Unfortunately... Money Talks

Sports are supposed to be about the thrill of the moment… Being the guy standing at the plate in the bottom of the 9th with two outs, a 2 and 2 count with the game winning run standing on second. Or… 5.8 seconds left in the game, you’re trailing by 1, and you have to take the ball the whole length of the court for a game winner. How about…the wind is blowing in your face, the game is tied and you’re about to attempt the longest field goal of your career. These are the moments, the reasons we attend sporting events. We go for the thrill, the excitement; to watch our favorite team(s) bring home the W! Then to come home, walk through the door and look your family and friends in the eye and say…“I was there!” To say “I was there,” is not just a saying, but a state of a euphoria! The feeling that not only you and whoever else was in the stadium mattered that day/night, but ever lasting memories that you will share for years to come.

I read a Buster Olney article a few weeks back, maybe even a month ago, of how in these economic times players need to connect to the fan more than ever. As a fan and a season ticket holder, it’s absolutely ridiculous the amount of money these athletes are making. On my way to work this morning, listening to Mike and Mike in the morning, they were talking about a study/poll that was conducted about fans take on sports and specifically baseball… Those results showed that 40% of fans feel the biggest problem in baseball is the player’s salaries with steroids coming in second at 22%. Which brings me to my question…? Who’s to blame for this problem? The players? The Agents? The Owners? Us… the fans?

I am sure everyone has an opinion on who’s to blame for the outrageous salaries in today’s game, but I will try to offer an expert opinion. (And by expert, I mean someone who just watches a lot of sports) One thing I recall from watching countless hours of ESPN was something the former GM of the Mets Steve Phillips stated on the show months ago was… “The Agent is an extension of the player…” This is was something I always agreed with. The words that come out of the agent’s mouth are some; if not all the words the player is speaking. Some of you may disagree but, remember the player PAYS the agent. He is the boss; he is the one than has the power to fire his agent, therefore in my mind controls the relationship.

Now with that being said, the agent has the opportunity to come back and inform the player… “Hey, the market is set, you are this caliber of player, as a result we can ask for X amount.” So what is the player suppose to do? “No, that’s right. That’s too much money. I can’t accept that” player says with soft sensitive voice. WRONG… The same thing anyone would do… Turn to his agent and say, “I am just as good if not better than player X; go get me a similar contract…” player says in thuggish tough guy voice. With the money teams are offering up these days, a player would be a damn fool not to ask for the same kind of deal. Part of the problem, the player… What happened to just playing baseball/football/basketball? We want to believe the player cares of the team he plays for and the fans that cheer him on. It seems as though they don't realize how good they have it, and how much it time and effort it cost us to go see them play a kids game. If these guys truly love this game, respect this game; the game they have been playing since they were 5, then the money shouldn’t be the deciding factor on where they play or in some cases, (Manny) how hard they play. If they played the game, the same way when they were young…playing hard, playing smart, playing right, and trying to be the greatest there is, then they’ll earn the Quan!

The other answer (the real answer)… The owners! Not sure who started it, who offered the first big contract, but all it took was for one owner to set the market and now guys like AROD, Manny, CC, Johan, Zito, and Zambrano can ask for what the market value is at their position. If the damn market wasn’t set so damn high for guys who throw, catch and hit a ball for a living (not to mention earn hundreds of millions of dollars and can retire from the working world by age 35, while the rest of us work till we are 65) then the rest of America wouldn’t resent these players that we have grown to idolize. The owners have given into the agent/player demands because they didn’t want to miss out on the next big thing. Well teams like the Marlins and Rays of recent years have shown you can win without spending the big bucks on the players listed above. The owners gave it up quicker than a hooker on a Friday night (sorry, that was a bad joke). But nonetheless it’s true. They all gave in, they all want the big star that will drive ticket sales, and merchandise. The "star" will pay for itself. Which is why you can’t blame the fans... can you?

I, the fan, (I voice my opinion and speak for no one else) should not be blamed. I attend games because I am a fan. I have been a fan my whole life and will continue to be one until I no longer walk this earth. I go to sporting events, to cheer my teams, as I have become an extension of them. And when I refer to them, I say we. I have invested time, money, sweat and tears into each team, and therefore have earned the right to say “we” when talking about them. I go to see great players, achieve great things. (And If I had the money would go see a lot more) Just like my Dad went and saw Mickey Mantle and still speaks his graces till this day, I will continue to attend baseball games, and sporting events to witness moments of great magnitude. To hopefully see something I have never seen before. To escape from reality and get caught up in the diving catch, the play at the plate, the game winning shot, and to share high fives with a family member, friend, or even a complete stranger. I go to say… I was there!