For the Love of the Game

Glamour. Lifestyle. Money. Buisness. Corruption. Cheating. Scandal.

What do all seven of these words have in common? They can all be used to describe the modern day professional sports era.

It makes me sick everytime I hear a professional athlete say that they "play the game becuase they love the game." No you don't. You love what the game gives you. You love wearing that $1,000 rolex watch or driving your Ferarri around town.

Let's back up to the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. That was the "hay day" for American professional sports. Back then it didn't matter about the money. The average salary for a professional athlete was less than half of what it is today. What some players make in a year, players back then would have made in a career. The cash that players nowadays seemingly throw away, athletes back then would have gone gaga over.

And for what? Taking the field every Sunday? Taking the court 4 nights out of the week? Strutting onto a diamond 162+ nights out of the year?

My dad wakes up early everyday except Sunday and goes to work. He sits at his computer and goes through conference call after conference call. My dad takes buisness trips that last weeks at a time. 365 days a year my dad is working. Will he ever make as much money as what professional athletes today make in a year? Most likely...no.

Did you know that athletes get paid by the game? That's right. The Steelers may have lost the Super Bowl, but they each still got a big fat check that equals the yearly income for your household. Do you see my point yet?

In my opinion, if you want to see athletes laying it all on the line for the sport they love, go watch any NCAA sporting event. Those kids are playing for one thing and one thing only, each other. They are under the constant pressure of not performing well enough. If their performance struggles, they lose their scholarship.

The glory days of American professional sports is over. The NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL are just buisnesses now. There is no "for the love of the game", anymore. It's all about "for the love of the money."