T.O.'s publicist leech, Kim Etheredge, last week explained that the idea that he'd commit suicide was nuts saying that "Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive." Well, let's hope he doesn't get laid off, or the Cowboys don't have to ask their workers to accept a "pay freeze" because of a sudden economic downturn in Texas, or he may find himself mixing supplements again. Has she never seen "It's a Wondeful Life?" (Though, George Bailey really does get bailed out when his friends show up at the end of the movie with enough reasons to live to cover his debts. Plus, he's married to Donna Reed which clouds the whole argument anyhow.)
Now, I'm not one to say that athletes make too much money. I think that professional sports offers a perfect micro study of capitalism, it's successes and its problems. In baseball, the Yankees have the highest paid team in sports and also have the highest revenue take. They own 25% of the championships and spend very little time doing laundry in the basement of their division. In this case it seems the players compete, and the best get paid the most and end up on the best team as much as its roster can accommodate. But sports fans also hate the Yankees for all those reasons. They are "The Evil Empire." Basketball and football have a salary cap agreement which is intended to offer more competitive parody across teams, but roster-wise the reality is that the more talented players still demand very high salaries and the lesser known on the roster get paid as close to the league minimum as possible. So there is a giant chasm between the highest paid athletes and the rest. But the highest paid usually perform far and above the others - as does T.O. - generally carrying the team. That's why they are called the "franchise players" and such. Here in Los Angeles, I don't know what I would do without my sweet, sweet Kobe Show. And athletes will get paid very well as long as tickets are sold. I don't know anyone who can afford them, but they sell out.
In business last year, CEO pay increases averaged over 16% while the regular employee enjoyed an average 1.1% increase. That, to work with Kim Etheredge's logic, gives CEO's 16% more of an already huge bank of reasons to live, and workers - well 1.1% more reasons to hang on. A 1.1% increase to a $50k salary = $550. A 16% increase to $500k is $80,000. (I won't calculate in the millions because my head would explode like the pyrotechnics at a KISS concert.)
All I really know is that for me, I just paid my bills, so I have about 165 reasons to live right now. And if I go out tonight, I'll be coming home with about 140 - that is if I can avoid any of the other not-so-subtle hints that usually come my way suggesting even fewer reasons to live such as that the valet took my parking meter quarters once again, or the restroom at the M Bar has no soap in the dispenser, or some dude keeps elbowing me every time he turns to order something from the bartender.
I'm a typical sports fan, probably like most people to whom Ms. Etheredge is "publicizing" T.O.. What I hope most for Kim Etheredge's sake is that T.O. doesn't get injured (or injure himself) this year because then she'd be out her biggest take on her own reasons to live.
And by the way, this week my money's on the Cowboys. They're favored by 1.5 over the Eagles, and T.O. should be starting. C'mon reasons to live!
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