For better or for worse, we put a premium on *entertainment*. Whether it be athletes, singers, or actors. I would argue this is supremely backward, but it will never change. Entertainers don't have the same utilitarian function (and I'll use the above example) that teachers do. Their direct benefit to society doesn't even come close to other professions. But we cherish this. We love *escapism*. We're willing to pay to go see Al Pacino movies (or insert actor/actress here) because it makes us *feel good* for two and a half hours. Same thing with athletes. It takes our mind off of the daily grind. Nothing more. I wrote an article in law school about, among other things, the societal influence of celebrity, which dovetailed into a discussion about the economic demand that entertainers hold. I agree that there are only a couple hundred people with the talent to play in the NBA. Or play hockey. Or star in a movie. But let's back up the tape for a second. The larger question that's begged is *why* do we put this emphasis on being entertained? Why is the demand there? There's no question it is, and that is why our entertainers will continue to get paid infinitely more than the people who educate our children, or the nurses who take care of our grandparents when they're in the hospital. The bottom line is that it's just a crazy world. But it is what it is. And I don't blame anyone with an in-demand talent to do what they have to do to get paid.
Junkyarddwg: You cannot say that basketball players and highly skilled professionals trained in a specific machinery should be paid the same. There is no comparison between those two professions. And although I understand your point, it is that a highly skilled professional trained in a specific piece of machinery can only use that one piece of machinery. The people that make the most money are the ones who generate the most money (i.e. salesmen). If you want to look at the NBA as a business, they are there to sell the sport to people so they can generate income. Their salesmen are the NBA players, who sell the seats and the jerseys, so they pay the NBA players accordingly. Hakeem06: Your argument on saying these players should not have to feel greatful for the money they make is completely and utterly r****ded. It is the exact opposite, they should feel EXTREMELY greatful that they make the money they do, because the bulk of their "potential" comes from God-given structure of their bodies. I think what makes most of us mad is that we actually had to struggle through college or some higher form of education; while these children coming from high school (with little education),who are getting paid more than us, are complaining. It is absurd to think that these children should complain about the money they make, and not be greatful for the situations they have. That is my biggest problem with the whole Antonio Davis/Jim Jackson/Vince Carter/etc. situations. I would be especially mad if I were a fan of the team that they are rejecting.
POWER Its about POWER Antonio has it and you don't He can MUSCLE his employer and you cannot So you hate and you are envious and jealous hearted If you COULD . . YOU WOULD Don't even try to lie POWER concedes nothing with out DEMAND Folx hate when the field hands run the farm Owners b**** as much as players they jerk players around but well they get a pass. . cause they already rich and well .. we feel they should have this privilige and the 'dumb' athletes shouldn't Well . . .the Players association is smarter than that Look at the NFL . . . YOu get a signing bonus and your kneee goes south and you spend your bonus trying to get it back to snuff and it still doesn't work? You are f&CK . .but that is ok . . because at lease the owners get to keep their money Ya'll are so PRO-OWNER and ANTI-WORKER I see nothing wrong with what Antonio is doing This is no different than a when Letterman was trying to figure out whether to goto CBS or stay with NBC even though he was under contract with NBC though tentatively His job is not like your job because the NBA is basically a MONOPOLY as far as basketball is concerned he cannot just quit and goto another league same with BASEBALL same as football Rocket River
We all IMO have the opportunity to make money right out of high school It is about dedication and focus Take any kid . .. find his talent .. nuture it unidirectionally and it can happen The issue is being lucky enough to find the talent in time and to have the means to nurish it My son is 7 If I put him in computer classes now and force feed it to him for the next 10 yrs. . .their is a good chance he'd be an excellent programer maybe better than some of those that WORKED HARD IN COLLEGE etc My point is.. .. Athletes FOCUSED and YES . .SACRIFICED to get where they are Think of anything you do, have a talent for, or like and tell me. . do you think between the ages of 7-18 that you did that . . as often and with as much focus and dedication as Lebron played basketball??? I beleive if you did . . .you would be great at it now I beleive in Nuture over Nature Mugsy Bogues proved that HEART and WORK can get you to the NBA even if you don't have the stature I dislike for dismissing the sacrefices and effort athletes make I use to but i don't any more Rocket River it ain't easy but it can be done
Rocket River, finally somebody to bring some sense.Very well said. People say: I struggled through college. I sympathize with everybody, but what does that have to do with professional sports? NBA players are not handed what they have.They work damn hard at it. Yes it is a just a GAME, but it's a business that generates billions and players are paid accordingly. It's a simple matter of supply and demand. There are probably 1000 elite athletes in the US and there are millions of teachers. Anybody can be a teacher, it's such an interchangeable profession, so they're paid based upon that premise. Professional athletes dedicate their whole life to a 10 year career.The hazards and risks they take are enormous. They're not stealing from anobody and they deserve everything they get.
