Mo's Money
- Wade
Yesterday a federal judge declared the NFL rule requiring that players be out of high school three years before entering the draft is anticompetitive, and therefore illegal. U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin is apparently a fan of economic and free market regulations; she obviously isn't a sports fan.
In the strictest of economic senses, I agree with the ruling. A rule stating that a particular portion of the "supply" of potential NFL athletes is unable to enter the market simply based on years out of high school is arbitrary and unfair. Especially in light of the successes of athletes who went from high school directly to the pros in other sports. Kevin Garnett. Kobe Bryant. Pete Incaviglia. Let everyone in, the laissez-faire judge says. The market should be smart enough to not draft these teenagers if they're not viable NFLers, at least in the long run.
But if NFL teams are like NBA teams, they won't be smart enough. Or they haven't been so far. Kobe and KG (and even Amare Stoudamire) aside, there have been a lot more misses than hits in drafting high schoolers. Jonathan Bender, Leon Smith, Darius Miles, DeShawn Stevenson, and Kwame Brown are just a handful of players taken in the first round without setting foot on college hardwood. Although they've experienced some success, they've also had their share of developmental difficulties. (And I know I'm leaving out LeBron.) And, on a macro level, I'd argue that the quality of plan in the NBA level has been watered down-- not necessarily by the high schoolers alone, but with help from college players who leave after their first or second year.
I don't blame the players. Would you turn down millions of dollars in endorsements and a contract if you could get it? Especially if your stock would go down in college, or if you got injured. I can't especially blame the teams, either. What if Tyson Chandler is (was going to be) the next Garnett? Would you really want to pass up on that chance?
So the NBA needs a rule to prevent all of these unprepared youngsters from entering the game and affecting the quality of the game. Like the NFL's rule that just got thrown out.
What do you think? Drop us a line at webmaster@simpleprop.com and give us some
feedback. Maybe we'll even run your letters in future Gambits. 'The Daily Gambit' is updated every weekday.
