I can still remember when Nolan Ryan got a 3 year, $3 million contract and everyone was talking about how ridiculous it was how much money athletes made. He was a Hall of Famer at the end of his professional peak. Now don't get me wrong, I love Ronnie Brown, but he's started how many games in his last four seasons? Ten maybe. And he's going to get $20+ million in guaranteed bonus money.
From a news story:
The Miami Dolphins and agent Todd France have temporarily halted negotiations on a contract for tailback Ronnie Brown, the second player chosen in the NFL draft in April, until they see the final version of the six-year, $49.5 million contract that the draft's top overall pick, quarterback Alex Smith, signed with the San Francisco 49ers.Smith's deal contains $24 million in bonus money, but the Dolphins want to see how the contract is structured--and how and when Smith will receive that $24 million--before proceeding in the Brown negotiations. The club apparently had hoped, before the Smith signing, to sign Brown to a deal containing less than $20 million in bonus money. Now that figure might have to be higher, perhaps as high as $22 million.The bonus-money total in Smith's contract is 20 percent higher than the $20 million in bonus money that last year's top overall draft selection, quarterback Eli Manning, received as part of his six-year, $45 million contract with the New York Giants. The 49ers initially maintained in deliberations with agent Tom Condon, who represents both Smith and Manning, that Smith should get a contract less lucrative than Manning's, but Condon scoffed at that notion and the team eventually abandoned that negotiating stance. . . .
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
That is one of the reason why I do follow any professional sports. Priorities are so far out of whack that it is sickening. $22M is so far from 99.9% of the populations reality. Its not the players fault, I wouldn't want an owner to get all the money. The problem I have is the sheer volume of money in the system.
Did you read any of the recent $$ issue of Sports Illustrated? The salaries and overall income (including endorsement cash) are ri-f'n-diculous. Hell, I even think it's out of control in the college game. I love Tubs. I think he's built AU football from the ground up with a terrific foundation for the future. I think he recruits kids that work hard, go to class, and don't do anything to embarrass the school. But is he worth $2.2 million a year? When a professor teaching 3 classes per semester while doing research and overseeing grad students makes $100K if he/she is lucky? Sports in general is headed for a market bust (kind of like tech stocks in the 90's and the housing market right now). The NHL already saw it. No TV $$ at all. Player salaries are going to plummet and I guarantee you attendance numbers in the arenas this season will put a dent in the owners' wallets. The NBA is riding a fine line right now (phenomenal and likeable athletes like LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Shaq balanced against thugs and lazy asses that have guaranteed 5 and 6 year contracts with an overall value bigger than the GDP of a quarter of the countries on this planet) and MLB will face similar issues in the coming years. Not to mention the further fracturing of the market. SI had a great article recently about the exponential growth of lacrosse in the US. Once kids start dedicating themselves to games like lacrosse and "x" games (not to mention the millions upon millions that concentrate on soccer) the major sports leagues are going to see their fan base aging without replenishing with a younger audience. It's definitely going to be interesting to see how the 3 major sports (hockey doesn't qualify anymore...the Stanley Cup Finals are like the Tour de France - people only pay attention for 2 or 3 weeks) adjust in the next 15-20 years.
To get back to the first post...Ronnie's agent is the one my friend knows (he lives in her condo building in Buckhead). He also has Takeo as a client. He probably gets anywhere from 4%-7% on that deal. So he's looking at making a million of Ronnie's signing bonus alone this year. I went into the wrong profession.
Post a Comment