The Knicks should do what the Eagles did with Whinny Owens. Tell him to STFU and get ready to sit on the bench. Otherwise suspend his ass for not showing up and not pay him. Isiah is a freakin moron. I believe he wants to pay the guy because they are friends and frankly its not his money.
I get what you're saying. I was just trying to point out that there are plenty of specialized professions and skills out there in addition to professional athletes, actors, etc. I think Toast put it better: For every Mugsy Bogues there are 5 to 10 Kwames and EGs. Are you a teacher? Because they do not get their due. I don't care how many athletes versus teachers there are in the US or world. They do not get their due. Period. Plain and simple. You should be grateful for the life you have. But back to the topic at hand. If Davis doesn't want to play for the Knicks so be it. But why should the Knicks have to buy him out. Either he plays and earns his paycheck, or he doesn't and gets nothing.
For $14 million, I could afford to lease a private jet and fly back and forth from NY to Chicago a coule times a week, and spend the same amount of time at the house as a player normally would during an NBA season if they lived in the city they played in.
Yeah that's ... that's not true. Do a little research before throwing this stuff around, ok? Antonio Davis has every right not to want to play for the New York Knicks, and not to play for the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks, in turn, have every right not to pay him one cent. As long as David refuses to honor his contract, then the Knicks can refuse to pay him. They can suspend him without pay (like the Hornets did with JJ), or needlessly pay him (like the idiot Raptors did with Mourning).
Most math teachers don't have math degrees anymore; most science teachers don't get thier BS is Chemistry or Biology anymore, etc.....they are all getting some form of "education" degree - and that is one watered down piece of ****! Then the teachers have a 9 MONTH job - with lots of time off at Christmas, Spring Break, etc.... after the first few years they can do the damn thing in their sleep - AND they make upwards of 38K starting in most districts in Texas! AND the people who are becoming teachers are by no means the "best and the brightest". My wife is a professor of Biochemistry; the students in her classes who are good at what they do DO NOT aspire to teach at anything below the university level. Then, those that do become profs. (who often make LESS than elementary school teachers!) don't just teach - they got to earn their keep, research, publications, etc.... THEN when those people want the easy life the lower school teachers have, GUESS WHAT - they aren't allowed to teach - even though they have Ph. Freaking D's - go to go back to school and get that useless, B.S. education certification (try to get rid of that requirement so cats who have been there, done that professional, docs, professors etc.. can impart some of their wisdom and skill on our young people, and the teacher' - unions SCREAM LIKE HELL! - can't handle the competition). I've got three children in elementary school, almost (I did say almost) every one of their teachers have been simple people with little depth or intellectual capacity - not uniquely gifted or overly ambitious AT ALL. Dedicated? I guess...Hard Working? Not by any standard I've seen; never look seriously stressed or flustered like most workers get as the week goes on - not burning the midnight oil or shoveling Tums. Pretty easy gig - and paid fairly, frankly. I have much more respect for the average pro B.Ball player than I do for the average teacher. Sure they have natural gifts, but that alone didn't put them, or keep them on top. They had to work at it; keep themselves relatively clean, or they are GONE - only a handfull can do it, and there are THOUSANDS trying to get YOUR job; AND you only have a dozen or so years to get it done. Teachers can leave the profession go back, take time off, whatever; there will always be a job waiting for them (with guarunteed salary & benefits based on length of service - NOT performance).
Exactly. So why are we still arguing? This isn't a big deal. He wants to be bought out because he wants to play for Chicago. He can't ask to be cut because if New York cut him then they would have to pay him. So, he has to ask to be bought out instead and can accept pennies on the dollar to be bought out. If New York does it, it'll be for a fraction of the total and for their own convenience. Otherwise, Davis won't be paid for this season. NY doesn't even lose out on the trade because he was just a cap throw-in.
You can't force someone to work, even if you have an employment contract. All you can do is keep them from working for anyone else. And I'm pretty sure that if one party doesn't comply wth their obligations (to play) the other doesn't have to comply with theirs (to pay). I haven't seen the contract, of course, but that's usually how it works.
Aside from not paying Antonio if he doesn't play... I would think the Knicks could technically sue him for breach of contract if they wanted? Make some money off this
While I think there needs to be some sort of rule addressing this, I can understand where Davis is coming from. He's only got a few more years in the NBA left. The Knicks want him for "veteran leadership" and he will probably only see a few minutes on the court while most of his leadership will be from the bench and lockerroom. The Bulls like him for his leadership but also he plays good minutes for them and provides them with a stable guy on the court. Also, part of the initial deal was that the Knicks would release him and he would re-sign with the Bulls 30 days later. Instead, Isiah decided he would rather keep him then let him go. With all that going on, I can see why Davis wouldn't want to play for the Knicks.
I don't see the big deal. AD is trying to use what little leverage he has to get what he wants. It's really up to Isiah as to whether he wants to cave in or not. Now if AD decided to show up, play like a puss, be a cancer in the locker room, and sabotage games ala Vince Carter, then yeah rant away. But this? pffft. He doesn't have to show up if he doesn't want to.
The NBA is a business that makes billions of it's players. It's players are paid accordingly (some would even say the deserve a bigger cut on average). Our jobs don't make as much money off of us alone. We can typically be replaced easier. Sure there are tons of guys playing ball, but not too many that can play very well at the pro-level. Look at all the scrubs that sit on the benches in this expanded, watered down league. To try to say "I have to show up for work everyday, and can't complain like he can" is silly. 1st, if you could, you probably would. 2nd, the situations are in no way comparable. If AD doesn't want to play for the Knicks and he is willing to sacrifice his fat paycheck to do it, then what is the problem? He isn't a slave. He chooses to work. If he wants to quit his job, that's on him. It's not like he "shouldn't be" able to afford it (assuming he hasn't blown his millions). Lastly, talent alone won't get you into the league, especially if you aren't like 7-0 tall. It makes no sense to dismiss the hard work and training that athletes go through to be the best of the best.
What if he really wants to spend time with his family??? What if he allready thought to himself he has allready lots of money and just doesnt want to miss those 9 months with his kids? What if he really cares about his family?
Exactly my sentiments. Comparing teachers and pro basketball players is like comparing apples to oranges. Pro Basketball is a meritocracy while teaching at the primary/secondary level is not. The public teacher's union try to impose a uniform salary across to whole system where math teachers are paid the same as PE and English teachers regardless of supply and demand. The result is mediocrity. If teaching were like the NBA where all the best teachers in a city or nation taught at some premier private primary or secondary school, they'd be paid big bucks. Why? Because all the people with dough would be banging down the doors paying whatever it takes to enroll their kids. Still, these teachers won't be paid as much as today NBA players. Why? The second reason, leverage. These teacher's effect would only be on the kids that attend their class which would be a limited paying audience. NBA players don't just get their money from the people who attend the games, right? A large part of the money they get also comes from television and sales of merchandise which they can sell to the people who don't attend the games in person. If teachers can do that, then they'd be paid like the Celebrity Chef "teachers" like Emeril or home decor "teacher" like Martha Steward who can use the leverage of television, merchandising and advertising.
