Greed? Why is this kind given a pass?
 

With all the talk of "the rich" and their "greed", why is this kind of greed just fine???

"......Vick got a $100 million, six-year contract from the Philadelphia Eagles, one that makes him the third-highest paid QB in the league and prompted a press conference today in Philadelphia....."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...AJqJ_blog.html

Not fit for the dogs!
 

I feel another one of my rants coming on!!! :cus:

because it's not greed....it's the marketplace. If the eagles would spend $1 to make $2, we would understand it. But if they spend $100 million to make $200 million we don't seem to get it. It's their money to "invest" however they want to, in my humble opinion.

They get that kind of money because patrons are willing to pony up over $100 per ticket for the football games. Pro football is no longer a Sunday afternoon you can take your two kids and wife to. It would be costing at least $700 for the afternoon.

How does anyone else feel that a salary cap of no more than the President earns ($400,000) be placed on a sports figures salary? The sports figure would have to be a voting resident of that community for at least 2 years before being eligible for that team; and the sports team would have the same ethnic makeup as the surrounding community.

I understand that it's the marketplace and that it's their money to "invest". I'm talking about how income earners of $250,000, many of whom are small businessmen, are vilified as "the rich" motivated by "greed", when it comes to talk of tax increases.

when they pointed out to Babe Ruth that he made more money than President Hoover, he replied "I had a better year than he did." Great idea for the makeup of a team, but we should go further. 51% of the team should be female, 10% gay or bisexual, 1% illegal immigrant, 20% over the age of 60 and 20% under the age of 6, 5% asian, etc. A team like that would surely bring the price of tickets down!

.................Like it says on my pointy tinfoil hat................DAMIFINO.......................

Micheal Jordan, Tiger Woods, Danica Patrick, NY Yankees and the list goes on....YO peeps it's entertainment and they pay what they pay. Movies are no longer $.25 cents either.....

Muhamed Ali had to come out of retirement how many times because he was broke? How much is Lebron making?

You quoted Vick's salary that's why sports figures are being discussed.
These days I don't think of a person that makes $250K/year as being rich but I guess it's has to do with perception. My perception is that sports figures make way too much but that's the fault of the fans.

The president may only make $400K/year but look at the perks!

Nothing to do with greed! Leave the guy alone. He served his time and paid his debt to society.

Nothing to do with Greed! He paid his debt to society. Time to get off his case.

Um... Would superior football prowess count for anything? :shrug:

I recall several years ago when Latrell Sprewell turned downed a 13 million dollar contract for one year saying not enough , that he had to "feed his family". Makes a person wonder just how many are in that family and what are they eating that 13 million dollars won't feed them

:agree: Go Eagles! Go Phillies!

Credit the market place (fans)....blame the owners...Criticize the business agents and their players but in my mind very few if any of these sports figures deserve that kind of money..Big money has diluted the spirit of the game for me..So I find myself watching less and less of any sport. The same principles apply to the movie industry and corporations. I know the other sie of the argument but let me end with this How many sports figures, actors CEO's (and there are some) really live up to their salary demands? And how does their greed affect the industry they represent? I'm just saying

The old saying is:

"you don't get out of life everything you ask, you only get what you negotiate"

Greed was probably the wrong word to use in this case. The word crazy or something similar might be more accurate, but not greed.

I agree BobKat. If greed alone could make someone a billionaire; I'd become greedy.

This deal puts him in the same category as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. I don't think so. Brady and Manning are proven champions and have played at the highest plateau for many years.

I used to enjoy watching pro sports many years ago........when most of players seemed to do it more for the love of the game and as a way to make a decent living.

Bill :)

Wow Bill, you have to go back to around 1974 for Major League baseball, about 37 years. The straw that broke the camel's back for me came in 1994, when baseball went on strike. Haven't watched a game since, and I was a fanatic.

You're in the right ballpark (so to speak! :D ) - I started losing interest in the pro stuff in about that timeframe.

Bill :)

Hmmm...how much do you suppose the
 

police investigators, the rescuers of the hurt and dying fighting dogs, and the creamatory people make....by comparison if you know what I mean. I think
when criminals are rewarded after bad behavior there is double jeopardy.
Vick may have paid his debt to "society", and "served his time", but it
seems to me it speaks volumes to the younger generation that crime
can pay. Not a message I want to send.:cus:

On the other proverbial hand, he could be an inspiration for thousands of people that they can turn their life around and be a success. It might even be a lesson for employers, too. People who leave the prison systems are at a great disadvantage as employers are reluctant to hire ex-cons.

