Home Runs.
Touchdowns. Slam Dunks. Big Hits. High Scores.
What more could a sports fan ask for?
It’s all about the action, the show, the big time plays. What are sports without the highlight reels? Those
plays that you watch over and over again the following day on YouTube. The home run launched 450 feet.
The fastball hurled at 101 miles per hour. The safety delivering a devastating,
blindside hit to a wide receiver in the open field. Fans love these plays no matter what the cost
is to the players or management.
Over the past
decade the amount of money being pumped into professional sports has been
substantial to say the very least.
Players are rewarded with huge contracts based on previous performance
and the ability to attract fans.
Expectations skyrocket as the combined pressure from fans and management
to perform dawns on professional athletes. This pressure can cause them to turn
to alternative routes to gain a competitive advantage. While the abundance of money and investments
in the world of professional sports provides obvious and easily observable
benefits, there are a handful of detrimental issues stemming from financial and
cultural pressures, distorting the influence of professional sports
finance. Due to the prevalence and
availability of monetary incentives rewarding performance, athletes seek to
maximize the profitability of their limited careers through the usage of and
participation in activities that violate the rules of professional sports. Despite taking all the blame and criticism,
players are not solely to blame as they face sky-high expectations from fans
and management who initially praise enhanced performance only to later condemn
the methods used to achieve desired results.
Over the past
decade or so in professional sports there has been a substantial increase in
the multi-million dollar contracts offered to and signed by athletes. When discussing a potential contract for a
big free agent, it isn’t about whether or not he will receive a multiyear deal,
but, instead, media buzzes around the issue of how many millions, or hundred
millions, the contract will be worth.
While organizations do not necessarily want to pay these athletes
millions of dollars each year, they have no choice—the market is set. It’s simple: if you want the best, you must
pay the most. The Major League Baseball
(MLB)contract responsible for starting this trend occurred in 2000 between
shortstop Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers.
Rodriguez signed with the Rangers in December of 2000 for an unheard of
amount of $252 million for ten years with a “base compensation of
$23 million [which] shall be increased $2 million above the highest average
annual value of any other shortstop in major league baseball” (Verducci, “Terms”).Along with a quarter of a
billion dollars, the Rangers promised that Rodriguez would be the highest paid
shortstop in the league, implying that making the most money among their peers is
important to the player. Along with the
base salary, Rodriguez was incentivized by a list of award bonuses based on his
performance. For instance, Rodriguez
would earn $500,00 to win the Most Valuable Player award, $100,000 per All-Star
Game selection, $200,000 to be World Series Most Valuable Player and $1,000,000
if named Most Valuable Player a second season.
Every contract in professional sports has performance-based bonuses such
as these to drive players to go above and beyond expectations. Large monetary incentives through mega
contracts and additional performance bonuses have become a staple in
professional sports.
While
the largest deals in professional sports are found in the MLB, due to no salary
cap, the National Football League (NFL) teams pay ridiculous amounts of money
to the first overall draft pick each year.
In 2009 the Detroit Lions drafted Matthew Stafford and offered him a
deal worth $41.7 million guaranteed, but this contract was dwarfed the
following year as the St. Louis Rams paid their top pick, Sam Bradford, $50
million guaranteed with the overall contract having a maximum value of $86
million (Leahy). This absurd amount of money was offered to a
twenty-two year old athlete who didn’t play most of his final college season
due to a shoulder injury, and before he had set foot on a professional field. The Rams front office based this decision
solely on Bradford’s potential as an elite quarterback and his ability to draw
fan attention for increased ticket sales, expecting future revenues to outweigh
the contract’s cost. Despite having the
lowest average salary of the four major professional sports, the National
Hockey (NHL)has recently followed suit with large contracts. This is best exemplified through the contract
$110 million dollar contract highly touted defensemen Shea Weber received from
the Nashville Predators to be paid over fourteen years (Proteau). This high dollar, lengthy contract sets the precedent for future NHL
deals. The statement has been made: these
multimillion dollar deals are here to stay and will continually increase.
What
does this mean for current and future professional athletes? Sports is no longer simply a physical game,
but it is now a game of numbers. Most
players only receive one major contract and this needs to last for the rest of
their lives. In one of the most famous
Sports Illustrated articles, Pablo S. Torre discusses the trend of athletes
going broke shortly after their departure from professional sports. Despite the fact that salaries have risen
steadily during the last three decades, Torre reports the following facts:
“By
the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have
gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce....
Within five years of retirement, an estimated 60% of former NBA players are
broke.... Numerous retired MLB players have been similarly ruined” (Torre- SI).
It is obvious that
athletes have not made smart financial decisions with these large contracts in
the past and athletes today do not want to follow suit. Unlike a typical, steady career for most of
society, professional athletes have a very short window of opportunity to make enough
money for themselves and their families for the future. As reported by RAM Financial Group, the
average careers of NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL athletes are 3.5, 4.8, 5.6 and 5.5
years respectively (RAM Financial Group).
