From a fans-eye view, the answer to the last question is always a big “my team,” though GMs don’t always share that view. When we take a look at our BBA teams using their current payrolls and their respective budgets, however, we can get a starting place for where teams might be.
Boise, for example, looks to be cash-rich—leading the league at $73M under budget (of course, they still need to pay for staff and draft pick bonuses and whatever…but you get the idea. Boise is a young team both in player age and in existence. They may not be quite ready to stomp on the pedal right yet.
Charm City might be a different question. The Jimmies have been lying low recently, accumulating their resources. They’re almost ready to burst on the scene again, and with something nearing $60M to play with, one suspects that the right candidate might open up the checkbook. Louisville, too, looks to have some cash to throw around, and new GM Stephen Shaw is a bit of an unknown in BBA circles. Will he jump in, or play it cagey?
Hawaii, Atlantic City, Vancouver, Montreal, Wichita, and Huntsville fill the next slots. All of them are in different situations, but several seem to be in positions to leverage the right resource into respectability. Hawaii, Montreal, Wichita, and Huntsville are my personal candidates, but yours might vary. I can make a case for Atlantic City, and Vancouver has enough kid-power around to make a splash possible.
Only at number 10 and 11 on the list do we hit our first established winners in Seattle and non-dynasty Jacksonville [grin].
Bottom line is that over half the league has as much as $20M to spend. Mexico City, Yellow Springs, and San Fernando sit at $12-$16M. Des Moines reads $10M, but their budget is so low they probably can’t play in the game unless they use PPT to buy it up.
It’s the calm before the storm, though. Front offices around the league are sitting quietly right now, very few giving indications of what they might be thinking.
It should be fun to watch what happens.
Team | Payroll | Current Budget | Available |
---|---|---|---|
Boise Spuds | $34,875,000 | $108,000,000 | $73,125,000 |
Charm City Jimmies | $47,100,000 | $106,000,000 | $58,900,000 |
Louisville Sluggers | $53,157,500 | $110,000,000 | $56,842,500 |
Hawaii Tropics | $30,113,500 | $78,000,000 | $47,886,500 |
Atlantic City Gamblers | $64,211,500 | $110,000,000 | $45,788,500 |
Vancouver Mounties | $48,266,500 | $94,000,000 | $45,733,500 |
Montreal Blazers | $64,632,750 | $114,000,000 | $45,367,250 |
Wichita Aviators | $67,667,500 | $114,000,000 | $42,332,500 |
Huntsville Phantoms | $80,150,000 | $120,000,000 | $29,850,000 |
Seattle Storm | $80,745,000 | $136,000,000 | $29,255,000 |
Jacksonville Hurricanes | $82,176,000 | $128,000,000 | $27,824,000 |
Nashville Goats | $82,527,500 | $108,000,000 | $25,472,500 |
California Crusaders | $84,755,000 | $156,000,000 | $25,245,000 |
New Orleans Crawdads | $86,776,000 | $132,000,000 | $23,224,000 |
San Antonio Outlaws | $87,855,000 | $130,000,000 | $22,145,000 |
Madison Wolves | $89,859,000 | $116,000,000 | $20,141,000 |
Mexico City Aztecs | $91,827,500 | $108,000,000 | $16,172,500 |
Yellow Springs Nine | $97,125,000 | $142,000,000 | $12,875,000 |
San Fernando Bears | $98,190,000 | $132,000,000 | $11,810,000 |
Des Moines Kernels | $76,175,000 | $87,000,000 | $10,825,000 |
Phoenix Talons | $102,092,000 | $114,000,000 | $7,908,000 |
Las Vegas Hustlers | $102,975,000 | $120,000,000 | $7,025,000 |
Brooklyn Robins | $86,432,500 | $93,000,000 | $6,567,500 |
Long Beach Surfers | $103,653,000 | $148,000,000 | $6,347,000 |
Omaha Hawks | $103,815,000 | $144,000,000 | $6,185,000 |
Edmonton Jackrabbits | $104,241,625 | $110,000,000 | $5,758,375 |
Valencia Stars | $84,861,500 | $90,000,000 | $5,138,500 |
Calgary Pioneers | $107,377,500 | $150,000,000 | $2,622,500 |
Twin Cities River Monsters | $109,128,750 | $120,000,000 | $871,250 |
Rockville Pikemen | $110,756,500 | $148,000,000 | ($756,500) |