On the same day that the ever so immortal NFL laid off 150 people and a report released suggested the Arena Football League had died, both due to the financial crisis, CC Sabathia signs with the Evil Empire for $161 million dollars. Let me repeat that for you one more time. $161 million = one player. One player who started this past season with a 6-8 record and has never won 20 games in a season. One player who's lifetime ERA pitching at the old Yankee stadium in the pressure of New York is 8.61. One player who didn't even win the Cy Young in their league this past year. No, that award belongs to a special San Franciscian, Mr. Timmy "The Freak-Franchise" Lincecum. Looks like someone can make a fortune easier in Major League Baseball than be a guest on Oprah. Don't take this the wrong way, I've got no beef with CC, I haven't been a hater of his until he became a Yankee. In fact, in a way, I'm glad that he's taking $161 millllllion of the Yankees dollars that they can't spend elsewhere. But if you think take this one player's contract, it could have saved the entire Arena Football League. What bothers me is that I had hoped the financial crisis would do at least one good thing and bring the salary prices down for professional athletes, leading to smaller egos and cheaper tickets. But the Yanks had to dissapoint me yet again with this massively overpriced contract to a pitcher who I won't be the least bit surprised if he too pulls a "Barry Zito". Ok...maybe not that bad, but I don't at all see him living up to $161 million dollar expectations. Can you imagine what the ticket prices are going to be in the new Yankee Stadium when just three of the 25 players on payroll are costing the team $75 million for just the 2009 season (in case you aren't disgusted enough, that $75 mil is more than 13 teams entire payroll by the way)? How many kids in the Bronx are going to be able to see their heros in person?It would be one thing if it was just the Yankees who were being this ridiculous with their piggy bank, but you know all the other free agents were waiting for CC to get signed so they could model their contracts off of his. Already T-Chop look-a-like Mark Teixeira, who in six seasons has only finished once with 40+ homers and three times with a .300+ batting average, has been offered two $150+ million contracts with likely more to come. He's a good switch hitter, but...really? $150 million for him? Guess a million dollars just isn't what I think it is anymore. To sign off on a funny note, isn't it great to be a Yankee fan like LeBron James, where SportsCenter values his opinion on the CC signing more than anyone else other than Derek Jeter, the only Yankee player Red Sox fans seem to at least somewhat respect. There was no opinions from A-Rod, Girardi, Steinbrenner, or Steve Phillips. Just Yankee Fan/To-be-Knick-in-two-years King James.
~ SIR CHARLES
2 comments:
You know is to blame for this right? Brian Sabean. You can't just sit there and think that CC would've gotten 161 mil if Barry Zito hadn't robbed the Giants of 126 million or whatever it was. If you base Sabbathia's contract off Zito's, CC should be taking home 679 million....he's that much better than Zito. Anyway, I would also like to assign like 80% of the blame to the devil incarnate, Scott Boras. If I ever meet Scott Boras on the street, I would have to stop and ask him what it's like to have no soul. ZI blame him for ruining baseball and similar agents like Drew Rosenhaus in the NFL and all the other ones for ruining sports in general.
Also, I couldn't be happier that the yankees threw away 23 million a year, is over the weight limit on every amusement ride, AND got a guy who didn't want to pitch there. I look forward to every sore shoulder he gets.....and here's to the Sox getting Tex.
This is from Sir Charles:
Did you really have to pour salt on a wound by bringing up Zito? Really? But you are very right, just as Alex Smith was the stepping stone for Eli Manning and Matt Ryan. What many don't know about the Zito deal is that it was done to save face. The Giants had just signed Barry Bonds and to everyone's shock, the fans were not supportive in that people had expected because they felt the team massively overpaid for Bonds one year deal (which I think was $18 million). In a quick effort to please the fans, the Giants enter the race for Zito in the final lap because they wanted to get someone to be the face of the franchise after Bonds and he was a Bay Area guy that locals liked. Well...we saw the ugly aftermath as Zito may be the worst free agent signing ever and Bonds record breaking efforts saved ticket sales that year, easily making up for the money spent on his contract.
Now I gotta say, I'm not so sure I hate Boras or other sports agents. Take a breath, give me a chance. If there wasn't a player to represent, a player demanding more money, they wouldn't be there. We only hear from Rosenhouse when T.O. or Ocho Cinco get into trouble and their representation must speak for them. Do we hate OJ's lawyers for getting him off, or OJ? Though I understand the teams are desperate to pull in the star attractions, at the same time I blame the owners and GM's more than the agents. The agents (and players) can demand all they want, yet it's still the owners allowing themselves to lose control and pull out the checkbook. Just because I got a gorgeous naked stripper running her fingers through my hair and tickling my crotch doesn't excuse me from dropping $300 for a lap-dance. Why do the players and agents have all the leverage? If these players didn't have pro sports, what would they have? Nothing, probably bagging groceries at Shaws with Sprewell. Owners and GM's can always just go get another player. So I'm with you in terms of Sabean being a big part of the blame, but the agents in my mind are just doing their job...except for when Boras let's his big ego and tiny dick get in the way. Sucks that he missed out on the last A-Rod deal because he forgot that he was representing Mr. Madonna, not Mr. Boras.
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