More and more money, but for what?

Over the last two years America has slowly sunk into an economic mess. People are losing their jobs, their homes, and their self-esteem as they find it harder and harder to make ends meet. It appears however that not everybody is suffering. As college educated people lose jobs they've held for years, and recent college graduates struggle to find any job at all, there are some signing on the dotted line for millions that haven't earned a dime of what they are being given. America's two largest, and most arguably most popular, professional sports leagues are doing nothing to curtail ballooning salaries for top rated rookies who haven't even set foot on the field to prove they are worthy of a contract.

Immediately people are going to disagree and say these kids spent one, two, three, or four (though most don't spend four) years in college as student-athletes waiting for this opportunity. Surely then, that time has earned them a good wage in the professional ranks, but how so? How does performing exceptionally in college prove you are worth anything in the professional ranks? If you ask most athletes and analysts, they will tell you that in no sport are the college ranks anywhere near the intensity of the professional leagues. Given that knowledge, it should be easy to realize then that everything earned in college gets you nothing but attention before your professional career. Accomplishments in an admittedly lesser league (or level of play) don't prove you are capable of success on the prime time stage.

If that isn't enough to convince you, than perhaps you need a history lesson. The history of draft night is littered with failures and wasted money. Yes, a select few do go on to justify the ridiculous contract signed when they were 22 yrs old, but most do not. Without naming every failure, a few stick out as perfect examples. QBs Todd Marinovich and Akili Smith were tremendous collegiate athletes, but terrible failures at the professional ranks. Marinovich couldn't handle the demands of the NFL in comparison to NCAA football and Smith looked lost trying to figure out professional defenses. QBs aren't the only ones, RBs have been taken high in the draft only to fail miserably, Ki-Jana Carter being the best example. Carter helped propel his Penn State team to a 12-0 record in 1994. After being picked #1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals however, Carter tore his ACL in his first preseason game and never recovered. Carter finished his NFL career with 1,144 rushing yards and 20 TDs.

Baseball too has its share of first round busts paid big money to do a job no one was certain they could do at a professional level. When did it become OK to pay these kids such high wages before they even set foot on a professional field of play and proved they were worth it? More and more collegiate athletes and demanding outrageous contracts upon being selected first overall, and for some reason the teams pay the money. Not only is this tactic of overpaying for unproven players a slap in the face to veterans, who have carried a franchise for years without gratitude, it is also a dangerous financial game plan that could cripple an organization. If these players suffer career ending injuries or turn out to not have the talent promised, organizations are stuck paying hefty amounts of guaranteed money to players no longer contributing to the team.

The problem has existed for years but is becoming increasingly popular. Young athletes leaving college, with a slick money hungry agent by their side, are demanding top dollar for services not yet rendered. Often many owners are stuck with no choice but to sign these players lest they lose future depth on their teams, or worse, see top talent end up playing for a rival. Owners are not without fault in this situation as there is always someone willing to pay top draft picks the money they want, forcing other owners to act. That side of the equation is for another time though.

The past few years have seen a spike in guaranteed money in rookie contracts reaching pay levels that the average American could only dream about. Mark Pryor set a record for MLB when he signed a contract worth $10.5 million with the Chicago Cubs. Pryor experienced early success in his career but by his third season in the majors Pryor was missing more and more time with nagging injuries. These injuries led Pryor to miss two full seasons (2007, 2008) and just recently he signed a deal with the San Diego Padres, though he is not on roster with their MLB club or any minor league affiliates.

Injuries aren’t the only thing pitfall in this situation, inability to perform is another danger. JaMarcus Russell held out during a contract dispute with the Oakland Raiders when they drafted him in 2007. Russell eventually came to an agreement, getting a six year contract worth as much as $68 million, $31.5 million guaranteed. The Raiders in return got a quarterback who has started 16 games in his career, thrown 15 TDs and 12 INTs to go along with 16 fumbles. Calling him an extreme waste of money would be polite at this point. Just last year the Miami Dolphins drafted OT Jake Long from Michigan. Long had a fantastic collegiate career in which he never allowed a sack. The Dolphins rewarded his collegiate accomplishments by signing him to a five year deal worth as much as $57.5 million with $30 million guaranteed. All this money for preventing college kids from sacking his QB, that doesn’t (nor should it) really mean anything when it comes to NFL potential.

These guys help pave the way for two fresh examples, Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets and Steven Strasburg of the Washington Nationals (maybe). Sanchez just this past week signed a five year deal with the Jets that could net him as much as $60 million and includes $28 million in guaranteed money. Sanchez played one, ONE, full season of college football and hasn’t even completed preseason, much less thrown a meaningful pass in the NFL and he is already a multi-millionaire. Strasburg too has an interesting road ahead of him, selected first overall in the week’s MLB draft, Strasburg is rumored to be looking for a contract that would smash the previous record for a first selection in the MLB draft. Strasburg, and his agent, are reported to be seeking a contract worth around $50 million, destroying the $10.5 million signing of Mark Pryor. Strasburg brings incredible heat to the table, a 103 MPH fastball, and tons of accolades from his collegiate days such as his 23 strike out game just this past season. Strasburg however has achieved all of this against college batters, not professionals the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Albert Pujols.

These players weren't the first to sign ridiculous contracts, and unfortunately they won’t be the last, but at some point this ridiculous inverted pay scale must be corrected or owners and the leagues will suffer the consequences. Huge contracts for young players that bust can have short and long term effects that could destroy franchises and ruin the parity we see in our professional leagues today. More money spent on rookies that don’t pan out can destroy a team’s ability to field a competitive team, ruin their record, drive away fans, and put the franchise in financial trouble. While a select few owners can afford to pay massive salaries time and time again, those with shallower pockets, in smaller markets will suffer. As fan support dwindles, and income drops off, the franchise will face sale, relocation, or contraction. Leagues should take heed and implement rookie pay scales immediately that will protect the individual franchises and the league as whole.