Yep. I totally agree. He turned his life around and is using his God given skill to earn a living.

Sorry, don't see what his crime has to do with his ability to play football. He was a great player before serving his time and hasn't been doing that badly since he came back. I can't say I think he is worth his salary, but, then, I don't think Brady, James, Jeter, et al., are worth their salaries, either. Athletes are way overpaid today. The fans stated that these salaries were okay by paying the higher ticket prices and by buying the products advertised during the games and by the athletes. So, until fans and television sponsors say enough is enough, these salaries will continue. Don't like 'em? Start boycotting. But leave the crime issue out of it -- Vicks did his time. Not only that, he has since come out strongly against dog fighting and it sounds like he truly regrets his prior acts.

Billions of dollars are going into the football industry. That is what the last strike was all about. If the players were paid a pittance and the owners kept the lion's share, they would be talking about the greedy owners. I think they have reached an agreeable compromise.

Look at football as you would a business. Take The New England Patriots, for example. There are 54 players out on the field. Tom Brady is the leader (CEO) he has the responsibility of making the team run efficiently. I don't know what he makes but say it is 14 million. Is he any less of a CEO of some of these corporations that make 100 million? If he has a career ending injury, he can kiss his salary and his endorsements good-bye. Yet the CEO who makes 100 million will have a long working expectancy. (unless he falls out of his chair):)

My original question didn't reference the guy's crime (I actually think he is duly remorseful and changed, after seeing an interview with him lately).

Without wanting to get into "political"...it just seems quite noticeable that when class envy is stirred up by politicians in Washington, pitting "the haves" against "the have nots", and "redistribution of wealth thru higher taxation" is pushed, pro athletes and Hollywood actors are never mentioned as part of the "Corporate Greed" crowd.

I've never heard of an actor nor pro athlete being vilified and called a "Fat Cat" or "The Rich" or "Corporate Jet Owner" who "doesn't pay enough taxes". But I have heard of small businessmen and others making $250,000 being lumped into the vilified group of "The Rich", "that is not paying enough in taxes". It's a big double standard as I see it.

:agree: I had loyalty to certain teams and the the demands for higher salaries began with Joe Willy Namath. Now all you do is cheer on empty suits. I understand the business aspect and i undertand the short life cycle of ball players but again far too many never live up to expectations. That was a big issue for owners this time around

Whereas with golf or tennis a player is rewarded for truly outstanding play

So I also lost my tastefor the NFL and MLB.

Interesting thought process... I never thought of it that way... and wasn't thinking that's where you were going with the post. Also interesting that we all saw something different... from our own perspective. :)

What I think my be interesting here is that he gets $40 million guaranteed and when he filed for bankruptcy a couple of years ago he had debts of around $20 million, so I am curious to see if those he owes debt to will get repaid in full.

Heard on our local news in VA that he will pay back debts approximately $19 million to his debtors.

Vick shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Brady & Manning...Leave it to Philly. !!:cus:

Glad to hear that, thanks.

And a couple of others. I'm just not that thrilled with him as a QB. Still thows a low %. But he does run away from trouble sometimes with his great speed.

Micheal Vick did not just fight dogs... If they didn't preform he would smash them into the pavement and electricuted them, he would pull their teeth out, he would hang them and let them back down so he could watch them suffer while they died a slow death. He broke some of their legs and derowned others.

When Dr. Phil talked about him, he said that someone who would do something like he did had a very sick mind and would not just "rehab" that easily.

Does he "say" he's sorry... Of course he does. If he was in any othe profession, this would be unacceptable.

Casey Anthony was said to be Not Guilty and the same people here are outraged.... She just isn't a football star! Sick is sick!

Wow, Dr Phil said that? Must be true, huh?

Angie,

You opened my eyes to this POS. I didn't realize how badly he treated his dogs. I did a search on him and read things that made me sick. IMO he should have gotten at least 10 years thereby ending his football career. Given the opportunity he'd probably do it again.

Not to start anything, but why are you so sure about that?:ohdear:

No problem VG,

I'm not sure that's why I used the word "probably". He himself said it's the way he was brought up and I think it's hard to change your roots.