Given this extremely short period of time to become financially set for
the future, professional athletes have an incentive to maximize the
profitability of their careers at all costs.
If the burden of becoming
financially secure for life within a very short time frame isn’t enough, sports
fans put additional pressure on athletes to perform. Athletes who sign huge contracts are expected
to come in and win right away, not just have a winning record but make it to
the playoffs and win a championship.
Take NBA superstar LeBron James for example. Two seasons ago he signed with the Miami Heat
and expectations for the upcoming season were championship or bust. Miami lost in the finals and the entire blame
was put on James as he did not live up to expectations. Following up that disappointment with an NBA
Championship this past season, the future expectations are even higher as fans
expect him to lead the team to win it all for years to come. While this trend may never end, fans must
allow players to adjust to new surroundings before demanding the world from
them.
How do players cope with and live up
to these ridiculous expectations? The
combination of monetary incentives, a small window to make a lifetimes worth of
money and pressure from the fans often lead professional athletes to abuse
performance-enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids. For the past decade, steroids have dominated
sports media as big name athletes continue to test positive for these illegal
substances. Is it really the players’
fault? It takes an incredible human being to handle of the pressure placed on
superstar athletes. After testing
positive for using performance-enhancing drugs, Alex Rodriguez made the
following statement:
“When
I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure, felt all the
weight of the world on top of me to perform and perform at a high level every
day. Back then, it was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young, I
was stupid, I was naive and I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth, you
know, being one of the greatest players of all time. And I did take a banned
substance.” (“Rodriguez Admits”)
As one of the hottest
young players ever, Rodriguez was bombarded with not only the largest contract
in professional sports history but with the weight of an entire community on
his back to turn around the then struggling Texas Rangers. This was all at the age of twenty-six. Now that’s a lot of pressure for young man to
handle all at once. Rodriguez turned to
performance enhancing drugs to try and live up to these expectations, and they
worked. During his four seasons with the
Rangers, Rodriguez put up phenomenal stats and won the Most Valuable Player
award in 2003. Not until Major League
Baseball began testing athletes for steroids in 2003 did anyone believe that
steroids were aiding to his success.
While the majority of cases and
media coverage of steroids revolves around baseball, a wide range of athletes
have tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Recently Lance Armstrong was found guilty of
doping during his stretch as the world’s number one ranked cyclists- winning
seven Tour de France contests. Female
track star and Olympic medalists, Marion Jones tested positive for using
steroids and was stripped of her medals.
In the National Football League star linebackers Bill Romanowski and
Shawne Merriman have both admitted to using steroids. As discussed in his book, Jose Canseco
explains how numerous minor league baseball players see no hope to make the
major league on their own unless they separate themselves from their peers. (Canseco) With a stagnant career in the minor leagues
the usage of steroids seems like the last option before giving up the game
completely. For example, the Twins
drafted Dan Naulty in 1992 as a tall, skinny pitcher who didn’t throw the ball
very hard but had a lot of potential upside due to his height. Naulty was one of four right-handed pitchers
fighting for a single open roster spot for the Minnesota Twins major league
team. Winning the spot through an
unexpected increase in velocity and physique, Naulty made the major leagues due
the fact that, “Naulty used steroids to transform himself from a fringe minor
leaguer into a massive big leaguer throwing 96 mph.” (Verducci- “To cheat”) Every aspiring athlete dreams to become a
professional athlete for the fame, the experience and for the money. Driven by this desire for more, Naulty did
what he had to in order to fulfill his dream.
In
reality, everyone in our today’s society searches for enhanced performance in
most areas of life. As Paul Finkelman
explains, “In our bottom-line, performance-based culture, we rarely ask how the
performance is achieved as long as we like the outcome.” (Finkelman) Investors research past performance of stocks
and bonds in order to predict future performance in order to improve
portfolios. Television advertisements
promise Viagra users enhanced performance in sexual activity. Famous musicians such as the Rolling Stones
and Bob Marley were know for using illegal drugs which in turn enhanced their
performance. No one called them out for
this act because it entertained the audience.
In a sense, professional athletes are entertainers as well; putting on a
show for fans as the troubles and stress of real life are momentarily put on
hold. If that is the case, then why are
professional athletes given so much grief for using steroids in order to hit
more home runs or throw one hundred mile per hour fastballs?
The
answer is simple- doping in professional sports is against the rules and viewed
as cheating. The term “cheater” has negative
connotations attached to it that alters the view of the public. No matter the achievements or success of a
professional athlete, once testing positive for performance enhancing drugs,
the player’s fan-favorite status is thrown out the window. Those players once idolized by fans and media
for success are now the same people condemning the player for steroid
usage. Take the career of all-time home
run king Barry Bonds for example. No
body questioned the fact that in the twilight of his career he added increased
muscle mass and added an inch to his head size because he was hitting home runs
and the fans loved him. Once news broke
of his history of steroid use, he was seen as a cheater and the sports world
did a complete one-eighty as Bonds was criticized and condemned by previous
fans. What provoked Barry Bonds to use
these substances? Bonds knew that
extending his career would be extremely profitable. Examining Bonds’ salary per season, his four
highest salaries happened to be the final four seasons of his career. From 2004 to 2007, Bonds made annual salaries
of roughly $18 million, $22 million, $19million and $15.5 million respectively.
