The Bowdoin Orient

February 9, 2001
Volume CXXXII, Number 15

Money: The downfall of American sports?

by J.P. BOX, STAFF WRITER

   After it became evident that the Articles of Confederation of 1777 were ineffective in governing a nation, John Adams addressed the problem: "The evils we experience flow from the excess of democracy."
   In 1787, a new form of constitution was born which embodied both democratic values and a stronger central government. Whether by design or coincidence, capitalism has been integrally connected to American democracy since its conception in the eighteenth-century. The economic drive to maximize profits has carried over to nearly every major American institution, including athletics.
   Due to the excessive flow of capital in professional sports today, the big four - basketball, football, baseball, and hockey - are suffering. Unfortunately, it appears that the problems of these four will not be diminished any time soon.
   Let's start with basketball. The huge influx of players who skip all or some part of college has aversely affected the college program as well as the NBA.
   Instead of watching Quentin Richardson blossom into a dominant NCAA player and refine his skills, we get to watch him struggle with the Clippers. Instead of watching Corey Maggete lead Duke to an NCAA title (which they will get anyway), we saw him complain of bad pedicures last year with the Magic. Darius Miles? Another Clipper who can jump over the gym, but bypassed college completely to struggle in the pros.
   Other notables include Chauncey Billups, who left the University of Colorado after his sophomore year, and Jermaine O'Neal, center for the Indiana Pacers. Billups has bounced around from team to team, never quite living up to his potential. O'Neal is now developing into a force for Indiana, but it took him four years to mature in the NBA. He is now 22.
   Due to this widespread, premature leap from amateur to professional ball, the college game is subject to constant turnover which makes it virtually impossible to watch a collegiate super star reach his prime as an amateur athlete. Instead, when a player shows promise, the incentives to become an instant millionaire are too strong to stay in college, or even attend.
   North Carolina's Joseph Forte is one of the best collegiate basketball players in the country, but according current trends, the chances of him staying another year or two are very slim. Let's face it: If someone offered you over a million bucks to leave Bowdoin, wouldn't you?
   Football is suffering from the same ills as basketball. My argument here can be summed up in two words: Michael Vick. Virginia Tech's explosive, strong-armed quarterback is bypassing his last two years in school and will likely be the first pick in the draft.
   Although Vick has all the tools to be an NFL great, very few quarterbacks can enter the league as a 20-year-old and expect to be a starting quarterback.
   Those that do usually struggle mightily. This past year, Vick battled injury and took his chance to jump to the NFL for the competition, thefame, and the money. Unfortunately for the fans, we will not see Vick in anything other than a preseason game for the next two years most likely.
   While the college game is hurting due to early departures by players like Vick, the NFL has never had more young talent. Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, Brian Griese, Randy Moss, and Peyton Manning are just a few young pros who will be stars throughout the next decade.
   Currently, however, there is a clear void of veteran leadership in the NFL. Jerry Rice is contemplating retirement, while Dan Marino, John Elway, Marcus Allen, and Jim Kelly are already swinging the golf clubs. Additionally, due to the continued expansion in the NFL, the quality of players has been diluted. As a result, teams like the Ravens and Giants can end up playing in a Super Bowl.
   In order to spark the public's attention, the XFL was recently created in an attempt to challenge the supremacy of football. Vince McMahon is hoping that sex and violence continue to sell.
   Unlike football and basketball, baseball is suffering from a far different plight. Collegiate baseball amounts to little more than a home-run derby featuring aluminum bats. It is very rare for a college ballplayer to jump from school to the Major Leagues due to the huge gapin talent.
   Instead, baseball teams shell out millions of dollars to 18-22 year old kids who show potential. They then watch them blossom-or flounder-in the Minor Leagues for a few years.
   The truly talented ones make it pro, and the others spend their careers in the Purgatory of baseball-the Minor Leagues.
   What is truly devastating the competitive nature of Major League Baseball is the outrageous cost to be a pennant-contending ball club.
   The Rockies, the most active team on the free agent market next to the Texas Rangers, spent $180.3 million to sign four free agents, including the $100 million Mike Hampton. The Rangers gave Alex Rodriguez, one of the best shortstops in the Majors, a quarter of a billion dollars.
   Also, Manny Ramirez signed a $100 million+ deal with the Red Sox. In fact, Ramirez's average of $20 million per season is larger than the entire Minnesota Twins payroll of $16 million.
   Due to this insane escalation of prices for free agents, few teams can legitimately challenge for the World Series. The teams with the highest payrolls, the Yankees, Braves, Mets, and now the Rockies (among others),are the only teams that have a shot to make some noise in October.
   The Twins, Royals, Expos, and the rest of the teams with shallow pockets draw small crowds and are rejected by free agents due to their inability to compete financially with bigger markets.
   Before the season even begins, half the teams in the majors already know that they have no chance -not this year, not next year, or the year after that.
   And, what about hockey? How could I speak poorly of hockey right now with the return of Mario Lemieux? While hockey is beginning to suffer from some of the same ills as baseball with owners who are willing to sacrifice their financial well-being in order to bring in a championship team, the problems are not as widespread or catastrophic-at least not yet.
   However, Canadian hockey teams, such as the former Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets, were forced to move their teams due to the financial strains. As in baseball, salaries continue to escalate and many teams remain uncompetitive for this reason.
   Fans across the nation will always be loyal to their home teams, believe when they shouldn't, and tune into the prime time games.
   The vicarious nature and pure excitement of professional and collegiate sports will never die, but if these current trends continue, the quality, wonder, and awe of everyone's home team will continue to erode. The excess of money will be the ruin, or the remaking, of collegiate and professional sports.