Blame for big pro contracts rests with fans
The rich keep getting richer, and the rest of us keep paying the price.
Major League salaries have come under fire for over a decade, but while plenty of people squawk about them, no one takes any definite action to control them.
The latest two examples come from the American League, where a highly touted import and a gold-glove outfielder.
Up in Boston, the Red Sox won the right to negotiate with Japanese superstar Daisuke Matsuzaka, and reports Thursday indicated they came to term with the 26-year-old righty on a contract that would guarantee him at least $52 million over six years.
Wow. All that money just for throwing a baseball.
Meanwhile, up in the Great White North, Vernon Wells could certainly be having a ?good day? if he agrees to his team?s newest proposal.
The Blue Jays announced on Wednesday that they?ve offered the all-star to a contract extension which will be worth between $126 and $136 million, and last for either seven or eight years. Wells? deal makes Matsuzaka?s look like chump change, and is the sixth largest in MLB history.
Keep in mind, however, that Wells hasn?t agreed to that deal ? at least, not as of this writing. He could still hold out for more money from the Jays, who are required to pay him a paltry $5.6 million next year. Or he might just demand a trade to a club which will pay him an even loftier salary to catch fly balls and get out 70 percent of the times he comes to bat.
Whenever you talk about pro sports salaries, someone in the conversation will inevitably become frustrated by the high paychecks of athletes who basically play kids? games for a living. But there?s a simple reason why pro teams can offer these kinds of contracts: Because the fans let them.
We, as sports fans, continue to give outrageous amounts of money to professional franchises, and in turn they become filthy rich. With all that capital, they can offer outrageous amounts of money to their athletes, and other teams ? who are raking in their own piles of dough from the fans ? can bump the numbers higher in a bid to fill their rosters with all-star talent.
Take a look at ticket prices, for example. To watch the Titans, Predators, Braves or anyone else you?d like to see, you?re going to pay ?through the nose? just to get into the ?nosebleed? section. The better the seat you want, the higher you?ll pay; and if you won?t buy that ticket, there are people literally lining up behind you who will.
Have you ever given $7 for a hot dog and a soda at a ballgame? Ever wonder why it?s so expensive? Ever seen people turn down a trip to the concession stand because of the prices?
Finally, take a look at your Christmas list. Does anybody you know want an $80 Vince Young jersey, or a $25 Cubs hat? Pricey, aren?t they?
But they can be pricey, because people will still pay it. And the more we fans shell out, the more teams can give players ? and the higher next year?s group of outrageous salaries will be.