Cincyfan78
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I have to wonder, if the guarantees increase - what can smaller market teams that don't have that cash on hand do?I agree 100%. Cash-poor teams are going to be strapped by the escrow requirement. I feel like that provision must have been put in place to discourage owners from offering guarantees. Almost a way for owners to protect themselves against themselves. But the problem is that now we have owners that have extreme wealth from other sources. Liquid assets aren't as difficult to come by for some of these guys.
Maybe there is a provision that allows certain teams to not have cash on hand if they can show a certain balance sheet over X amount of years for revenue - basically showing that they have a history of financials that shows they will have that money in the future...risky proposition, though, but the NFL could also step in and absorb any potential loss/issue. There would, obviously, be repercussions for failing to be able to pay debts - either suspending their ability to offer higher guarantees, to having to sell the team....
Not sure what the answer is - but it is 100% going to force these smaller market teams, or owners who own a team as their sole means of what they actually make their money from, to find new avenues/ways to generate revenue (i.e. giving in on naming rights).