Business as usual, right? Unfortunately, it is. Sports today are not the sports of yesterday. Teams are run like Fortune 500 Organizations rather than, well, sports teams. The majority of the 20th Century brought sports teams that were the face of communities. Today, our professional athletes change team colors more than some players use to in an entire career.
The likes of Garrett Anderson, Tim Salmon, Sandy Koufax, among others, spent their entire careers with their respective teams. What players used to call families, fans call organizations now. Salaries are through the roof, and performance has suffered. The face that represented the sport of baseball in its untainted form, Alex Rodriguez, just admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. So in an era of tainted performances, what reason do we have to stay loyal to our teams, to our players, and to our sport.
These feelings extend beyond just baseball. Athletes in all sports have become figures above the law. NFL and NBA athletes have been convicted of drug use, possession, of illegal firearm possession and use. And yet, their salaries continue to rise. Yet, their performance continues to decrease; along with it goes their work ethic and dedication to the “team.”
These superhuman attitudes have raised the athletes’ egos and their asking price. Take Manny Ramirez. An undisputed great baseball player, with an undisputed horrible attitude. He has faked injuries, spoken out against his team, talked down teammates, and thrown around his paychecks like they were chump change. Arguably one of the highest paid players in the sport, Ramirez is asking for a career- ending contract that lasts at least four or five years, at Alex Rodriguez pay – the equivalent of between $25-30 million a year.
His performance speaks for itself – when he is on, he is on. In the roughly two months he spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he exceeded his teammates in most categories, matching their season- long performances. But Ramirez was motivated. He was out of Boston, in a new town where fans and citizens not only gave their respect, they left him alone. But he was playing for a contract the next season, a free agent at the end of the season. His parting words as he ascended the players’ elevator for perhaps the final time at Dodger Stadium in Dodger Blue – “May the highest bidder win.”
The Dodgers organization has been more than willing to pony up the money. The team has placed three generous offers on the table – all of which Ramirez’s representatives quickly turned down. It is worth mentioning that Ramirez is represented by the infamous Scott Boras Enterprises. All emotions aside, this sports agency represents the scum of the scum. Boras is known for his ability to squeeze every last penny out of teams when negotiating the contracts of his clientele (and when I say penny, I am speaking on a scale of millions).
The point I am trying to make is that sports have become outrageously defined by money, salaries that rival those of some CEO’s. In such tough economic times, why should players be given so much money? It inflates their ego, and often times degrades their performance. With the comfort of a long-term, multi-million dollar contract, players lose the incentive to perform to their highest ability. And sports teams are no different – they try to run themselves like efficient, profit producing machines.
Salary negotiations are still ongoing with Ramirez, as talks between the two parties continue. Spring Training has already begun, Ramirez remains unsigned, and teams are looking for closure. Given the state of the economy, the financial burdens teams are facing currently will more than likely prevent Ramirez from getting the length of contract he desires. But, the money has been thrown out there by the Dodgers organization. We will see what happens. But for baseball’s sake, something needs to happen. And it needs to happen from the top. The Office of the Commissioner needs to make changes, and they need to be made soon. Whether it is a salary cap or tighter rules and restrictions on contracts, Bug Selig needs to take steps to bring baseball back to what it used to be – a sport, not a business.
[photo by Zkonedog]
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