greed In SportsRecently Michael Jordan wanted to de-certify the union of the NationalBasketball Association, because he felt he could never make what he was "worth"under the current agreement. Michael Jordan had an estimated income of $33million in 1994. Last year, Major League Baseball players went on strikebecause they felt the deal that the owners were proposing was unfair. Theminimum salary for a major league player is $119,000. For the first time inninety years, there was no post-season baseball, and no world series. EricTurner was designated as the Cleveland Browns franchise player.
He thenproceeded to hold out during spring training, because he knew he could get moremoney then his current $2.15 million dollar contract. At one point in everyathletes life, there is nothing they would want to do more than play their sport,not because it fattens their wallet, but because they have a true love for it.At what point does the athlete lose the love and gain the greed?The NBA has become the land of the guaranteed contract. These players wanttheir millions handed to them on a silver platter, no matter what happens. Ifthey get injured and can no longer play; pay up! If they averaged thirty pointsa game in college, but struggle to make the transition into the pros, andaverage only four points; pay up! If their egos swell so much that they are outof control in public and do something to disgrace the organization they playfor; pay up, because the contract guarantees that they get their money.The NFL is a breeding ground for holdout players. I think that Holdout 101,taught by Professor X-Pro Millionaire, is a required class for all profootball players. Rule number one: if you think you can get more moneythan what your contract says, holdout