- Franchise player
Franchise Player is a modern term used in
sports to describe an athlete who is not simply the best player on their team, but a player that the team can build their franchise around for the foreseeable future. The misnomer that a franchise player is only "the best player on a team" disregards the fact that an inordinately bad team will undoubtedly still employ a player with superior skills, relative to his team. However, such a player could be so bad in comparison to players at-large that labeling such a player as a franchise player would be inappropriate. It is an elite status, but it is not necessarily a singular position; a large team such as anAmerican football team might have a few franchise players at different positions. The term may be used alongside a particular position name to describe a player, such as a "franchisequarterback ".The origin of the term is unknown. It has frequently been applied since the advent of
free agency in sports, which made it less likely for players to stay with one team for their entire career. A franchise player has the confidence of the organization and has the comfort of knowing that he will not be benched for a long period of time when healthy. Ideally, the franchise player will generate both wins and revenue for his team, and after a successful career, will be forever remembered as a member of that team.Franchise players have some of the following specific characteristics:
* They are signed to lucrative, multi-year contracts.
* They may be promoted as the "face of the franchise": signing local and national endorsement deals, making appearances in television comercials, and selling team jerseys to consumers in the team's fan base.NFL usage
The term also has a separate contractual definition within the National Football League. A team can designate a player as its franchise player and therefore restrict the player from entering free agency. In return, the team must pay the player a premium salary. The
NFL requires that a franchise player be paid at least the average of the top 5 players in the league at his position, or 120% of his previous year's salary, whichever is greater. The franchise player status lasts for only 1 year and can be renewed, but if not renewed the player is granted unrestricted free agency. In practice, the franchise player rule is not often put into effect; it is more frequently used as a negotiating tactic by the team to convince a player to sign a long term deal.ee also
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List of National Basketball Association Retired Numbers
*List of Major League Baseball retired numbers References
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