25% of players (max!) care about winning the Super Bowl

NFL agent says maximum 25% of players truly care about the Super Bowl

This article notes the "righteous indignation" of Lane Johnson when he talks about how his happy joy joy feelings matter more than winning Super Bowls. It's not just that he feels that way, it's not just that he's comfortable making it public, it's not just that he's willing to criticize an organization with a different philosophy... he's indignant about it!

Biggest and most necessary lie in pro sports--that winning is the be-all, end-all for players--and these Pats-hating morons are blowing the lid off it.

Like why would a free agent be willing to play for the Jete?

Not to win a ring ...

It’s a really interesting article and eye opening if true.

However, it’s one (I believe anonymous since I’m not gonna bother clicking on a Volin article if I can avoid it) agent’s estimation. It could be made up or totally pulled out of his ass, or stated because he has an agenda. I’d be more interested if it were an anonymous survey or something, and even that I’d take with a dose of skepticism.

Earth to Volin: If 100% of the players only cared about winning the super bowl, agents like the one who blew smoke up your ass for this story wouldn't have a job.

73% of all statistics are made up.

I actually commented on this when I first joined the board. The biggest myth in pro sports is that athletes want to "win a championship". The reality is that they want to get paid! It's actually quite bizarre fans really think athletes primary goal is to win "Championships" over money. Fans seem to forget they do this for a living and and Championships don't pay the bills for most players. Guys that get paid like Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, LeBron James and other franchise type players can concentrate on obsessing over this because they don't have to worry about money like practice squad players or journeyman type players. You also have to take into account players are programmed to say this so they appear more marketable to the media, advertisers and most importantly.... fans. Could you imagine if a player said "I only signed with (insert team here) because they offered me the most money and I don't really care about winning a Championship"? LOL. This is the honest truth about pro athletes.

In Little League, you want to win a Championship. In High School and College, you want to win a Championship. In pro sports, you want to put food on the table and have a roof over your head.

Look at it this way, do you go to work everyday hoping your company wins an award for best company? Of course not. LOL. You're there to get paid!

If players who played for CLE and the jets focused on winning SB's. they would be bitterly disappointed. It is better for their careers and production if they focus on other goals.

Abraham Lincoln once said that everything on the internet cannot be true.

TheRainMaker said:

Look at it this way, do you go to work everyday hoping your company wins an award for best company? Of course not. LOL. You're there to get paid!

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Speak for yourself.

Just because you take no pride in your work doesn't mean that I do.

My Work...is my Brand.

TheRainMaker said:

It's actually quite bizarre fans really think athletes want to win "Championships". Fans seem to forget they do this for a living and and Championships don't pay the bills for most players.

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News flash: It's possible to get paid and win Championships.

Your sweeping statement that athletes don't want to win championships is just about the most insanely ridiculous thing that I've ever read on the InterNet.

I'll bet you that even a blubbering fool like Lane Johnson prefers to win.

Now, do many or most athletes prioritize money over Championships? Well, doy.

But many ~ I assume you've heard'f Tom Brady? ~ do not.

TheRainMaker said:

In pro sports, you want to put food on the table and have a roof over your head.

Look at it this way, do you go to work everyday hoping your company wins an award for best company? Of course not. LOL. You're there to get paid!

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May be correct for the fringe athlete who is hanging on for a minimum contract, but for the average player in a billion dollar business like the NFL or NBA it's a ridiculous take. Let's say contender A offers a player 2 million per year guaranteed and 4 overall. Team B offers the same player 3 million guaranteed with 6 overall. You really want to argue that it's not possible "put food on the table and have a roof over your head" with 2 million per year?

In a sport like football, where success has so much to do with factors outside of your control, and one fired coach or good draft pick or bad injury is the difference between you being a millionaire and you being cut, I think it's likely most players care about money first and foremost (you could argue that's the attitude a responsible young man should have).

Of course, Lane Johnson (and Marsh, and Brooks) are talking about having fun and being happy (as opposed to working extra hard, or being negatively motivated to succeed). They aren't talking about money.

Off The Grid said:

Speak for yourself.

Just because you take no pride in your work doesn't mean that I don't.

My Work...is my Brand.
News flash: It's possible to get paid and win Championships.

Your sweeping statement that athletes don't want to win championships is just about the most insanely ridiculous thing that I've ever read on the InterNet.

I'll bet you that even a blubbering fool like Lane Johnson prefers to win.

Now, do many or most athletes prioritize money over Championships? Well, doy.

