THE DEMI$E OF PROFE$$IONAL $PORT$ IN AMERICA PART 1

AS A YOUTH, MY FAVORITE ATHLETE WAS MICHAEL JORDAN(I’M SURE I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE), AND AS THE TORCH IN THE NBA HAD BEEN PASSED ALONG FROM GEORGE MIKAN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO JORDAN, THE FLAME BLEW OUT.

WHAT MADE THE BIG FOUR SPORTS LEAGUES IN AMERICA (MLB, NFL, NBA, AND THE NHL) SO GREAT WAS THE FACT THAT WINNING MATTERED MORE THAN ENDORSEMENTS AND SALARIES.THE TOP PLAYERS IN THOSE LEAGUES WERE MOTIVATED BY WINNING AND WOULD HAVE PLAYED FOR NOTHING BECAUSE THEY TRULY LOVED THEIR RESPECTED SPORTS, AND IT KEPT THEIR LEAGUES COMPETITIVE. ENDORSEMENTS AND BIG CONTRACTS WERE THE BY-PRODUCT OF THE PREVIOUS HARD WORK THESE ATHLETES LAID DOWN IN THEIR SPORT,NOT A WAY OF BANKING ON THE NEXT “IT ATHLETE.”

FOR EVERY JOE MONTANA, YOU HAVE A RYAN LEAF, AND THE INCENTIVE TO WORK ISN’T BEING SENT IF THE ATHLETE IS GUARANTEED MORE MONEY THAN THEY COULD EVER IMAGINE. DO I BLAME THE ATHLETES? THE ANSWER IS NO. I HATE TO SAY, BUT THE MAJORITY OF US, THE FANS, WOULD NOT BE MOTIVATED EITHER. THE ONLY MOTIVATION SOME WOULD HAVE IS TO SUBSTAIN THEIR HEALTH SO THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANOTHER BIG PAYDAY IS THERE. IF YOUR CAREER ON AVERAGE LAST ONLY 3-7 YEARS ROUGHLY, WOULD YOU BE THINKING ABOUT WINNING OR MAKING SURE YOUR FAMILY AND YOU AREN’T IN WORSE SHAPE THAN Y’ALL WERE WHEN BEFORE GETTING TO THE BIG TIME?

THE AMERICAN SPORTS FAN IS STILL LIVING WITH AN IDEAL AS OLD AS AMERICAN SPORTS, AND CAN’T SEE THOSE LEAGUES FOR WHAT THEY REALLY ARE: REAL ESTATE. REAL ESTATE (INSIDE JOKE)