(“USA Today - Salaries”) Performance
enhancing drugs allowed Bonds to increase the window of opportunity to earn
large sums of money to guarantee financial security for the future. Everything ties back to monetary incentives
rationalizing the choice to violate league rules through usage of steroids.
While
steroids are obviously illegal and dangerous to the health of athletes, the
results often outweigh the risks as money is earned for increased performance
and career longevity. The fans and the
general public must understand the situation of professional athletes and the
combined pressures they must endure. If
the general public were informed that partaking in activity ‘x’ would increase
their salary and reduce external pressures, the majority would take that offer
in a heartbeat. It is unfortunate that
professional athletes are idealized to the point where once they are revealed
for breaking the rules, the scrutiny is much worse then the praise for their
performance and success. Everything they
accomplished in response of seeking more money and appeasing the fans was for
nothing. Is there a solution to this
devastating cycle of steroid abuse in professional sports? The only way to prevent the continued use of
steroids is through monetary rewards and fines.
A Freakonomics article titled “Hitting Sports Cheats in Their Wallets”
discusses the following plan:
“Remove
10 percent of an athlete’s salary and place it in an interest-bearing escrow
account. If the athlete tests positive for steroids during his career, he loses
out on all money paid into that account during his playing days. He would
involuntarily make a large anonymous donation to a youth anti-steroid program.
If he stays clean, or doesn’t get caught, he gets a large lump-sum payment when
he retires — exactly the time when he is most likely thinking about long-term
financial security.” (“Freakonomics”)
While there is no
evidence that this plan will actually be implemented, the effectiveness is
obvious as there is now a monetary incentive to stay clear of rather than use steroids. The issue of steroids in professional sports
may never be completely controlled, but the blame is not solely on the players
as they continue to search for methods to meet expectations and maximize the profitability
of their career.
In addition to the massive concern
of performance enhancing drugs, financial incentives are increasing the dangers
of professional sports. Recently the New
Orleans Saints football organization was under investigation for a bounty
scandal. Eventually the truth was
released about a program where the coaching staff of the Saints was rewarding
players with monetary bonuses, or bounties, to injure opposing players. As disturbing as this may sound, it might
spread beyond the Saints organization.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, defensive players
on the Saints were offered close to $10,000 to knock out the opposing
quarterback in order to increase chances to win. (King) Players in the NFL are so blindsided
by dollar signs that they are willing to purposely injure an opposing player to
earn some extra change. The act of
purposely injuring another player goes against an unspoken bond that all
members of the NFL share, but when money is involved, players forget this
bond. One of the greatest linebackers of
all-time, Junior Seau, had the following reaction, “"When you say bounty and you talk about intentionally taking
someone out, in essence you're talking about affecting his livelihood... That's
not football." (Trotter) While the
players responsible for actually attempting to injure opponents should be
punished, the greatest fault should be placed on the coaches running the
system. These coaches realized that
players in today’s game are overly interested in the financial benefits of
professional sports. With this in mind,
coaches took advantage of the players by offering monetary rewards. While this issue is now under control by the
NFL, the detrimental effect of money in professional sports is easily observed
through the bounty case.
A final issue of professional sports
caused by the increased presences of money is the reoccurrence of lockouts
cancelling or postponing seasons. The
most recent lockouts for the big four sports have occurred within the past
twenty years. There was no Major League
Baseball season in 1994. The National
Football League faced a shortened season last year and currently the National
Hockey League is experiencing a lockout.
All of these situations came down to one thing: money. The owners and players both want higher
percentages of revenues, known as revenue sharing. The current method of approaching a
professional sport season is reversed.
Only once the financial issues are settled can the actual sporting
events begin. Both parties involved have
become way too greedy and distracted by dollar signs. This causes unrest among the fans as they
begin to disrespect the players and owners for their greediness. Let the sporting events happen and settle the
monetary issues at a later date.
The increased emphasis on finance of
professional sports has led to detrimental issues such as steroid usage, bounty
scandals and increased lockouts as all parties involved seek to maximize
personal wealth through any means necessary.
While professional athletes are responsible for their actions, the
combination of pressures and expectations placed on them can be overwhelming
leading them to participate in rule-violating activities. Fueled by the desire to experience their team
winning a championship, fans drive the decisions made by the players and
management. Management must pay big
bucks in order to sign high profile athletes who will in turn put fans in the
stands, boosting revenues. What the fans
do not realize is the amount of power in which they hold in the world of professional
sports. Fans buy tickets for
entertainment. Will fans still be entertained
without the big hits, crushed home runs or blazing fastballs? As long as money dominates the world of
professional sports, we may never find out.
Works Cited
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Canseco,
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Paul. ""Performance-Enhancing Drugs" in a Peformance Based
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