I'm honestly confused as to why these free agents make such a big deal about these increments to their salary well beyond what they could possibly need, want, or spend. The whole point of making a lot of money is mainly to have a good life for yourself and your family, and I can't believe their lives are better uprooting themselves from a great team and region they've played for a while, force everyone to switch schools, buy new houses, and so on.
At that level of income, for one thing, the actual amount of money one has is going to depend on intricacies of tax law and how one structures one's investments. It's not like it's sitting in a checking account and you need that extra 2 million to buy a new car.
You might say it's "long term security" but surely the security of playing for a great team for a long time is better from a career standpoint or for preserving options post-career.
Finally, some people say "it's about respect". Maybe that's true without a salary cap, but with one, there's a finite amount of money, and paying some people too much will just kill a team's chances to win. Don't they get respect making more than just about anyone and winning championships besides?
I just, I really can't understand someone seriously considering uprooting their lives over an amount of money that won't make any difference in their lifestyle at all (but moving to some new town that doesn't know them and doesn't have a good team will probably be unpleasant for everyone).
At that level of income, for one thing, the actual amount of money one has is going to depend on intricacies of tax law and how one structures one's investments. It's not like it's sitting in a checking account and you need that extra 2 million to buy a new car.
You might say it's "long term security" but surely the security of playing for a great team for a long time is better from a career standpoint or for preserving options post-career.
Finally, some people say "it's about respect". Maybe that's true without a salary cap, but with one, there's a finite amount of money, and paying some people too much will just kill a team's chances to win. Don't they get respect making more than just about anyone and winning championships besides?
I just, I really can't understand someone seriously considering uprooting their lives over an amount of money that won't make any difference in their lifestyle at all (but moving to some new town that doesn't know them and doesn't have a good team will probably be unpleasant for everyone).