# The NFL doesn't make much sense to an European **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 5, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-doesnt-make-much-sense-to-an-european/711855 "2015-02-05T01:23:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-doesnt-make-much-sense-to-an-european/711855/221 "2015-02-17T16:56:51Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I think, however, the structure I mentioned above is still intended to create a profit-driven enterprise, but the profit is at the league level rather than at the club level. It almost is like what the MLS used to be at founding (there were basically three owners - Lamar Hunt, Phil Anschutz, and Robert Kraft. Hunt and Anschutz owned numerous teams. Only after the league started to grow did they sell off teams, while keeping one for themselves (Hunt picked Kansas City and Anschutz picked Los Angeles). This was, really, a way to absorb ridiculous amount of losses without having owners drop left and right from the league. Hunt and Anschutz lost tons of money building the league. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-doesnt-make-much-sense-to-an-european/711855/222 "2015-02-17T17:55:33Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > However, this should not be considered an argument that the NCAA is a better model than the EPL—the NCAA basically makes players into indentured servants and robs them of their right to negotiate for compensation or for their personality rights. Oh, I wasn’t defending it, I was just pointing out that cash reserves don’t necessarily translate as directly into good teams like it seems to in European soccer, because the success of a team isn’t \*directly \*dependent on cash. That said, a lot of the things that high performance depend on are related to cash- it’s why UT has been perennially pretty good, and why until recently Baylor was so abysmal. It’s why Alabama’s good, and why most non Power-5 conference teams aren’t even in the running. But among the Power-5 conferences, cash isn’t always the defining variable. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-doesnt-make-much-sense-to-an-european/711855/223 "2015-02-18T13:38:50Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I think, however, the structure I mentioned above is still intended to create a profit-driven enterprise, but the profit is at the league level rather than at the club level. I didn’t read your initial post closely enough and went way off track. Sorry. But where is anyone gravitating to the MLS model? And one more return to the competitiveness problem in big league soccer (not MLS): isn’t having no salary cap much more of a factor than promotion/relegation? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-doesnt-make-much-sense-to-an-european/711855/224 "2015-02-18T13:41:04Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I think, however, the structure I mentioned above is still intended to create a profit-driven enterprise, but the profit is at the league level rather than at the club level. I didn’t read your initial post closely enough and went way off track. Sorry. But where is anyone gravitating to the MLS model? And one more return to the competitiveness problem in big league soccer (not MLS): isn’t having no salary cap and less revenue sharing much larger factors than promotion/relegation? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nfl-doesnt-make-much-sense-to-an-european/711855.md?page=11)