It's always about the money

It's always about the money

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A quarter of a billion dollars. $252 million... for an athlete? I've had a couple of days to let that staggering number sink in, but it's still absolutely mind-boggling. It's appalling. How could one team owner, seemingly bidding against himself, actually sign on the dotted line of a contract that authorizes that much money being paid to one athlete? But that's just what Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks did this past Monday when he signed All-World shortstop Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year, $252 million contract, blowing away Mike Hampton's record-setting contract of $121 million over eight years, signed only days beforehand. 

But perhaps even more unbelievable than the monetary value of the contract (if, in fact, that's possible) is that no other team in baseball appeared willing to even shell out $20 million a year for A-Rod's services, much less $25 million. Not the Braves. Not the Mariners. Certainly not the Mets. So what the hell was Hicks thinking? Is super agent Scott Boras really good enough to convince an owner to outbid himself? By four or five million bones? I don't care how marketable Rodriguez is or what "visions" Hicks has for his team and his city. The 25-year-old shortstop would be just as appealing to Rangers fans at $20 million a season as he is at $25.2 million per.

Meanwhile, not to be outdone by the Rangers, the Boston Red Sox landed their own $20 million man in Manny Ramirez hours after A-Rod signed, choosing Beantown and a few extra dollars upfront over C-Town and a back-loaded contract. Money Ramirez proved his love of the green by stating, "Here in Boston we have a good chance to get the ring." Yeah, because the Sox were so close to the title last season. Manny, you're not seeing a ring next year unless you do some shopping on E-Bay. But hey, I'm not bitter. As an Indians fan, of course I would have liked to see Ramirez show some loyalty (a word about as popular with players these days as the phrase "deferred money"), but there's nothing I can do about it now. Instead, I'll wish Manny the success that Albert Belle has enjoyed since he bailed on Cleveland for more money in 1997... .

Personal feelings aside, I still fail to see why any owner in baseball would throw that kind of money at any one player. Certainly, the salaries in every sport are out of hand, but there's no reason the two highest-paid athletes in sports should be baseball players. Don't get me wrong: I'm not arguing that A-Rod doesn't deserve the richest contract in baseball -- he truly is the best player in the sport today. But baseball just isn't geared toward the individual, as I've stated in previous columns. Rodriguez and Manny can only do so much on the field at once. In a regular nine-inning game, most players will get four at-bats. That's it. Johnny Oates won't be able to send his $25 million man to the plate every time his team needs the big hit. Manny Ramirez can't guarantee he'll be the one at the plate in game seven of the Series with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Sox trailing by one run. In basketball, one star player can make the difference - guys like Jordan, Bird, Garnett, Kobe and Shaq could/can take over a game when their teammates are struggling. Jim Mora can hand the ball off to Edgerrin James 35 times a game if Peyton Manning can't find his rhythm. Mario Lemieux could single-handedly get the Penguins to the Finals this year. But Ramirez and Rodriguez simply cannot have that kind of impact on their new teams. Want proof? Just listen to every Texas and Boston fan still complaining about his team's lack of pitching. A combined $412 million didn't make either team any more formidable on the mound. Spend that kind of money in the NBA, though, and you'd damn well better be a much-improved team.


Snyder's scapegoat, Part II

How funny was it to see the Washington Redskins get spanked by the Cowboys last Sunday only days after owner Daniel Snyder fired head coach Norv Turner because of Washington's lack of production? After the embarrassing 32-13 loss, it's blatantly obvious that this team's disappointing season can't be placed on the coaching staff's shoulders. It's Danny Boy's fault. He's the one who stocked his team with a bunch of overpriced, overrated and overmatched geriatrics (Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Adrian Murrell, Jeff George) and then threw a hissy-fit when they sank like dentures in a glass of water. And now, at 7-7 on the year, Snyder made a point of naming Jeff George the starter at QB for the rest of the season, sending Brad Johnson to the bench. Well, duh. Snyder blamed Johnson for the Redskins' failure this season almost as much as he did Turner. If he were reinstated as the team's starter, Snyder would look even more lost than he already does. Oh, and as for Turner, you can expect to see him on someone else's sidelines next season, drooling at the chance to stomp on his former team. By the way, what is it with underachieving Washington sports teams? Maybe MJ should take a shot with the 'Skins and Snyder should get his hands dirty with the Wizards.

In the Bullz-Eye

Mario Lemieux. The Penguins legend announced last week that he would return to the ice for Pittsburgh after several years of running the team from his executive box, hoping to lead the team to the Promised Land one last time. Of course, Lemieux was one of the best ever to play the game (some argue maybe even better than Gretzky), but he'll have to return to the rink with some success to keep that sparkling reputation untarnished.

 
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