RSSDerek Jeter, a sense of entitlement and a warped sense of reality – Saturday thoughts
Michael Haltman | November 27, 2010
Saturday thoughts: Derek Jeter-New York Yankees contract negotiations "could get messy"
Watching professional football on Thanksgiving made me think about compensation, effort and the different set of realities that people possess.
I am often forced to consider effort watching professional games because, depending on the score, the commentators will speak about the losing team and the fact that they are still trying. As if it would be understandable if they just gave up.
Pampered and incredibly well paid earning a living playing a kids game. Thanks for trying. How about laying tar on a roof on a 95 degree day. Then talk about trying. Or a running a small business fallen on hard times where the owner busts his ass seven days a week, twelve hours a day to keep things afloat until the economy hopefully improves. Then talk about trying.
This introduction was a roundabout way of getting to the contract negotiations between the NY Yankees and Derek Jeter. This topic combines the mentality of many athletes versus the concept of real life. I wanted to take this opportunity to offer a couple of my thoughts to Derek Jeter.
The Lebron James effect
There is nothing that I, as a follower of sports in New York, can think of that is negative about Jeter. He works hard, has played well, has been a leader of his team and has been a great role model in that he never appears in the news for anything other than sports related activities. But that, as we have recently witnessed, will only take you so far.
Jeter best be careful not to fall into the Lebron James trap of the overestimation of one's stature. James showed very clearly that hard earned goodwill developed over years can be destroyed quickly if the fans somehow feel abused. Derek Jeter looking to maximize his income does not fall into the same category of ego as The Decision, but this negotiation to the casual fan does not look good and does not look reasonable.
For Derek Jeter, a thirty-seven year old coming off a bad season and historically past his prime, being offered $15MM per for three years seems like a pretty fair deal.
Democrat approach to salary negotiations - A sense of entitlement
The Yankee's offer begins to appear that much better if put into the context of what others who play his position earn who are still in the prime of their careers. It seems as if the Yankees are willing to overpay an aging star as a reward for past service and for his being the current face of a franchise.
Should the Yankee's, who are running a business, pay for something that they most likely will never receive?
Compare what these players will earn in 2011 to the $15MM the Yankees are offering Jeter:
Hanley Ramirez 27 $11MM
Jimmy Rollins 32 $8.5MM
Rafael Furcal 32 $12MM
Unlike government entitlement programs that can be funded by printing more money, should the Yankee's offer a huge salary based on a reasonable expectation that they will not be getting their money's worth?
It's a business, not a charity and $15MM is still pretty good money for playing a kids game. My suggestion to Jeter would be to swallow his pride and take it before he dips into free agency and is forced to face reality. At least the reality of a professional athlete.
Not to worry though. If the negotiations fail, he can always try and get a job laying tar on rooftops.
Contributor's website: http://politicsandfinance.blogspot.com/
Filed Under Conservative Musings
Content posted by users from other sites is posted for commentary and news purposes under fair use and each author is responsible for their own postings and a particular posting should not be construed as being endorsed by this site or its owner.
Please Note: The comments section is for both the registered users of this web site as well as non-registered users. All wishing to post comments must comply with our Commenting Rules or risk having their comments stricken. Comments do not necessarily reflect the views of the ownership of this site and should not be taken as such just because they are visible and posted here.
Leave a Reply
Loading ...Recommended Reading:
