Today's blog serves the purpose of pointing out the power that is shown by athletes in professional sports. The best example of player's power in the sports industry perhaps is being shown by prominent Yankee, and face of the franchise, Derek Jeter. The issue at hand is contract negotiations. The Yankees are offering Derek Jeter a contract of about 3 years $45 million, which would be $15 million a year. Derek Jeter, an aging shortstop, is requesting a long-term deal that would assure him about 4-5 years at about $23 million per year. This has become an issue because Derek Jeter, being a long-time captain, as well as face of the franchise for over 10 years, has threatened to test the free agent waters in search for more money, if a deal can't be agreed upon. This shows the power of the players in the modern era, where they virtually have total control over their organization by threatening to leave and play elsewhere if they are not being payed how they would like to be payed.
As a Mets fan i could really care less about the Yankees but you have to respect Derek Jeter. He started playing '98 and was a dominate force right out of the gate. He has numerous World Series rings and has been an All Star almost every year. This year he won the Gold Glove, which in my opinion he won soley because of his name, but none the less it shows he can still play. He wants to play longer but the Yankees in general are an old team and they are looking to get a new "Derek Jeter" soon. Jeter is one of the most recognizable faces in baseball and the time on the Free Agent market will show how other teams rate him and how powerful players really are. Like you were saying if this threatening of the organization gets him a better deal, you do have to ask the question, do well known athletes have too much power?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thoughts. Based on this evidence as well as several other instances where similar situations occur, you would have to argue that perhaps they do.
ReplyDeleteDerek Jeter just signed a three year deal for $51 million with a player option for a fourth year according to an un-named source. I don't think he deserves that much money because he is getting old and is coming off one of his worst statistical seasons.
ReplyDeleteExactly and for some reason he recieved the Gold Glove for shortstop when there were many other deserving players out there. Also i liked how the Sox got Carl Crawford, its nice to see a big name player free agent not go to the yankees.
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