Major League Baseball’s spring training has started, and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, arguably the best baseball player in the United States, has all the analysts talking once again. But it’s not about his home runs or off-the-field humanitarian acts — the most heated topic of debate questions whether Pujols is worth the $30 million per year he wants for the next 10 years.
Major League Baseball’s spring training has started, and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, arguably the best baseball player in the United States, has all the analysts talking once again. But it’s not about his home runs or off-the-field humanitarian acts — the most heated topic of debate questions whether Pujols is worth the $30 million per year he wants for the next 10 years.
Football experts discussed a similar topic before the last NFL season, as New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis demanded to be the highest-paid cornerback in the league. Revis was slated to make $7 million for the 2010 season, but after 2009, when he emerged as one of the NFL’s best defenders, he wanted a completely new deal worth at least $16 million per year.
Not wanting to be a distraction to the Cardinals, Pujols has shown up to train with his team without settling on a new contract. He will most likely sign with a new team after this season.
Revis and his agents reached an agreement with the Jets guaranteeing Revis $32 million over the next three years.
Incidents like these, where money takes priority, are numerous in the sports world. Sometimes they end quickly, though often they drag for weeks or months. Either way, recent events reflect a problem with contracts in professional sports.
The negotiation process between top athletes and their teams has become a vicious cycle. Athletes demand to receive top salaries, teams pay and other athletes then demand higher salaries to stay on par with the competition. The culture in high-dollar contract haggling seems to equate money with respect and reputation.
Two decades ago, becoming a major sports league’s top-paid player wasn’t a big deal to at least one NFL quarterback. Hall of Fame inductee Dan Marino received the largest salary among all players in 1991, earning roughly $4.4 million a year. The fact that Marino was being paid even more than Super Bowl champion quarterback Joe Montana made little difference to Marino.
“I respect Joe,” Marino told the New York Times. “The guy is an unbelievable player. I don’t think it’s fair to talk about money. It’s the job you do on the field that counts. I’d like to have one of his Super Bowl rings.”
That is what today’s players need to understand. Fans do not care how many zeros are printed on an athlete’s contract — they want championships. Respect has nothing to do with money and everything to do with on-field performance.
To institute any kind of change, it would take a level of intolerance that appears impossible at this point.
For every team owner unwilling to pay Pujols $30 million, there is a team that will do it to gain the upperhand in its championship pursuit.
Some fans are willing to appease athletes at any cost. One Cardinals supporter commented on an ESPN.com article about Pujols, saying, “As a Cardinals fan, I don’t care what we have to do. I will pay more for tickets. Just give him what he wants.”
Until the sports world makes a collective effort to say no to exorbitant salaries, the figures will continue to climb.
The emphasis needs to return to the field, where the true stars are made.
