Why do players care if they make say 8 million or 12 million?

[Ken Canin]

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).

 

[Miguel]

Why does billionaires continue to pursue ways to make even more money?

 

[Clonamery]

I think because when the player counts to 12 it's more than both hands and he has to take off his shoes and use his toes so it's like "whoa!"

8 is just too easy so not enough.

 

[letekro]

Wait wut?

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

You are ASSuming, that they only have to support themselves. I can tell you that most of these players come for poor to impoverished families and they want/are expected to take care of Their parents/siblings/aunts/uncles/entourages/ and various other hankering ons. Once you start doing that, your money goes quick.

For example, years ago the now ex-mrs FTW, was watching the Karadishians and whatever one of those whores that married Greg Odem, starts checking out his finances and it turns out he was paying the cell phone bill for 43 people!

 

[RobertWeathers]

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).

I think every player is different. As you call out, some players put a higher priority on winning than money. Some don't. Some players are sooo competitive that they NEED to make more money than their contemporaries (see Manning). Some feel it is appropriate that they earn "the market rate" (see Deion Branch). Some let their agents do their bidding - some don't (see Bruschi).

I think for the working stiffs on this board (myself included) with spouses and children that are saving for college, retirement, paying for weddings, maybe want a second home, need long term health care and having enough money left over in your estate after you and your wife pass on so your children can also live well, if you map it out there is a big difference between $8m and $12m.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Maybe I'm a moron, but I think I would move to a new job for a 50% pay raise...or maybe $1M more.

I think you're missing a lot of angles on this one.

Here's a simple one. Look at Brady's contract. He took a lot less per year but got it guaranteed. Why? He really really doesn't need the money. He could work for minimum wage and still be a millionaire because of his wife.

But the large guarantees make it difficult for the team to cut him without a huge financial penalty. In effect, his contract helps him stay on the roster.

NFL contracts are also not guaranteed. A guy like Mark Anderson made $1.4M for the Patriots, then parlayed that into a 4-year, $19.5M deal with the Bills with just under $8M guaranteed. He was cut after 1 year, and hasn't played since. If he took another $1M deal with the Pats, he would have screwed himself bigtime.

And remember that careers only last around 3 years, and that's the average so lots of people don't even get that. For every $100M guy, there's dozens of $500K bottom-of-the-roster guys too. Those guys sacrifice their bodies and there's no guarantee they'll be fit for any type of job afterwards. If one of those guys plays 3 years, he might make close to $2M and that has to last him the rest of his life potentially.

A guy earning $50K a year working in an office will exceed that in lifetime earnings without destroying his body. And many of those guys would quickly switch to a new job if it offered him a 50% raise.

These guys are sacrificing their bodies for their families and their parents and their siblings and their kids and their grandkids. Some of them won't even be able to hold those kids when all is said and done.

We all make choices, and I agree that those choices extend beyond just dollars. It's about value. How much does a man value his community, his teammates, his organization? How much does he value his kids staying in the same schools? There's a value to that, absolutely.

But is it all worth $500K more? $1M? $4M? It's really up to each man to decide, and you and I really have no clue what it's like and are in no position to judge. If Mark Anderson wants to take an extra $7M guaranteed instead of competing for a championship, good for him.

And I find it ridiculous for anyone to judge any man for taking an extra $4M a year when the OP wouldn't even turn down 1/4 of that amount.

 

[Jackson 2]

For many it's about bragging rights and status. I once had a conversation with a pro athlete who said virtually everyone knows how much everyone else makes and it's talked about all the time among players.

 

[Miguel]

For many it's about bragging rights and status. I once had a conversation with a pro athlete who said virtually everyone knows how much everyone else makes and it's talked about all the time among players.

I have heard several times that Patriots players refer to my cap page all the time.

 

[patchick]

From the perspective of an average working person, we tend to think of income in terms of the daily lifestyle it affords us. "With another $XX dollars I could (buy a nicer car, live in a nicer neighborhood, quit my job travel the world, etc.)" By those terms, you can quickly reach the "all I could need" level.

But suppose I offered you $1 million with the understanding that you wouldn't spend it on yourself or your family and friends. What you could do: Start a business. Start a charity. Become an angel investor to help somebody else with a great idea bring it to fruition. Bring renewal to your hometown's decaying downtown. Etc., etc., etc.

Now imagine I gave you $10 million instead. What could you do then?

I'm not saying that the typical NFL player actually thinks that way. But I do think that an extra few million can always come in handy.

 

[Marinlik]

The NFL career is short, and could end at any moment. If you are extremely lucky you are still playing when you are 35, but most likely you have already retired. Sure, it can be tiresome to move around for a few years. But you have a long time ahead of you when you are 35. The difference in the lifestyle you can have for the rest of your life will definitely be noticeable if you earned $8M a year or $12M a year.

 

[Jangles]

I can give you about 4 million annual reasons why someone would take the bigger deal.

