# What the hell is the big deal about NFL "parity"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-the-big-deal-about-nfl-parity/46233
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [December 18, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-the-big-deal-about-nfl-parity/46233 "2000-12-18T21:39:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-the-big-deal-about-nfl-parity/46233/1 "2000-12-18T21:39:46Z")
Are you sick of hearing sportwriters bemoan “parity” in the NFL? Me too! (No, his is _not_ a flame!) Go [here](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/12/18/salary_cap_ap/index.html) and read about what free agency and the salary cap have done for the league. Instead of just having a few teams contending every year (like in baseball), now anyone can be a winner. I think “parity” is GREAT! And I also think it’s much better than the old system because now fans know their team could be only few good players away from the Super Bowl, and thus every team will develop its own base of fan support. People love a winner, but will tolerate a few bad years if they think there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
I think the only people who don’t ike “parity” are sportwriters, because now they actually have to _work._ Covering the whole league is tougher than just hanging around the same 4-5 teams. Whiny bitches.
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### Author:  [@idiotboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/idiotboy)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-the-big-deal-about-nfl-parity/46233/2 "2000-12-18T22:29:15Z")
Yup, and “parity” is the answer to the _baseball_ problem, as well.
Ok, how many of you are just **sick** of seeing the Yankees and the Braves win every freaking year?!
_stops and counts all the millions of hands in the air_
Teams like the Brewers (who set records for lowest attendance last season) will be making _negative_ profits…i.e. spending more on their multi-million-dollar players than they make in concessions and ticket sales with the 15 people who came to see them suck. These teams will end up shutting down. Moving won’t even help…“why suck here, when we can suck there?”.
Ok, now I agree that the guys with the money should be able to spend that money how they want…if they want to win a championship, and you want it bad enough, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to buy it. But, then again, controlling an industry by eliminating all competition is called a _monopoly_, IIRC. And since the justice system has begun sticking it’s nose into the sports world recently (i.e. [the Marty McSorley case](http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news/ap/20001006/ap-mcsorleytrial.html)), why not break-up Mr. Steinbrenner’s monopoly and then allocate the money/players evenly throughout MLB?? 😉
Ok, maybe not…but certainly _something_ needs to be done…
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### Author:  [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2000, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-the-big-deal-about-nfl-parity/46233/3 "2000-12-18T22:49:28Z")
I haven’t really heard anyone “bemoaning” parity. I think most people, sportswriters included, are in favor of parity throughout the league. It means that Dan Snyder, unlike George Steinbrenner, can’t _buy_ a championship.
I read the article you posted a link to, and I don’t think the writer is pissing and moaning about parity either. Parity has been the _goal_ of the NFL for many years, and it’s part of what keeps you interested. As the adage goes, “on any given Sunday, any NFL can beat any other NFL team.” Just witness the numberous upsets this weekend.
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### Author:  [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2000, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-the-big-deal-about-nfl-parity/46233/4 "2000-12-18T23:46:14Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Gazoo \*
> \*\*I read the article you posted a link to, and I don’t think the writer is pissing and moaning about parity either. \*\*
Well, I didn’t mean for that article to serve as an _example_ of “pissing and moaning”.I thought of it as an example of a more knowlegable writer putting it down in black and white what is really happening. The pissing and moaning i referred to I’ve heard or read elsewhere.
And maybe I exaggerated a little. But i have definitely heard “parity” used as a perjorative term in reference to the NFL since free agency landed. And I think that’s BS. Competition is good. the same teams winnin year after year is not. Like **idiotboy** , I’m wondering how long it will be until baseball’s owners wake up and realize that one or two teams continually dominating their sport ultimately threatens everyone’s bottom line.
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### Author:  [@Wump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wump)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2000, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-the-big-deal-about-nfl-parity/46233/5 "2000-12-19T00:09:46Z")
[slight hijak] Lets not forget hockey… I live in calgary, and we suck. i know it we all know it. but there is a reason for it. Anytime we have a good player, like Theo Fleury, and he gets to good, he becomes expensive and gets traded. this is made worse by the american dollar being so freakin’ high compared with ours, and eventually Canadian teams will just die off if something isn’t done.
Just look at the awsome players traded away from Calgary: Brett Hull, Joe Newendike, Theo Fleury, Sandy McCarthy, Mike Vernon(although he’s back now that he sucks a little more again), Al McInnis, and i know there’s others too. Damn it we’d be good if we still had them…
[/slight hijak]
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### Author:  [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2000, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-the-big-deal-about-nfl-parity/46233/6 "2000-12-19T07:25:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Wump \*
> \*\*Just look at the awsome players traded away from Calgary: Brett Hull, Joe Newendike, Theo Fleury, Sandy McCarthy, Mike Vernon(although he’s back now that he sucks a little more again), Al McInnis, and i know there’s others too. Damn it we’d be good if we still had them…
> [/slight hijak] \*\*
Um…you aren’t really putting **Sandy McCarthy** in the same category of players as Hull, Nieuwendyk, Fleury, McInnis, and Vernon, are you? 😕
Mort dieu! :eek: