Am I the Only One Bothered by the Concept of the "Asset?"

I disagree. This is a business. Just like any other.

Personality and "heart" are factors. But, at the end of the day, it all comes down to money. Kirk Hinrich is an undesirable "asset" not because he sucks, but becuase he's overpaid.

Do you really think Exxon or Dynegy or wherever you work really cares about your personality? They care about how much money you can make them and little else.

 

Great Post Jeff. I agree totally 100%

 

Welcome to capitalism. No disrespect, but haven't you ever had a job? We convert people's lives--our lives--into monetary value (numbers). Is it possible that a human's life time can be worth five or ten or a hundred dollars an hour? Well T-Mac is over $40,000 a day, but you get the idea. I love the sincerity of the OP but am rather amazed at his innocence.

 

Winning makes everything seem better than it really is, losing has the adverse effect. We are losing, so CF's is jumbled. Nice post Jeff.

 

Not only am I not bothered by it, I'd further point out that it's not just an NBA only thing. It is not just a sports only thing.

It's a life thing.

You don't think Steve Jobs is an asset? Or that doctor who is well known and recommended, but maybe thinking about switching groups?

Some business are more human capital intensive than others, of course. Sports, clearly, are at the high end of that list, as are most kinds of media / entertainment products (movies, television, journalism, etc.).

Sports is certainly unique in the collective bargaining, passion, etc. surrounding it, but I think it folly to not recognize that your human capital is your primary asset and sometimes you have to treat it as just that - an asset, as opposed to a "person".

 

Like other posters have said, this is a game, and these people get paid millions of dollars to play the game. They're being traded. The emotion of being moved or transplanted might not feel so nice, such as what Marcus Camby was feeling. But they aren't being treated inhumanely, and in most cases, they aren't being disrespected. This is part of their job, and they know that coming in. If you gave 90% of the rest of America the choice of being treated as an NBA "asset", to what their lives are like right now, I have a feeling that most people wouldn't care to be called an "asset".

 

I love ass......kim k's goes beyond the boundaries of physics

 

At my job we are all referred to as "resources". Sounds similar to the way "asset" is thrown around. Sure, calling people an asset or resource is objectifying them to some degree, but an asset is usually a positive thing.

 

You are not the only one, Jeff. I have said this numerous times, just not as eloquent as you.

To me, if we only care about winning numbers, then it is really not much different from playing fantasy leagues or video games, everything is just a number.

I want to root for guys who I like as human beings, not just some virtual characters who help my team win.

 

I don't think Jeff was feeling sorry for the players. I think he's sorry for the way the fans now see the game. The fans now view the game as a business, the players as assets. What happens off the court seems to generate more interest than what happens on the court.

Over the past several weeks we have had numerous Clutchfans endorse the idea of "tanking" to gain more assets. Isn't that sad, actually pulling for the home team to lose, just to move up a few spots in the draft. Life is short my friends, I don't know how many more seasons I left. I'm going to enjoy every game the Rockets play, and I'm pulling for them to win.

 

Wow is it true? I've heard of Jeff since my time here at clutchfans but always figured the story was more like a bigfoot sighting

 

I think the OP's point is not the word "asset" but the whole concept that players are just a piece of thing that can be used in exchange of some better things whenever possible, with no emotional attachment.

Sports fanhood is more than buying a product or watching a movie. It's about rooting for a group of human beings we deem worth rooting for.

 

Better to be an asset than a liability. At least there's market value for some of the high-priced chattel on our Rockets team.

Now, where's the branding iron?

 

Well, in my day...

 

If you work you are either an asset or a liability to the company you work for.

That's just the way it is.

Professional athletes are the same as regular workers in this regard.

They are just more highly compensated assets. (Filty rich)

 

So if you had a chance to get Kobe Bryant you wouldn't do it?

 

If you're freaked by that, consider this:

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/facts_stats/t75702.cfm

One traffic fatality is worth $2,600,000 according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In other words, having T-Mac play for you for one year is worth about nine human lives (non-NBA humans).

Quantification of human life is basic to capitalism. Roads, cars etc could be safer, but it would be too expensive to make them so. Want to spend $23 mill to prevent one traffic fatality? Not in this country.

 

Yawn. We get it. You're better than us. Congrats.

Now let's move around some pieces!

 

Jeff is this your Jerry Maguire moment?

Seriously, great post and totally agree.

 

How can she hack






Jeff's account