Greed taking over A-Rod, professional athletes

SHANE EVANS GUEST WRITER SME722@CABRINI EDU

Do you hear that? That faint noise in the distance?

Well, that’s Alex Rodriguez, formerly of the New York Yankees, laughing all the way to the bank as he prepares to sign a new contract somewhere in the region of $35 million a year. Yeah, that’s right…35 million dollars to play baseball for one year. Now multiply that over the eight to ten year contract he will receive sometime within the next few weeks, and you have about $350 million. That is a whole lot of money.

A-Rod isn’t complaining though, because after he gets this contract, he’ll be able to buy his own...well, whatever he wants really. Probably a private jet to fly to his private island. The possibilities are endless.

His new contract will be unlike anything seen in financial sport’s history. But for what? To play the sport he loves for the summer? It seems a bit ridiculous that athletes get this kind of compensation, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, that’s the way of the world these days, especially in the United States. Karl Marx once said that religion is the opiate of the masses. Today, it’s switched somewhat interestingly to sports.

Our nation’s population is totally obsessed and enamored with sports on all levels, and because of this, the industry has grown to immense proportions, with no signs of slowing down.

Over the past 10 years, salaries in baseball have doubled from an average of $1.8 million to $3.6 million. Total team payroll, which was topped by the Yankees in 1997 with a total of $59 million have gone up 325% to this year’s top team, which unsurprisingly is the Yankees again at a whopping $189 million.

These numbers are astronomical when you compare them to the salaries given to other professions out there, professions that in many eyes are more honorable and needed. But the money and the business is in baseball and the rest of the pro sports, which won’t surprise many people.

The real sad thing about all this is that A-Rod can command this type of money, and he’s easily going to get it and probably more if it comes to two or more teams bidding for him. It must really be nice to be in that position. He’s playing the sport he loves for a living, granted at a very high level, but being able to set a price that high and have teams fight over him.

It does go beyond baseball though. In Europe, Formula One Racing is one of the most lucrative and most-watched sports, with their top racer Fernando Alonso making $40 million last season. The most famous racer, Michael Schumacher hauls in an estimated $80 million a year with endorsements, second only to kingly golfer Tiger Woods who is about to break the $100 million a year mark.

The real question about all this is whether it’s greed that these athletes are succumbing too, or is it just they are the benefactors of an industry and a culture that has exploded over the last ten years or so.

In A-Rod’s case, I think it’s greed. Not only did he opt out of the final three years of his current contract, that would have paid him $75 million, he announced the decision, through his ruthless agent Scott Boras, on national television during game four of the World Series.

Making the announcement the way he did totally upstaged the majesty of the World Series and took away from the celebration of it’s eventual champions, the Boston Red Sox, who won the crown that night by completing the sweep of the Colorado Rockies. The act and the way it was done caused a fervor in the baseball community which resulted in a demanded apology from A-Rod’s people.

As far as the rest of the athletes out there, it’ a mixed situation. Some seem like genuinely good people who feel honored to play their sport and get paid for it (Tiger Woods, the entire NHL). But at the same time, pro sports are filled with whiny

NEWSDAY/MCT spoiled athlete’s who don’t realize how good they have it (A-Rod, the entire NBA), and it’s only going to get worse.

You’re always told that money isn’t everything, but to a vast majority of professional athletes out there, it really and truly is.

DANIELLE KAINE STAFF WRITER DK724@CABRINI EDU

Phils Close Deal on Closer

The Phillies, who were determined to revamp a pitching staff that is ranked as one of the worst in the National League, improved on two positions when they acquired former all-star closer Brad Lidge, from the Houston Astros for three players. General manager Pat Gillick stated that Lidge would become the Phillies’ closer in 2008 and that Brett Myers would move back to the starting rotation. The Phillies also obtained utility infielder Eric Bruntlett in the deal. Houston picked up outfielder Michael Bourn, reliever Geoff Geary, and power-hitting minor-league third baseman Mike Costanzo from the Phillies.

Rollins, Rowand Good as Gold

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins and teammate Aaron Rowand, who plays centerfield, had both won their first Gold Glove Awards as the best defensive players at their positions. Rollins is the fourth Phillies shortstop to win a Gold Glove. Some of the others include Bobby Wine (1963), Rueben Amaro, Sr. (1964) and Larry Bowa (1972, 1978). Rowand is the third Phillies outfielder to win the award. Garry Maddox (1975-82) and Bobby Abreu (2005) were the others. It’s the first time in 25 years, that the Phils have had more than one Gold Glove winner in a given season. In 1982, third baseman Mike Schmidt and second baseman Manny Trillo joined Maddox as Gold Glove winners. Rollins also is a top candidate to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award, which will be announced later this month.

Ex-Flyer Lindros Retires

Eric Lindros, the former Flyer whom hockey fans once expected to bring a Stanley Cup to Philadelphia, announced his retirement from the NHL on Nov. 8. Lindros, 34, scored 372 goals and 865 points in 760 games during 14 injury-filled seasons. Lindros was signed by the Flyers in 1992 from the Quebec Nordiques for five players, two No. 1 picks and $15 million. Among the players traded by the Flyers was a little-known Swedish prospect named Peter Forsberg, who would then go on to lead the Colorado Avalanche onto two Stanley Cup championships after the Nordiques relocated from Quebec.The 6-foot-4, 240-pound center won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 1994-95 and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player in the league voted by the players. Lindros led the Flyers to one Stanley Cup final appearance in 1997, when Philadelphia was swept by the Detroit Red Wings in four games. In 1998, he had suffered the first of several concussions that would later plague his career and limit his playing time and his productivity.