This was inspired by the Brandon Marshall trade demand. Why is that we never hear about the Pittsburgh Steelers in such a situation? They seem to get a player from the draft, give him a reasonable deal, he plays out his deal and they re-up in the offseason. No drama.
What are the model franchises in sports? We know the dysfunctional ones pretty much by heart because they are constantly in the MSM.
In the NFL, the list ends and begins with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Rooney family are the quintessential football family dynasty. They won Super Bowls in the 70s, drafted Bradshaw and let him lead. Now they found an absolute steal with Roethlisberger in the 2004 draft and have won two Super Bowls in this decade. They keep reloaded at linebacker and keep it moving.
I looked in the NFC, but couldn't find another team. The Indianapolis Colts would be another choice. This offseason is the most turmoil from the Indy camp in a very long time and that's because of some turnover. Colts' players sign a deal and then eventually restructure it to allow them to restructure more deals. When is the last time you heard of a trade demand or a hold out from Peyton, Addai, Wayne, etc?
In the NBA, it would be the San Antonio Spurs. They had the Admiral suffer an injury plagued season and then won the Tim Duncan sweepstakes, which netted them a title soon after he joined the team. Then they found Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili through due diligence and they have a core for another 2-3 seasons with Tim Duncan as the lynchpin. The owner, GM, and coach are all in synch. As much as I hate Bruce Bowen's questionable defense, the organization is how it should be done.
The Utah Jazz would be a candidate for the 2nd team. They have a long time coach, a good owner and GM. That's the recipe for a stable organization. Their franchise players are locked into long term deals. The only issue they have is signing the other players to surround the franchise players.
In the NHL, probably the Detroit Red Wings. They lose players, sign new ones, and keep it moving. You never hear anything about signing problems or trade demands. Mostly because players are willing to sign at a discount for the chance at a title.
Since I'm not that up on NHL, I can't think of a good second team. My gut tells me to go with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have a stable of players and nary a word about any money troubles.
I couldn't think of a good example for MLB because they don't have to be fiscally responsible. There is no salary cap so players can sign a 10 year, $252M contract. So I had to leave MLB out.
Thoughts? Am I on point or off base?
In other news, this is the Stankoniforous Files 301st post. We been doing it for a minute here. WE plan to keep on doing too.
