Greed in Sports

Greed in Sports

by Bob Branco

I am still trying to comprehend the world of the professional sports athlete, but I can’t. How can any athlete, such as Vaughn Miller of the Denver Broncos, turn down a very good offer to play for that football team next year? At least I think it’s a good offer whether he believes it or not. Even if he were offered one million dollars, or even a half million, why turn it down? All of us would love to see a half million, but many of us never will.

Image by Sillyfolkboy@ Wiki Commons
Image by Sillyfolkboy@ Wiki Commons

Years ago, my father, who was one of the wisest men in the world, asked me a general question. If I was given one million dollars, and was asked to spend all of it in a month, how would I spend it? There were conditions to my answer. I was not allowed to be lavish. In other words, I couldn’t say that I would buy two houses, five cars, and take a trip around the world. This would be an overzealous effort to spend. So again, if we had a million dollars and was told to spend it in one month, what would we do with it? Honestly, I couldn’t spend all of it by a long shot. I would pay for my loved ones’ bills, donate to charities, and do some upgrading. What else can you spend money on normally?

I’ve had many discussions with people about the incomes of professional sports athletes. I express my amazement when they can’t accept a million dollars a year. They’re not satisfied. They want more, and more, and more.

I asked someone why these athletes have such an attitude about money. I was told that their sports careers end at a young age, and they need their earnings to support them for the rest of their lives. Well, why can’t they get other jobs like the rest of us? Decades ago, baseball players went to work during the off season. What’s wrong with that? They should live normal lives just like those of us who pay their salaries, and let’s face it. Even though the owners of sports franchises pay their players, these same owners get their money from us, the tax payers. What a system!

About the Author

Bob Branco resides in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and is a self-published author of four books. He is a community organizer, tutors persons with visual impairments, and has written columns for local and international organizations. Bob’s web site is www.dvorkin.com/robertbranco/.

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