justify a solution to this personal problem of penalizing all the players' teamates and all of the teams fans seems a little selfish to say the least.

 

I think that most folks who are so hurt that they do not want to play would simply take the course of faking a headached or some other difficult to diagnose injury to not go through the pain of competiton rather than hope their teammates and the teams fans have to endure the frustration of missing the playoffs simply so an individual player might involve the pains that come from playing.

 

While I think it is human nature on the part of many people at the end of a grueling season to judge they do not want to play any more, the idea that their solution to get this point would be to screw everyone else involved with the team seems odd.

875924[/snapback]

Half your post you imply that I think players tank games to avoid the playoffs. I already pointed out in two separate responses that’s not what I'm saying. You think most NFL players play because they love football? They make millions of dollars, that's why they play. If they could make more doing something else they would. Making the playoffs does nothing to help an individuals career unless your one of the few players who stole the spotlight in the playoffs. Most the time that doesn’t even matter because the same players already stole the spotlight in the regular season. With no financial incentive until 3 more weeks of playoffs, increased injury potential, and 16 games of hell I'm sure that couch and those millions are more then enough to comfort for some of these guys.

[Mikie2times]

I've actually thought about this myself lately.  Unless things have changed, the money they make from playoffs, Super Bowl, etc. is a pittance compared to the regular season.  There has got to be players who could care less, I would think.  I think they are the small minority, but I would still think there are some.

875916[/snapback]

I think this comes in the form of looking back on the year. IE the season's now over, we missed the playoffs, oh well. Not we have a chance to make the playoffs, I would rather be at home so I'm going to tank the last few. Money has to be the most powerful motivator for a lot of these guys. The playoffs lower per game pay averages, and increase injury potential. Think about Nate. If we can pull this off he'll have one of the biggest contracts in football in jeopardy to potential injury for a game he isn't even being paid for (correct?). Do you see him being that pissed if we miss the playoffs and he knows the money is now a sure thing?

[Pyrite Gal]

Half your post you imply that I think players tank games to avoid the playoffs. I already pointed out in two separate responses that’s not what I'm saying. You think most NFL players play because they love football? They make millions of dollars, that's why they play. If they could make more doing something else they would. Making the playoffs does nothing to help an individuals career unless your one of the few players who stole the spotlight in the playoffs. Most the time that doesn’t even matter because the same players already stole the spotlight in the regular season. With no financial incentive until 3 more weeks of playoffs, increased injury potential, and 16 games of hell I'm sure that couch and those millions are more then enough to comfort for some of these guys.

875933[/snapback]

 

My apologies as I seemed to be slow enough to have drawn the wrong conclusions from my reading of what you were saying and your more in depth descriptions in later posts, i took them as responses to the specific points raised rather than the different but related point I was making to these posts.

 

In some ways, I think I was confused as you seem to have a basic premise that $ are a prime motivator for these athletes (I agree) but where I guess I do not go is IF you are making a judgment that the next marginal $ an NFL player can earn has the same motivational weight for him as his initial contract.

 

Stated in another form, certainly almost all NFL athletes have as a significant motivation to there choosing to play this boys game as a career is that upon graduating from college they stand to make more $ than they ever got before and either give them a great start or even set them up for life (amongst the small % of college player who are drafted on the first day).

 

However, upon achieving this lofty get of their first contract. are they still motivated by the $ in exactly the same way or the same way along a scale at a higher level. I think not.

 

First, though $ are the prime motivator view, they certainly are not the only motivator for almost all athletes. As pointed out in several posts, pride, a love of competition, ego, and other factors though not nearly equal to getting a life setting contract cannot be totally disregarded as motivators.

 

In fact, the key is that these things are not contradictory and a player needs to choose between whether he is motivated by pride or motivated by $, in fact the best way to get a big contract is to always be motivated by playing hard or to at least give the impression that you are.

 

To merely look at getting the most dollars for the least effort and all other motivators can be ignored would seem to me to be pretty incorrect assessments of most people (particularly those who survive to be on an NFL team, those who actually have the attitude that they are too banged up to play at the end of the season actually usually get cut and never make it on NFL teams).

 

Second, as the new CBA was negotiated and kicks in, basically any NFL player starts at the NFL minimum of having a salary approaching a third of a million dollars. Given the average playing time of an NFL player, even an average player stands to make a million bucks well before they are 30 and with the celebrity that goes with this achievement, a college education or a diploma, and the initial cash start, they no longer have the motivator or getting their first big deal, but instead a motivator of enjoying the fruits of that deal.

 

For almost all people this involves finding a partner, and having kids etc. so there is a new motivation to take care of all of these folks and this new motivation requires making even more bucks (the ubiquitous you are taking food from my kids mouths quote).

 

I think though that this motivation really forces and sharpens a players desire to sacrifice his body and go for it at the end of the season. The athlete begins to realize that in order to get the best in terms of his next contract, he simply needs to let it all hang out and produce to get the next contract. Even more personally, if there are kids involved (in particular once you get past the juvenile "baby momma" stage of a WM) one begins to want to set an example for your kids and actually live the life of hard work and sacrifice you preach to your kids.

 

Even when folks are simply fooling themselves and do not believe these words, one of the neat things about kids is that these primal units have initially unconditional love for their parents, but develop the best bullshot detectors in the world.

 

In the end, I think exactly for the motivations you state of financial benefit when added to the other motivators of ego, pride, access to sex, etc. that if one truly has the attitude of wanting to not make the playoffs, quite frankly you will not even make or stay very long on the team. This person's name is probably Ryan Leaf.