First, are the links to the articles. Second, the cover art for the Caponomics book. Third, a short message on an upcoming project, a bit of a public service announcement.
Steelers Wire at USA Today
The links attached are to a piece I did for Steelers Wire at USA Today last week before the holiday. It actually stems from the work I was doing during the spring when I thought that this book was going to include an analysis of the 2014 teams on top of the theories and the chapters on the 21 Super Bowl champion with the analysis of each of them.
My editor at Steelers Wire, Neal Coolong, had to split it into two parts because the length, but this is what my book after the 2015 season will look like as I will break down all 32 teams and explain why they were or were not successful due to the salary cap.
Part 2: http://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2015/07/03/steelers-salary-cap-projections-past-caponomics-book/
Caponomics News
For those of you waiting on Caponomics, I’ve got some good news! I will be splitting the book up into three books as of now with the first one on the Front Office Theories coming out in August! After that, there will be a book that should be analyzing the theories that I’ve created regarding Quarterback Spending and Spending Patterns of Super Bowl champions.
Considering how long I’ve made what was originally going to be a chapter on Front Office Theories, who knows if these two topics become their own books. I’m not concerned with that as I think these are deep topics to get into that you guys will thoroughly enjoy and I’ll write however much I think it takes to properly explain my ideas on the topics.
The third, or potentially fourth book, is going to be the basis and culmination of all these theories as it will be a deep analysis of each of the 21 Super Bowl champions of the salary cap era using the theories. Of course, some champions aren’t exactly explainable through the theories like the two Giants champions as they really came out of nowhere, but they do have plenty that can be explained by the theories. It is important to remember that the theories will become a sort of general guideline that can be applied to teams, but by no means is it any sort of law. This book is the first step in my process of trying to dissect what makes certain NFL teams great in the way that Tim Ferriss tried to dissect what makes remarkable performers successful like he’s done in interviews with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stephen Dubner, Ryan Holiday, Peter Thiel, Triple H, and many others. This is my attempt at understanding how to construct a Super Bowl champion team through the salary cap and I have full confidence that the topic is something you guys will love.
Let me be clear, I definitely don’t think I know everything on this topic. This book is meant to be a sort of releasing of my notes and ideas on the topic into the football-verse as I a) think that I’m able to communicate ideas that many of us have, b) with the amount of time that I’ve spent researching that, I know I have a good understanding and c) I’m hoping that it sparks a sort of Moneyball movement in the NFL as I find the NFL salary cap incredibly interesting.
What’s been really fun to see is the way that the research I’ve been doing has really sparked this sort of entrepreneurial zest in me through the way the knowledge I’ve gained from it is applicable across industries. I think the book will display and help any young entrepreneur learn how to analyze financials and use the creative process to pursue their own entrepreneurial venture.
In closing, check out the latest draft of the cover for Caponomics, which was done by Adam Doyle who has done a remarkable job bringing my words and ideas that I gave him to life. As you’ll see, it’s a random assortment of characters, but many of the people in this illustration are people who have inspired me in the process of making this book a reality. Outside of the stadium, you’ll see my favorite podcasters like Joe Rogan, Joey Diaz, Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen, and Tim Ferriss will soon be included. Inside the stadium, you see Dave Diehl and Brian Cushing pushing a prowler sled with my entrepreneurial mentor and educator, although those words don’t do him justice, Joe DeFranco. On the sidelines are coaches like Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll and Jimmy Johnson who are just some of the greatest minds that football has ever had and who inspired me throughout this writing process with their brilliance. See who else you can find in the illustration!
Upcoming project and other thoughts
Not to be sentimental or anything, but at the time that I started writing for Over The Cap, I had a lot of negative stuff going on in my life. I was in constant pain because of a neck injury from my time playing football and I was certainly addicted to the pain killers that I was legally prescribed by my doctor. I can not stress the importance that the legalization of marijuana could have on this country, but especially the game of football. In the coming months, I plan on driving to Colorado to use marijuana to kick the pain killers that I’m prescribed for good and write about it. Obviously, as you can see above, I’ve got a lot of stuff to write in the next few months, but this is an important topic for me personally and it should be for anyone who’s an NFL agent. If you want to represent your players best interests, then get the pills out of the locker rooms and the pot in. I’ve had two former teammates die from heroin overdoses that started with addiction to painkillers and who knows how many others are out there either dead or living a life with a mind that’s trapped in the prison of addiction. I know there are plenty of former NFL players who deal with this struggle every day in a way that I couldn’t even fathom.
I live by the Joe Rogan quote, “be the hero of your own movie,” so the hero of my movie would drive to Colorado, stop using pain killers through the use of marijuana to display how silly it is that this drug is illegal in the United States because of the positive affect it can have on a wide variety of ailments and issues. Then that person would write a book about the entire experience as an example of how silly the prohibition of this drug is. So that’s what I’m going to do. As much as I love writing about the NFL salary cap, I’ve never felt more compelled to do something than I feel to write this book. I’ve just got to get my ducks in a row here at home first.
At the time that I started at Over The Cap, I kind of had an idea of what I wanted to do with my life, but I had no idea about how I was going to get there or really what I was even doing. These podcasters really changed my life and my mental state, my doctors have made my back feel a lot better, while mywork for OverTheCap has given me something that I enjoy and that has opened up a writing career that I wake up every morning fired up for. I’m hopeful that these books make this career a reality, so I can continue to head down this path.
In terms of the podcasts, if you’re having any issues, I can’t stress the importance of filling your mind with positive content. My e-mails also all over this site if you ever want to reach out.
I’m honored that Jason Fitzgerald gave me this platform last year and I couldn’t express how thankful I am for him doing that because this has become such a passion of mine. I hope that these books I’m writing help spread my passion for the cap, business, economics, American ingenuity and life in general.
In honor of Independence Day weekend, if you haven’t read Nate Boyer’s MMQB article on The American Dream, read it: http://mmqb.si.com/2015/06/29/nate-boyer-seahawks-shia-lebeouf-american-dream-nfl/
As always, if you want to join the e-mail list for Caponomics, e-mail me at Caponomics@gmail.com to get a chapter on the 2000 Ravens and be alerted to when the book will be made available.
@ZackMooreNFL