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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Because they have no sense of living in the real world.Why does billionaires continue to pursue ways to make even more money?
People in Western society are brainwashed (brain dead) into believing that amassing wealth and material possessions is the ultimate measure of happiness, success, respect and accomplishment. Too often we see people -- including pro athletes -- sell their souls in this pursuit and die miserable. Since when is it imperative to set up one's children to live effortless lives of luxury? How much in excess of necessity is ever enough? The OP makes an excellent point.Lets see, 1 million dollars is a lot of money, many people can actually retire and live a comfortable life with 1 million dollars. So, put in that context, the difference between even 1 million and 2 million is huge, the difference between 9 million and 10 million is also pretty amazing.
Then you think about these guys setting up their income for the rest of their lives, setting their children up, etc....it is an important amount of money.
If they were lawyers and not football players, people would think they were insane to stay with their current law firm if they could make $4 million a year with the law firm down the street even though his current law firm wins more cases.
I am sympathetic to the OP's argument. I think players chase dollars too often. Yes, we all get it, more money is better. But people need to take a more holistic approach in evaluating the utility of these things. Is $10 million and a forgetful career in Tampa or Jacksonville better than $7 million and a Super Bowl ring in New England?
Sometimes people take too narrow a focus when they do the math. Money is just one factor in the equation.
I disagree completely. Provided the lawyer in this hypothetical case is both happy with their job and financially comfortable, no one would think them insane to turn down more money.
Going to New England over Jacksonville doesn't guarantee you a Super Bowl ring. Look at Logan Mankins and Wes Welker. Both played a majority of their careers in New England and neither have any more rings than anyone who spent their entire career on the Jaguars.
Yes, Welker's career was probably bigger playing with Brady, but if he went to San Diego he might have gotten the same type of numbers and never even been to a Super Bowl and only made one AFCCG.
You are kidding yourself. You really think NO ONE would think the person is insane for turning down a job with a 50% pay raise because he is happy where he is? Really?!? Many people may say that, but would be saying in their heads or behind their backs that they are stupid for not taking another $4 million a year at the other company.
You also assume that you can only be happy at the place you are at. Let's say in this scenario that the firm that offers more money has a better philosophy about balancing life and work and has an extra week of vacation a year.
That is the problem with fans who kill the players who chase the money. They think the players can only be happy with THEIR team and not somewhere else.
If Devin McCourty gets offered a top of the market contract from Green Bay, is he stupid not to take less to stay here? The Packers have about as good of a shot at the Super Bowl next year as the Pats and have better long term prospect at being a Super Bowl contender because of Brady and Rodgers' ages.
I think a problem is people do a poor job of evaluating the utility of things they can't assign a numerical value, too. There's obviously benefit to both Welker & Mankins have played here - been in contention all the time, for Welker, catching passes from the best QB of all time, winning division titles, playoff games, more endorsements for being relevant (that can have $$ assigned to it), etc., etc. And Welker was clearly aware of that when he went to sign with another elite QB in Manning. He wasn't about to go rot in Jacksonville. And if given the choice, would Mankins have signed himself up for Tampa Bay?
Those things should be weighed into consideration when someone makes a decision. If they had to assign a dollar value to them, how would they weigh them? I think people forget the most precious commodity is your own time, and that if some clever mathematician or economist figured out a way to assign a dollar value to any generic hour of human life, it would astronomically dwarf any income for any occupation that has ever existed. Maxing out your dollar amount can be short-sighted if it ignores other factors which will contribute equally or more to your overall well-being.
Sure there are plenty of things to weigh when comparing offers, but not all players are motivated by championships and not every offer other than staying with their home team is a bad situation or a downgrade.
Let's face it. In a few years, this team is in flux. We do not know what this team will be like post Brady. A young player with a good 5-7 years left in his career might be weighing that about this team.
Lets see, 1 million dollars is a lot of money, many people can actually retire and live a comfortable life with 1 million dollars. So, put in that context, the difference between even 1 million and 2 million is huge, the difference between 9 million and 10 million is also pretty amazing.
Then you think about these guys setting up their income for the rest of their lives, setting their children up, etc....it is an important amount of money.
You've made two different arguments here - $4 million a year and 50% raise. In our hypothetical lawyer case, they are not the same argument. Either way, again, no - no person would be regarded as insane if they are both financially comfortable and happy in their own life for making a decision which jeopardizes the latter of those two things at the expense of furthering the former.
By your own logic, we wouldn't have teachers, social workers, scientists - all people who could be fully qualified to make a lot more money doing something else. Heck, by the extent of your incredulity, you should be roaming the streets at night selling drugs and selling your body for money. ARE YOU INSANE DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU COULD MAKE FOR YOUR FAMILY!?! Come on, let's not try to boil the world down to such a simple bottom line.
It's up to Devin McCourty. He probably would find more money & his time in Green Bay is > less money in New England, and I won't begrudge him that. He seems like he's not a tool who will just arbitrarily take more money without considering other factors. Again, you are trying to over-simplify things. I'm just saying people need to make a holistic choice, not a blind one looking at one bottom line.
Again - I'm not trying to actually make the decision for people. I'm just saying they should consider all these factors. IE, where they want to live, how will it affect their family, what stage of my career are they in? Etc. These things tangibly affect happiness, and need to be considered. And I actually think more players than are given credit for do factor these things in.