Grum, you really don't get it...you get mad, but you don't get IT! No one said that NO pro players get injured, but the number of players that are "unable to walk properly" is very low. Are you aware of how many workers in "normal jobs" are killed each year? All occupations have their risks. As to the contract offered to kids right out of high school, again, No One said "millions" (other than you). What they get is good, or great, amounts of money to go play a game, in hopes of making it to the majors and then fantastic amounts of money. Yep, not all make it, for those that don't, it's back to school, or heaven forbid, a real job. You are correct in that they should save some of their money to fall back on...great common sense for anyone. Lastly, They are entertainers with a skill that 99.99999% of the world cannot hope to match. They perform in a business where millions of dollars are made based on their work. To suggest they don't deserve a piece of that multimillion dollar pie is ridiculous. Do people freak out about George Clooney, Jennifer Anniston or Jim Carrey making over $10million/movie? No, everyone seems to think that's acceptable. I , nor cjets, ever said that they don't deserve their money, we just don't want them to gripe about how bad they have it. And remember, even the very best players can be replaced with little effect on the game. A-Rod has one of the top salaries in baseball, but does taking him out of the picture change the game at all? You can take the entire All-Star teams away, and in one year the game will be back to normal, as there are always players in the wings waiting for their shot! The same is true of movie stars, and by the way, those three make well over $20million a movie. Relax man...maybe decaf for the rest of the weekend?
No one said that NO pro players get injured, but the number of players that are "unable to walk properly" is very low. Fair enough. Maybe they can walk. But maybe they can't throw, or have headaches, or back troubles, or post-concussion syndrome, or can't stand up straight some days, or have joints that grind like millstones. I used "walking" as an example. The number of retired players with life-long injuries is probably a lot higher than for which you give credit. And remember, even the very best players can be replaced with little effect on the game. A-Rod has one of the top salaries in baseball, but does taking him out of the picture change the game at all? You can take the entire All-Star teams away, and in one year the game will be back to normal, as there are always players in the wings waiting for their shot! The same is true of movie stars, and by the way, those three make well over $20million a movie. I have no idea what point you are trying to make here. What does "replacing" players have to do with how much they earn? Mr. Grum, I think you just had a moment. Grum, you really don't get it...you get mad, but you don't get IT! Relax man...maybe decaf for the rest of the weekend? I'd love to see the evidence that suggests I was "ranting" or "yelling". No all-caps moments, fully coherent sentences, and no excessive use of exclamation points (in fact, I didn't use a single one). And for the record, I don't drink coffee.
we just don't want them to gripe about how bad they have it. Red herring? You're the first one from both sides of the discussion to bring this up. Not a single quote of a player complaining about his work conditions has been part of this discussion. The argument really is about whether or not they deserve the money they're getting for the kind of work they're doing, and tangentially, whether or not they should still be allowed to form a union now that they make orders of magnitude more money than the average Joe. It's pretty clear on which side you are. For the record... I'd like to nominate "Players are rich so they shouldn't complain" for inclusion in the same group as "_____ isn't really a sport" and "No one cares about your stupid game" as pointless tropes that have been paved parking-lot thick and are officially done to death on SpoFi. I vote for this.
Do people freak out about George Clooney, Jennifer Anniston or Jim Carrey making over $10million/movie? No, everyone seems to think that's acceptable. Oh, yeah? Ask the studio heads about that. They're doing everything they can to lower salaries. And plenty of us Hoi Polloi find their salaries obscene as well. C'mon, you don't question Jennifer Aniston making $10 million for a film? But suggest that a baseball player make $3million/season by throwing a baseball over 95mph (and doing it around 3000 times, not including warm-up pitches, off-day pitching, and off-season practices), and it's like they are stealing the money from an convent. It seems that people would rather the owners keep all the money and that the athlete play for only $50k/year. Show me what I said that even comes close to suggesting this. The athletes deserve a substantial piece of the pie. No question. Hell, I even think college athletes should be paid for the money they generate for their institutions. This is a societal issue. We put these athletes on a pedestal and literally let them get away with murder (OJ, anyone?). Stephen Jackson's little episode is continuing evidence of this. And their salaries reflect this as well. Do I think they deserve their salaries? No. But rather than having the owners keep all the money, what I would suggest is that the pie they share should be smaller ($10 tickets, anyone?) Maybe some of that money could be redirected to firemen, teacher or rebuilding inner city schools. You can play the "they got it good" game with anyone, not just pro athletes. People in Africa are starving; show some gratitude for how fortunate you are and finish your vegetables. rcade, I ALWAYS eat my vegetables. I'd like to nominate "Players are rich so they shouldn't complain" for inclusion in the same group as "_____ isn't really a sport" and "No one cares about your stupid game" as pointless tropes that have been paved parking-lot thick and are officially done to death on SpoFi. Any vast generalization such as "Players are rich so they shouldn't complain" is not a good topic for any conversation. But like it or not, an athlete's salary is, and should be, a conversation worth having. Why else are we continually talking about A-Rod? Or how about the impact of the Salary cap in the NFL? Besides, I never like censorship in any form.