But many ~ I assume you've heard'f Tom Brady?

~ do not.

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This gave me a pretty good laugh when you assume I don't take pride in my work. LOL.

Let me rephrase my original post as I guess I wasn't very clear. Winning is not a priority for most athletes. Getting paid comes first. Winning is just an icing on the cake. They don't lose sleep at night if they don't win. They just want to have a damn job!

What's more ridiculous is how a fan can think when players negotiate contracts is whether they have the best chance of "winning". There's a lot more factors that come into play.

And you obviously missed the part where I mentioned "Franchise Type" players are the exception such as Tom Brady.

PF_SU said:

May be correct for the fringe athlete who is hanging on for a minimum contract, but for the average player in a billion dollar business like the NFL or NBA it's a ridiculous take. Let's say contender A offers a player 2 million per year guaranteed and 4 overall. Team B offers the same player 3 million guaranteed with 6 overall. You really want to argue that it's not possible "put food on the table and have a roof over your head" with 2 million per year?

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Managers, Agents, taxes, etc. cut into that number more than you think. But to answer your question, more often than not, they will take the higher offer but other factors come into play as I mentioned above.

Jercules said:

NFL agent says maximum 25% of players truly care about the Super Bowl

This article notes the "righteous indignation" of Lane Johnson when he talks about how his happy joy joy feelings matter more than winning Super Bowls. It's not just that he feels that way, it's not just that he's comfortable making it public, it's not just that he's willing to criticize an organization with a different philosophy... he's indignant about it!

Biggest and most necessary lie in pro sports--that winning is the be-all, end-all for players--and these Pats-hating morons are blowing the lid off it.

Click to expand...

I wouldn’t have believed this, but if an agent said it then I guess it’s true.

PF_SU said:

May be correct for the fringe athlete who is hanging on for a minimum contract, but for the average player in a billion dollar business like the NFL or NBA it's a ridiculous take. Let's say contender A offers a player 2 million per year guaranteed and 4 overall. Team B offers the same player 3 million guaranteed with 6 overall. You really want to argue that it's not possible "put food on the table and have a roof over your head" with 2 million per year?

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I don’t see how you could justify leaving a portion of cash like that on the table. We are talking about 1/3rd difference in pay. Assuming the low end contract means the player is not a long term lock in the league, nor an end of career player looking for a twilight, I would absolutely take the money. That’s almost a couple decades worth of honest pay for most fortunate folks.

Get it while you can, however I wish I had more faith with these short career players finding a way to save the money and have it work for them for the rest of their lives, but 30 for 30: Broke tells us frugality is likely an exception not a rule. That’s why I was so happy to hear Ricky Jean Francois owns 30+ Dunkins or that Shaq has an MBA or Jason Brown becoming a farmer.

Adam Seward said:

I don’t see how you could justify leaving a portion of cash like that on the table. We are talking about 1/3rd difference in pay. Assuming the low end contract means the player is not a long term lock in the league, nor an end of career player looking for a twilight, I would absolutely take the money. That’s almost a couple decades worth of honest pay for most fortunate folks.

Get it while you can, however I wish I had more faith with these short career players finding a way to save the money and have it work for them for the rest of their lives, but 30 for 30: Broke tells us frugality is likely an exception not a rule. That’s why I was so happy to hear Ricky Jean Francois owns 30+ Dunkins or that Shaq has an MBA or Jason Brown becoming a farmer.

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Every extra million per year gets you another 1.2 dudes in your entourage. Hard to turn that down.

Adam Seward said:

I don’t see how you could justify leaving a portion of cash like that on the table.

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The justification is easy. It's just that most people put money over other priorities.

SammyBlueCat said:

Abraham Lincoln once said that everything on the internet cannot be true.

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No Thomas Jefferson said that.

Money is the "eat of all roovil" a punchline to a joke I have long since forgotten..

"Hometown discounts" have as much to do with your family and reluctance to make them move again, as they do with being on a winning team.. I theorize that.

Wiluven said:

73% of all statistics are made up.

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I thought it was 87.3% (the decimal adds some validity to the number )

Deus Irae said:

The justification is easy. It's just that most people put money over other priorities.

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That's because as Darwin once said, "To survive in the NFL one must adapt skills and athleticism with greater desire to survive to earn good money or undoubtably suffer the negative consequences of natural selection and be thrust into a smarmy bile of toxicity and embarrassment in due course known as 'performing for the ****tiest for more monetary return' or more commonly known as playin for the Jete."