Athelete Arrogance

I am a baseball fan, and a sports fan, I enjoy watching the games and I enjoy the competition. But I am getting increasingly sickened by the arrogance and self righteousness of these athletes. I see time and again athletes who sign contracts for multiple years, deciding mid contract they want to re-negotiate their contracts.

I do not understand this, and it seems to be only in professional sports that employees can hold their employeers hostage in this manner. If I were to say to my employer that I will not come back to work unless I get a new contract, I would immediately find myself looking for other employment, as a business owner myself, if my most valued employee were to say to me, they wanted a new contract and would "hold out" of work until they got a new contract, I would give them all of the free time they wanted. I would fire them without hesitation.

When an employee and employer sign a contract for a specified salary and a specified time frame, it is a contract that both agree to, and it should be upheld by both parties. When one says they would like to re-negotiate the contract, that is an option that can be discussed. But if either does not wish to, then both parties are still bound by the contract until it matures.

Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams says he wants a new contract or he will sit out the season. If the leaders of the Rams have any integrity they will allow him to sit out and miss the entire years salary. So what, there are many good runnng backs, get another one. These self righteous athletes who believe they "deserve" more should have stipulated so in their original contract. Mr. jackson, you signed the contract, you gave your word you would accept "x" amount for "x" seasons. Keep your word. Stick to your end of the deal. Follow through with what you said you would do.

If the owners would all agree that they would not accept this type of blackmail, and that is all it is, then the arrogrance would stop. The atheltes would keep their contracts. Too often what happens for athletes is seperate from what happens to the rest of society. Fire them, let them become unemployable, see if there is something else he can do. In a year or two most of these athletes would be seen cutting grass for the highway department and they would have only their own arrogrance to blame for it all. They are given the world to carry, throw, shoot or hit a ball, and they want millions for it.