Grum, do you even pause to think before you write? I have no idea what point you are trying to make here. What does "replacing" players have to do with how much they earn? How does that not apply to your comment about the players having a skill that 99.9999999999% of the world can not hope to match? The point is they can be replaced. And qbert, I'd suggest you reread grum's where he goes on about players being booed, and having to pass up an education, or press infiltrating their lives. And, beyond that, reread all of my comments and find the phrase where I said the players don't deserve the money...try real hard because I didn't make that statement. I just don't want to hear them gripe. So, keep your "Red Herring" and "pointless tropes" quotes to yourself until you actually have a point. Thanks for listening, you've been a wonderful audience.
reread grum's where he goes on about players being booed, and having to pass up an education, or press infiltrating their lives I agree that grum's comment can be viewed as complaints against baseball players' work conditions. Now you just need to prove that grum is a major league player earning a 7-figure salary. Good luck. Besides, I never like censorship in any form. I never liked vegetables in any form.
I never liked vegetables in any form. Then maybe you should censor the vegetables.
Vegetables shouldn't be eligible for life insurance either.
I vote we kill summer squash. need to prove that grum is a major league player earning a 7-figure salary. Good luck. If you figure in his signing bonus, grum makes more than seven figures. Taylor was signed for $1.55 million the day before his classes began Taylor suffered a torn labrum while defending his brother in a barfight. C'mon , you're trying to tell people that this guy deserves what? Risk vs. reward. I take a million now and have a shot at the bigs now... or I take a scholarship and risk my chance at the bigs...later. Either way I can still get an education. If I take the money now I not only will be able to afford a college education later, I will have 20 years worth of salary in my pocket already. How about having to work out every day of your life, knowing that if you took a couple weeks off just to "relax" someone is going to tell your boss that you aren't trying hard enough, and you'll probably lose your job That is a "moment" for me, I don't think too many people can say, "Hey, I need a few weeks off to relax." How about passing up an education because some team gave you a chunk of change when you were 18, only to toss you aside before you turned 23 because your skills never got any better, leaving you with no job, no training and no education to help you try and feed yourself and your family for the next 40 years? If the chunk of change is over a million dollars...that should take care of the education/job/ trying to feed the family thing. You seem to be saying that some athletes are being taken advantage of while it seems to me that Mr. Taylor was paid 1.5 million for nothing. There is risk on both sides. I never meant to suggest that you were ranting or yelling, I just thought you were well, having a moment, logically( according to my sense of logic which is firmly planted right behind my sense of humor, which just got beaten by something called common sense, which tells me to leave grum alone.)
I had to scroll back up to see what this thread was about after I read it.
it's never really about what the thread was about now is it? Much more fun to rant about how someone took your point the wrong way. I'm all for eating vegetables. Even if they had to pass up on their college education while they played minor league baseball.
Show me what I said that even comes close to suggesting this. I'm not suggesting you said that the owners should keep the money. I'm saying that if you don't believe the players deserve the money, then it has to go to the owners, since they're the only ones who would get it if the players don't. How does that not apply to your comment about the players having a skill that 99.9999999999% of the world can not hope to match? The point is they can be replaced. For the record, the 99.99999% (too many 9s and it'll be 1-in-1-trillion, instead of 1-in-10-million, which is what I was suggesting) is the ratio of major league baseball players (approximately 600) to the population of the world (approximately 6,000,000). So taking away one major league player or even a whole team of them doesn't alter the ratio enough. I'm all for eating vegetables. Even if they had to pass up on their college education while they played minor league baseball. I'm fine with cucumbers, carrots, celery, beans, peas and pumpkin (in a pie). The rest of the damn, dirty vegetables can stay the hell away from me. Especially the ones that will steal my wallet. Mr. Taylor was paid 1.5 million for nothing. Except that it's never really $1.5million. Figure in the taxes and the agent cut, it's probably closer to $850,000. Now, he has to make that $850,000 last him for the rest of his life. He's obviously not "set for life" if he's expecting to live past 60. I'm not suggesting people set up a charity for the guy, but I'm just pointing out that it's rarely the case where a player is "set for life" from their first contract.
the population of the world (approximately 6,000,000) Oops.
It's a small world after all. Strange fact: tomatoes are a fruit. Broccoli soup? Broccoli is not a flavor. It's a punishment. Who thought of broccoli soup? It's like broccoli cupcakes.
I like broccoli soup. You unimaginable anti-vegite bastard.
Except that it's never really $1.5million You are correct. By the time you add in SUTA, FUTA, SS employer match, workers comp premiums etc. it was more than likely closer to 1.8 million;) On the flip side, do they take union dues out of signing bonuses? /broccoli knocks on the door, I make sure that it has grum's wallet and let it in. /advises broccoli of it's next assignment... flavoring cupcakes.
the population of the world (approximately 6,000,000) Oops. I'm going to blame the lack of certain vitamins found in broccoli and brussel sprouts for my miscount of the world's population.
