Professional Athletes: Are They Really Worth That Much?

Football is over halfway done, basketball just began, and baseball teams are trying to sign and resign players during its offseason.  The athletes in these associations make millions upon millions of dollars a year.  In the 2009-2010 season, the lowest payroll amounts for the NFL, NBA, and MLB, respectively, were the Kansas City Chiefs at $81,829,650, the Los Angeles Clippers at $32,158,856, and the Pittsburg Pirates' with $34,943,000 (USAtoday.com).

Each league also has a minimum wage that every athlete must earn.  And obviously, it is no where NEAR the federal minimum wage.  According to careerbuilder.com, for the 2009 season, the NFL's minimum wage was $310,000, the MLB started at $400,000, and the NBA began at $457,588.  On a side note, the NHL's starting salary was the highest at $500,000.

What about limits on how much a team can pay for players?

Until recently, the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL all had salary caps.  Due to team owners opting out of the collective bargaining agreement, during the current season, with the players' union, the NFL currently does not have a salary cap.  The MLB uses the "luxury tax" method, which basically means there is a limit and a team can exceed that limit but they will pay a luxury tax on the total amount over the limit.

This all leads up to the big question....are they worth what they are paid?

With the recent negotiations with MLB free agent, Derek Jeter, I was inspired to talk about this topic.  Jeter and his agent were asking for a 4-6 year contract and $22-$24 million a year.  And they still thought he was worth more than that.  But if you look at his stats from this past season, it was one of his worst seasons and yet, he still felt he was worth more than $24 million.  As of today, ESPN was reporting that he was coming close to signing a 3-year contract at $17 million a year.

Then there is Michael Crabtree in the NFL, who held out for half of the 2009 season for the San Francisco 49ers and was willing to sit out the whole season so he could re-enter the draft because he felt he was worth more than the $23 million that the Oakland Raiders guaranteed to their first draft pick, Darrius Heyward-Bey.  Crabtree finally agreed to a 6-year contract at $32 million, with a guarantee of $17 million in October of 2009.

These players often think they are worth more than they really are.  They haven't played a professional game and seem to think they should be paid the same as other athletes who have been in the league for years.  Athletes need to prove that they are worth what they are asking for.  What if a team agrees to some contract paying a ridiculous amount of money and within a couple games, the player gets a season-ending or, even worse, a career ending injury?  They are going to be paid all this money to sit on a bench and the team has to pay that player for nothing. It becomes pointless.

There should be a probationary period for rookies in any sport.  Any typical job has one so why should professional sports be any different?  It should be one-third of whatever their contract is.  It gives them a chance to prove themselves and to be held accountable for their performance, as well as their physical and mental health.  And if they happen to get injured, the team won't waste more money than they would have been.

For example, the number one 2010 NFL draft pick, Sam Bradford, signed a record breaking contract for a rookie:  a 6-year, $78 million dollar deal with a guarantee of $50 million.  When you look at his numbers for the season so far, he has held up his end of the deal.  He ties a record for the most touchdowns in eight games by a rookie and holds the record for the most consecutive passes without an interception for a rookie.  And on November 28, he became the first rookie to pass for 300 yards and three touchdowns without an interception during a win on the road.

On the other side of the spectrum, lets look at last years' number one NFL draft pick, Matthew Stafford.  His 6-year contract was for $41.7 million and he started 10 games out of the season.  He was injured in week 4 and was out for two weeks.   In November, he threw 5 touchdowns, which made him the youngest quarterback to do so, and when his season ended on Christmas Eve, he had thrown or ran for a touchdown in those 10 games.  But at the start of season two, he injured his shoulder in the season opener.  He came back on Halloween but then re-injured his shoulder a week later.  So he's being paid all that money after only playing in 13 games in two years.  Yes, when he did play he was doing a pretty good job but it doesn't change the fact that he has yet to complete an entire season.

Bottom line...Professional athletes need to get off their high horses and take what is offered to them.  They also need a probationary period like any other job out there.  And If they think they are worth more than what they are offered, then they need to prove it in their probationary period.

DUI in a Toy Car....

A father in England got a DUI while he drove.....get this...one of those toy cars that kids can drive.  To top it off he said it was part of a project he was doing with his son...What makes it weirder is that it was a Barbie car.