And over a 4 or 5 year deal you're suggesting a player forego 15 to 20 million dollars because you don't see the need for it?

Lol

 

[doesntmatter1]

We as fans want our team to win NO MATTER WHAT, but if you step back and remember that this is a job for the players you wouldn't really knock anyone for wanting more money or coaches leaving for a promotion.

There are many things you need to consider before you act like 8m and 12m is an insignificant difference. This is a cutthroat business where even when you perform you may be cut and will not see the end of a contract or forced at any time to take a pay cut. Rookie and new guys taking their spot as well as injuries. Most players will take the option to make as much money as quickly as possible. A player may very well do better taking less to stay in one spot longterm. But in a sport where you can tear an acl if someone just looks at you wrong, longterm sometimes goes out the window.

And you say they have more money than they want, need, or would ever spend according to YOUR spending habits. Many players do not understand how to manage their money and there are staggering reports that you can look up that state 80% of NBA and NFL players go bankrupt five years after they retire. ex. Allen Iverson. Keep in mind that many guys come from nothing and like the idea of more money for their kids and their kids. I guess you would have to come from a line of poverty to get in the psyche of these players that see quick money as the easiest solution to stay wealthy.

Also, it has to be hard to sacrifice money supposedly for the sake of the team when there is absolutely no guarantee that it will result in more wins. You have to have a team like ours that actually knows what to do with extra money for guys to happy like Brady to take a pay cut. Would a top player on the Jaguars or Browns out of the good of his heart take a pay cut when he knows his team is still going to lose? I doubt Adam Vinateri regrets chasing dollars.

I just can't blame a guy for chasing more dollars, but there are a few exceptions like Peyton. Peyton doesn't have the right to bash his team and throw his oline under the bus when he is the direct reason why they can't afford a better line. It is also on the team to replace guys when they leave and that is why we have been blessed to have had BB all of these years.

 

[Brady6]

I think it is less about the actual money and more about what the money says in terms of where the player ranks against his peers.

 

[OhExaulted1]

You're only federally insured up to a 100k. Gotta put it somewhere.

http://www.therichest.com/celebnetworth/athletes/athletes-bankrupt/

My favorite-
Basketball player Latrell Sprewell first made headlines during his tenure with the Golden State Warriors. During a 1997 practice, he choked his coach, P.J. Carlesimo, and earned a 68-game suspension. Sprewell still went on to a substantial career, earning almost $100 million.

It all came to an end when he turned down a a three-year contract extension from the Minnesota Timberwolves worth $30 million. According to Sprewell, this was simply not enough money. He said, “I have a family to feed … [team owner Glen Taylor] better cough up some money. Otherwise, you’re going to see these kids in one of those Sally Struthers commercials soon.” (Sprewell was referencing ChildFund International commercials, which provided sponsorship to deprived children around the world.)

The Timberwolves’ upper management, unmoved by his family’s tragic situation, didn’t offer him one more cent, and by the end of the 2005 season, he was unemployed. By 2007, his yacht, “Milwaukee’s Best,” had been repossessed by federal marshals after missed payments and insurance worth over $1 million. In 2008, he defaulted on the mortgage on his Milwaukee home, sending it into foreclosure. His Westchester mansion went into foreclosure two years later.

More-
http://www.60maxpowero.com/patriots..._medium=referral&utm_campaign=crowdignite.com

 

[IllegalContact]

the last time I checked, the difference between 8M and 12M is 4M.....which is the same difference as between 0M and 4M....short careers, agents, eat into that......

what's the difference between Kraft charging $80 and $125 for a ticket? why does he charge $10 for a bud? $50 to park?

the funny thing is that Kraft charges what he charges regardless of whether the player takes 8M or 12M

Kraft bought a team and a stadium for a combined 150M or so....300M for the stadium......he's in for 450M, and the team is now worth 2.6B, and he's looking to build some endzone experience thing....why? TO MAKE MORE MONEY

so before you ask a player this question, you need to ask the owners these questions.......what the players get paid is limited by the salary cap........what the owners make has no such limit.....

 

[Gronk]

Alot of good thoughts/rationale...8 to 12 is a 50% raise, I'd move to get that for the same job. And I can do my job for more than a few years.

One that remains unmentioned is that they are members of a union. And as such they do have a certain responsibility to the rest of the players to demand they be paid their fair market value as individuals, even with the salary cap.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

As Patrick Ewing said,

"Yeah, we make a lot. But we spend a lot too"

 

[tatepatsfan]

I could never fault a player for taking more money. If that's what he wants, if he hypothetically would rather make an extra, say $4 million, to play for the Raiders or Jaguars, then good for him. $4 million is a ton of money. And it's fairly shortsighted to suggest that a player would pass that up. Think of all of the extra security $4 million provides not only for the individual player, but for his kids, his extended family, and his close friends.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

I think we are also forgetting about the player union aspect. The players union, rightfully so, does not want any of their members "taking less money" because it devalues all the contracts that come after it. This is the case for all Pro sports unions.