Does Major League Baseball Really Need a Salary Cap?

Parity truly has arrived in Major League Baseball. Amazingly, nine teams in the National League are within striking distance of a playoff spot. In the American League, eight teams have a legitimate shot at reaching the post-season. That's 17 of 30 total teams with meaningful baseball to play over the last two and a half months of the season. However, there are still many people who insist baseball needs a salary cap. They cry that MLB does not provide a level playing field for all teams. But would a salary cap really improve Major League Baseball?

Over the past 15 years, MLB has witnessed a tremendous change in league wide competitiveness. Most of this can be attributed to realignment and a new playoff system that was devised after the strike in 1994. As most of you know, each league went from having two divisions to having three. Four new playoff teams were added - two in each league. As a result, pennant races have become more exciting. The realignment accomplished exactly what MLB wanted; more teams alive and kicking for a longer portion of the season. This, in turn, has generated more fan interest leading to more ticket sales and higher TV ratings. Of course, there were other rules introduced which helped make the regular season more meaningful and dramatic.

Even though there is no specific salary cap in MLB, there are new ways in which the league has created more balance amongst the big, medium, and small market teams; for example, the creation of Major League Baseball Advanced Media (mlb.com). Started in 2001, baseball's digital arm has found success in generating new sources of income for all teams, since the money made by their endeavors are split evenly amongst MLB's 30 clubs. Furthermore, MLB implemented a luxury tax whereby teams that spend money over a specific threshold must pay a tax that is then divided up amongst the other teams. These, along with a few other revenue sharing methods, have allowed medium and small market teams to sign their young talent to longer-term contracts. Of course, not all teams reinvest this money into their teams, as we will explore in future posts.

As I mentioned on this blog two weeks ago, parity in baseball is also being achieved by an infusion of young talent that is more Major League ready than ever before. Teams with smaller payrolls have been willing and able to take advantage of this cheap labor, therefore becoming more competitive and financially efficient at the same time. Even teams who have fallen out of the pennant race are generating excitement thanks to young phenoms who give fans hope of a bright future. Just think Stephen Strasburg in Washington, and Mike Stanton in Florida.

When it comes to those who favor a salary cap for baseball, they often point to the success of the National Football League, which implements a strict ceiling on how much money each team is allowed to spend on players (excluding this upcoming season). The reasoning holds that if richer teams cannot outspend poorer ones in a disproportionate way, then talent will be more widely dispersed amongst the 32 teams. While there is some truth to this, it is far from the only reason for the NFL's parity and success. For example, the NFL benefits from a shorter schedule, which naturally creates closer records in the standings. In addition, injuries, along with the overall nature of the game itself, provide more uncertainty and add an element of unpredictability to the season.

But let's go back to the original debate; does baseball need a salary cap? There are legitimate cases to be made for both sides of the argument. As you can probably tell, I don't think there needs to be a hard cap similar to the NFL (Yes, I am a Yankee fan, but really that's not why I think this way). I believe through creativity and the development of terrific young talent, Major League Baseball will continue seeing great pennant races and league wide parity.

Going forward over the next few days and weeks, I will examine several teams from around the league. I will try and show how teams from different markets - small, medium, and large - thrive or fail in today's economic environment. Baseball is on the upswing without a salary cap. Don't let anyone tell you different. 

Sports Betting Champ - Does it Really Work?

Sports Betting Champ is a system developed by John Morrison, a betting professional with more then 28 years of experience. He offers betting systems all the major sports: NBA, MLB and NFL. The average win rate in sports betting is about 50% while professional bettors can achieve about 60%. The system's sales pitch is that if offers a 97% win rate.

Is this really possible?
With straight wagers this kind of win rate is certainly impossible. John Morrison's system is not about making straight wagers and winning 97% of the time. It uses what is called progressive betting, with a three game series. It is carefully crafted to minimize your losses and to maximize your winnings.

The juicy information
Every professional bettor knows how to turn even the slightest edge into pure profit. If you apply the Sports Betting Champ system intelligently you can have a huge advantage. This translates into large profits in a short timeframe. It's not about luck, its about having carefully crafted strategy and sound money management plan.

That is what separates the winners from the losers in the long run. Sports Betting Champ is not one of those complex betting systems, which are extremely hard to understand. It is quite simple for the average person to apply the system and see the results.

Many people lost a lot of money looking for the perfect betting system. I'm sad to declare that I'm one of them. I decided to put the system to the ultimate test.

Could This Diet Pill Really Be the Secret Weapon in Your Weight Loss Arsenal?

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I've tried several diet pill in the last few years, I think I finally found a winner. It's one of the most popular diet pills on the market, it helps you lose weight by increasing your metabolic rate, promotes the burning of body fat (thermogenesis) and helps control weight management, food cravings and suppresses the appetite by slowing the absorption of serotonin. The formula also includes the components of Hoodia that made that such a great weight loss product. In case you are not familiar with it, Hoodia is a cactus like plant indigenous to the Kalahari desert in Africa. The local tribesmen have used it for years before going on hunts to eliminate their hunger.

After trial and error, I found the best way to select an effective diet pill, is to find one that helps you weight on three fronts;

Increases the metabolic rate, promoting thermogenesis (the burning of stored body fat).

Slows the absorption of serotonin, which helps in weight management by controlling food cravings and suppressing the appetite.

Inhibits the absorption of dietary fats by acting as a lipase inhibitor.

This diet pill,has consistently yielded me great results. There is no set or guaranteed amount of weight loss, however, my experience is that you should begin to see results within the first week You'll also feel the energizing effects in approximately 30 minutes which may last up to six hours.

Of course any diet pill works best in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise program. It's is very effective, but long term weight loss is more about changing bad eating and lifestyle habits. I use effective weight loss supplements like this one to kickstart my weight loss program when I find myself packing on some extra pounds, and after about a month begin relying on exercise and diet to maintain my desired weight.