I don't know who I think is more stupid.  The guy for trying to drive a car meant for a 4-year-old or the police for giving him a DUI in a car he can do NO damage in let alone go more than 5mph.  So driving the car was part of a project, I get it because his son is in a car mechanics course.  Don't know what kind of project they were doing but it was for the purpose of the class.  Why he chose to have a few drinks before participating in this project, I do not know.  And because of a previous DUI, he lost his license for three years!

Ok I know DUI's can happen on bikes and boats, as well as cars.  I'm not dumb.  But really?  A toy car?! Come on!

As for the cops....did you see this guy driving along and think, "No sober adult would do this, lets find out what he is up to."  How did pulling him over go? Haha.
Police-"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
Man-"For going too slow?"
P-"Because we have reason to believe you are under the influence"
M-"Just because I'm in a Barbie car, you think I'm drunk?"
P-"Well aren't you?"

I mean I know they can pull you over for going slow but I never once imagined that being in a kid's toy car could lead to a DUI.  I bet all the cops got a good laugh at the station afterwards too.

You learn something new everyday right?

Its Just A Game!

Since when did a sports game become motive enough to kill a child????

This guy in Texas beat his 2-year-old stepdaughter to death because she cried too much while he watched the World Cup matchup of USA v. Ghana.....wow.

Then, to top it off, he stuffed a SCREW down her throat to make it look like she CHOKED to death!!  Are you serious?!?!  Either way dude you're going to jail.

I mean really!! She was crying because you were a dumbass and not giving her any attention because the stupid World Cup was on.  Heaven forbid the daughter of YOUR WIFE disturbs you during a game where the players don't even know you exist, nor do they care.  USA lost anyway.  You killed that poor, defenseless little girl because of a game.  Do you realize how low that is? Pathetic.  You are anything BUT a man.

I'm a sports fan even though I don't care for the World Cup, but I would never kill a child, or a person for that matter, because they interrupted my watching of a game.  Again...PATHETIC!  This little girl will never go to school, make friends, get married, or grow up at all, because of this game and because of you.  Idiot.

Karma's a Bitch

Joran Van der Sloot....

Need I say more?

First, he meets 18-year-old Natalee Holloway enjoying a senior trip with her school to Aruba. After leaving with him from a club, she is never seen again. He gives cops one story, which turns out to be a lie. He ends up changing his story many times from confessing he killed her to saying she had a seizure on the beach and left her there. He was arrested twice but never charged for lack of evidence.

Now, 5 years TO THE DAY of Natalee's disappearance, Stephany Flores is seen on a security tape going to Van der Sloot's hotel room with him and never coming out. She was found dead in his room. He confesses. A few days later, and to no one's surprise, he takes it back. He also changes his story, first saying robbers killed her and then saying he was tricked into a confession.

The evidence against him is so ridiculously strong that he's screwed. Let's review...the security tape shows the two going into his room around 5 am and only him coming out with his stuff a few hours later, Stephany is found dead IN HIS ROOM, and her blood is ON HIS SHIRT. Dude, face the facts. Your life is officially over. You got away with murder once, you screwed yourself the second time around. Plus, your lawyer daddy is no longer here to help your ass AND you were in a different country. Did he really think the cops were going to send him back to Aruba to be handled by Aruban Police? Obviously he's just another idiot on this planet.

Like I said...KARMA'S A BITCH and Joran Van der Sloot, you are getting what you deserve. Just give it up already. You're done.

What goes around....eventually comes back around.

RIP Natalee Holloway             RIP Stephany Flores

Kid For Sale!

Kid For Sale
A man (for lack of a better word) is accused of putting his son up for sale, $5,000, on craigslist.com.
Seriously?!
He says in the ad that he is a single father who can't care for his 4-year-old anymore.
Ok I understand, parenting is hard and even harder when you have to do it alone. Buttttttt......
That doesn't mean you sell your kid! Life's tough and you'll get through it without having to give your son away. You really think it's just going to be easy for you to hand him to someone else? That's pretty pathetic. This is your child, your responsibility, and you chose to care for him and guess what, that's really immoral to give him up. Even if you went through an adoption agency, that's wrong.
Man up dude and care for your kid.