The #CFL needs to fix its operations cap. I understand why they put it in, to prevent teams from buying all the top end talent but it has 3 major flaws. It prevents teams from disposing poor coaches/GMs when they need to retain salaries which results in a poorer product. It creates this need to create hybrid coach/GM positions which I’ll argue usually makes a poor product (hello Calgary and Edmonton). And finally it prevents the retention of quality coaches/GMs that have
1/ #CFLOM
proven their worth. I’m beyond pissed that the Bombers may not keep Kyle Walters, arguably the best GM in the league, because they can’t stay within the cap and pay him what he deserves.
Two things that can be done? Don’t include retained salaries for fired staff in the cap. Or at least a healthy portion of the retained salaries. And after so many years in a position don’t include further raises in the cap. A coach/GM that has done a good job for the organization and is kept
@NunavutBirder Your second idea's a good one, but the first one opens a pretty big loophole.
Suppose there are two teams that are both in the market for a head coach. Both have enough to spend the full coaching cap on their staff, but Team A has a substantial excess that Team B does not (that is, in the absence of the cap, Team A could afford to spend much more on coaching than Team B). If fired coaches are exempt from the cap, Team A can offer longer contracts to outcompete Team B for talent. The downside to a long contract - you have more dollars left owing on the books if you fire him - prevents Team B from matching Team A's offer, because Team B would need that money to pay the replacement, while Team A can afford to pay both the fired coach and his replacement.
@khird Pretty ray to fix that loophole though. Limit the length of contract that qualifies for not including a retained salary in the cap. Say three years. Beyond that the salary gets retained.