Professional Athletes and Unreasonable Money

A few weeks ago I read an article that listed some of the salaries of the Dallas Mavericks. As I’ve confessed before, I’m not an NBA guy. So, the numbers were shocking to me. I knew the elite NBA guys made enormous money, but I had no idea that no-name guys were making such fortunes. I’m naive.

Next season here’s a short list of salaries of some Dallas Mavericks:

Jason Kidd - in excess of $21 million
Dirk Nowitzki - in excess of $18 million (if I’m Dirk, I’m unhappy
Josh Howard - almost $10 million (that’ll buy lots of pot and birthday parties)
Erik Dampier - almost $10 million
Jason Terry - over $9 million
Eddie Jones - $2 million
Didier Ilunga-Mbenga - almost $2 million

Today, sports talk radio is buzzing about the firing of coach Avery Johnson and the idiocy of Josh Howard. Rightfully so, after the New Orleans Hornets shamed the Mavericks into an early off-season golf tournament. But that’s not my point. Money is my point.

Did you know that the Dallas Mavericks paid Shawn Bradley $5.2 million this season? He was waived by the Mavericks in October 2005.

He’s got to have the best job in America. $5.2 million for doing absolutely nothing. He’s a player who was never worth the money. But when you’re 7 feet tall and able to walk upright - NBA teams pay you big money. I’m just a foot too short.

Steve Ott is the Dallas Stars player in the picture above (#29 with his mouth agape). Stu Barnes is the other player. Stu makes $900,000 a year. Both are well worth the money. Today, Ott (nicknamed, “Otter”) signed a 2-year deal that will pay him $1.35 million next year and $1.5 million the following year. Chump change compared to NBA contracts, but still good money. And he’ll earn every penny of it by being a player who makes a positive difference for his team, the Dallas Stars. If anything, Steve Ott’s money is unreasonably low - but only slightly. He’s only 25. His next contract will likely be higher if his career continues to advance as it has.

Brad Richards is the highest paid Star earning $7.8 million each year. Goalie Marty Turco makes $5.7 million a year. Mike Modano and Brenden Morrow each earn over $4 million a year. Goes to show you how vast the difference is between NBA contracts and NHL contracts. Kids, if you have a choice between hockey and basketball - play basketball. It pays much better. And you don’t have to know how to ice skate.

These contracts seem ridiculous - and they are. An ABC News story reports on what people earn. An actress who plays a detective on TV earns $7 million. A real detective in Georgia earns $40,000 annually. The average American earns about $37,000 according to the story.

I love sports. I love the NHL. So, I think Steve Ott, Stu Barnes and most of the other players are well-worth the money. Brad Richards has proven to be a great addition to the Stars, but no - I don’t think he’s worth the money. He is the fortunate recepient of a big contract that goes with being the MVP of the playoffs a few years ago when his team - the Tampa Bay Lightning - won the Stanley Cup. He’s still a young guy, but he’s smart enough to know that his next contract won’t likely be as large.

For years I’ve long thought the back-up quarterback on an NFL team has the best paying gig in all of sports. His body doesn’t take a beating. He earns a big contract - assuming he’s in the #2 spot directly behind the starter. And his career can last, and last, and last. But, he’s worth it because his team needs the insurance of having a capable person direct the team if the starter should be injured or unable to play.

Professional athletes aren’t paid unreasonable money only because they can do something most others can’t. They’re paid unreasonable money because people will pay to be entertained. And they’ll pay big money to have their $37,000 a year life entertained. The professional athlete - and other entertainers - can earn big, unreasonable amounts of money because their are millions of $37,000 a year people (and some who earn much more) willing to support their team, sport, TV show, movie, concert, recordings, or whatever other diversion they provide.

If only I were 7 feet tall…