For the Love of the Game: Paying Players to Win

 

 

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

by:  The Eye in the Sky 

Football is the purest form of team sport. It takes commitment to the common goal, by each member, to be successful.  It takes chemistry and a bond among players to create that championship feel.  As I’ve learned over the years, flag football is no different and embodies the same characteristics. As most of us know – some teams among us accept this undeniable truth, but there are many that don’t.  Rightfully so, the latter is finding out the hard way, not to mention the expensive way, that you can’t buy tournament victories or championships.  (You would think the Redskins of recent years would have taught us that.) 

In surveying the flag football landscape, I have come across a lot of different teams trying to win a lot of different ways.  I’ve seen different schemes on offense and defense, different mentalities on how to play the game, and even some very different and strange warm-up rituals.  But lately, the thing that my eyes and ears haven’t been able to escape is this notion of “buying” players.  Now the teams/individuals doing it may not refer to it as that, but right here right now I’m damn sure calling it that.   If you aren’t familiar with this growing practice, let me give you a quick educational walk-through on how this all works.

                

A team goes to a tournament and sees what appears to be a quality player on another team doing his damn thing all over the field either on offense or defense.  The team watching said player then inquires with whoever else is watching about the player.  After gathering a little information (we’ll call this running a background check) the team approaches the player about playing the next tournament.  They give him the used car salesman routine for a few minutes talking about how they can better use him in their system and how he would be happier playing with them.  And here’s the quote that makes it real interesting for the player, “We’ll pay for your flight and your hotel and whatever food you need to eat.  All you need to worry about is getting to the airport in time to catch the flight and playing football.”     

 

Now the player is enticed.  Some decide to accept this offer and become hired guns or mercenaries for the team offering this sweet deal.  (If you’ve never had someone slither up to you making this offer, it feels something like a solicitation from the Devil’s Advocate – Apple anyone?)  Amazingly, there are some players who refuse these offers, but not many.   And more often than not, once a player gets a taste of one of these deals, they can never be the same.  In fact, most come to expect it and in some cases demand it.  Nothing wrong with wanting to be compensated for your services – trust me, I understand, I go to work everyday feeling the exact same way.   

But I’m not here to talk about the player, no matter how much I disagree with those decisions.  I’m here to talk about the teams who utilize this approach tournament after tournament and still come up empty handed, feeling like Daniel Snyder around week 12.    So as they say, I’m not “hatin’ the player, I’m hatin’ the game.”  Now I’m not calling out any teams in particular, but it does appear that there’s a pattern with certain teams.  And yes, these are the same ones complaining after each tournament about how this guy didn’t do that and that guy didn’t do this.   

Interesting how the first thing that breaks down when you buy players is the trust in the team concept.  Believing that the next guy has your back is tough when you know he probably won’t be there for the next tourney.    If you want to know how to win or if integrity means anything (which I’m starting to think it doesn’t) these money-spenders should take a note or two from teams like the Packers(MD), Main Event (NY), or even Da Show (NC) (shout-out for the victory down in CLT).  

Those teams have it figured out.  Believe in each other, built some consistency, and play as a team.   As most of you read, the MCFFU has created a rule that seems intended to curtail this practice of buying players.  I guess I’m not the only one “hatin the game” now.  If you haven’t heard, going forward teams will have the ability to franchise 12 players on their roster.  In my view, this is a step in the right direction.  I’m not sure if it’s the answer or if it can even be enforced, but at least it’s an effort.  Keeping a competitive union is imperative going forward and it relies on allowing teams to grow and build some consistency.  And if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m all for any rule that preserves the integrity of competition.   

As this week’s tournament in VA approaches, things are going to get mighty interesting.  Is the franchise rule really going to affect the game?  Who’s going to allow themselves to get bought this time around?  Your guess is as good as mine. But do me a favor, while the tournament is going on, just take a look at the teams that seem to be loaded but can’t win and then take a look at the teams that are yet again in the Final Four and Championship.   Now you tell me, who’s getting the most bang for their buck?

 

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