Pro Athletes: Is It Greed or Vanity

I'm a NY Giants fan.

I've been following the saga of WR Victor Cruz (the Salsa guy) and his long term contract or lack thereof.

Apparently the Giants have offered $8 million for 4-6 years with $16 mil guaranteed. Cruz apparently wants $9/season and more guaranteed.

Doesn't he realize that he plays in what is one one the most media intensive markets in the US? If he signs with a small market team like the Packers or Buffalo next year, would he keep the lucrative endorsement deals he has now? Aren't those worth at least $1-2 mil per year to him?

He signed his 1 year tender contract which will pay him something like $2.6 this year. If he hadn't signed it, it was reported the Giants could have and would have dropped the tender to $600 K or thereabouts.

I've also read that his absence has allowed second year man Ruben Randle to get more reps in OTAs and minicamp and has made tremendous strides.

Now Cruz played two seasons as an UFA for someplace in the low hundred thousands and put up spectacular numbers. But I saw a report today that the organization believes that Eli Manning has made that production possible and he probably wouldn't produce at the same level for most other team.

They made reference to Steve Smith leading the league four years ago, turning down a long term contract with the Giants and is now out of football never having produced at that level again for other teams before injury ended his career.

It was also rumored that Cruz didn't play with the same intensity towards the end of the year because he feared getting injured before he signed a long term deal.

I've also heard that with the one year deal, Cruz can sit out something like the first half of the season, play the second and still be a free agent next year.

Really, how rich do you have to be to live in stupendous luxury? Take the $8 mil/year and the endorsements.

Or is it just an ego thing, that since you believe you're the best you want to be paid as the best? In other words has the best claim to say, "Mine's bigger."

Is the guy smart for wanting more? Of course not. He could end up getting traded to the Bills or the Browns.

On the other hand, an NFL franchise is a guaranteed license to print money. What do most of the owners do to gain this license, aside from being born wealthy or taking some capital risks with very substantial government safety nets below? Why shouldn't the players, who work hard, perform superbly, and risk injury on a weekly basis get their cut of it?

I used to think the way you did until Art Modell took our team to greener pastures.

I remember reading a story about Vince Lombardi when agents first came on the scene

Agent - Hello Mr. Lombardi I am representing Mr Smith (can't remember the actual player)

Lombardi - Nice to meet you. Excuse me. I will be back in a moment

Lombardi returns and hands the agent a peice of paper

Agent - What is this number for?

Lombardi - That is the phone # for the Giants GM.

Agent - why do I need this?

Lombardi - I just traded Smith to the Giants

Ralph Kiner baseball hall of famer after leading the NL in homers for the 4th or 5th year in a row; goes into the Pirates GM to ask for a raise.

Pirates GM - I finished last with you; I can finish last without you, negotiations over

Cute story.Worked then,but maybe not today with no trade clauses and part of the salary guaranteed.In todays game we have too much expansion and mediocre players making obscene amounts of money.

The biggest change in American sports contract negotiations came in 2010 when James, Wade, and Bosh talked it over and decided to sign with the Heat to win some rings.

That won't work in other sports, but it is significant in that the players chose, not the owners. When that went down you could hear team owners from every sport shudder.

IMHO it would take eight guys to do that in the NFL, and probably six guys in MLB, in other words, good luck getting six spoiled millionaires to sacrifice for the greater good. You will find great players adjusting contract terms to allow their teams to sign needed players, but more than three? I'll believe it when I see it.

GREED, and EGO.....we treat them like gods, then we wonder why they act like gods.

I agree; shows how times have changed. Lombardi probably would be fired for not being compassionate enough

Yep, you got it!
I am not a big sports fan so this is easy for me.

Basketball players make a hell of a lot moremoney than football players,so if a basketball player sacrifices a little,he still makes more than the football player.Not to mention a lot longer career to make up for his "sacrifices".

Plus in the old days players played injured more often because there was no guaranteed money.Didn't play,somebody else took your job.I believe football players should be making the big money.When you consider how brutal the game is,one play and your career could be over.