Does Greed Succeed?

This NFL offseason has showcased a number of the negative aspects of professional sports. Don't get me wrong. I love pro football and a few bad apples don't spoil it for me. But it is kind of depressing to think about some of the stupid antics athletes can pull off, seemingly with a straight face.

Topping everyone's stupid list is probably Kellen Winslow. You know the player who was supposed to revolutionize the tight end position, but who has barely worn his Cleveland Brown's jersey after suffering a broken leg in his first season and now having apparently torn his ACL goofing around on his crotch rocket motorcycle. The selfishness and immaturity of this kid seem limitless.

First, after being drafted as the number one pick in the 2004 NFL draft, he holds out for a cajillion dollars ($9.4 million in signing and option bonuses) only to break his leg during the second game of the season. In his defense, that injury happened because he was aggressive on an onside kick attempt. But still, you would have thought that experience would have humbled him a little and made him focus even more relentlessly on getting back on the field. Life is fragile focus on the important things, right? Wrong.

Against the express provisions in his contract, Mister Brilliant buys a dangerous motorcycle and tries to learn to ride it in a community college parking lot. Winslow is apparently incapable of handling this new toy he bought with his millions and he dumps it on a curb and has to spend a couple of days in a hospital. Nice. Now it looks like the Browns — who need all the help they can get — will be without the services of Mr. Winslow for the entire 2005 season.

Now I realize I am not the first person to raise this question, but what in the blazes is going through the minds of these people? Is it not enough that you are getting paid ungodly amounts of money to play a game? Is it not enough that you are living a dream? Must these people push everything to the limit — risk the golden goose for a few more eggs?

I have not done any scientific research, but anecdotal evidence seems to indicate to me that holding out and goofing off doesn't pay in the long run. I am reminded of Ki-Jana Carter. Remember the powerful Penn State running back? After a great college career, Carter was selected as the first player in the draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Now I know that being drafted by the Bengals is not every player's dream, but being the number one pick in the draft and playing in the NFL ought to mean something, regardless of the team.

But Carter holds out, then blows out his knee, and has struggled from that point on just to stay in the league. He went from potential superstar to playing on four teams, missing two of the last eight seasons, and being put on the injured reserve list four times. His career stats are what he probably expected to gain in a season: 1,127 yards in 57 games (only 14 starts). He was cut by the Saints last year.

Now I realize that holding out didn't necessarily cause his injuries in a direct way, but it seems karmic somehow. The football gods don't seem to appreciate rookie holdouts. Again, my question is why? Don't these young kids see the fragile nature of professional sports? Don't they see how lucky they are to be where they are? Don't they have the good sense not to jeopardize things in a league without guaranteed contracts?

Kellen Winslow seems to be on the Ki-Jana Carter path. He went from being hero to zero in short order. He has literally risked everything for what? A ride on a motorcycle? This is exactly why people wondered about Winslow in the first place. Sure, he has a former superstar as a father, but his attitude in college was highly suspect and maturity has never been his strong suit. Maybe Winslow will prove me wrong, but it is looking like we can add this episode to a growing list of bad draft decisions by the Cleveland Browns.

Speaking of selfish people with issues, what is it with players refusing to honor their contracts? Sports Central's Jeff Moore had a good article on this issue last week. Terrell Owen, Javon Walker, and even Anquan Boldin are all looking to renegotiate their contracts and are willing to skip mini-camps and workouts, not to mention disrupt their team and sow dissension, in order to apply leverage.

Forget for a moment whether any of these players are technically undervalued in the bizzaro world of pro sports contracts — what really bugs me is the lack of class and loyalty involved. You may say that the teams and the league don't show loyalty, but that is beside the point. Either players have ethical standards or they don't — either they care about their respective teams, or they don't.

Terrell Owens' current contract is a seven-year, $49 million deal. Plus, Owens is playing on a Super Bowl-caliber team. What in the @#$%! does he want? Could someone please explain why in the blazes this is not good enough? It strikes me as absolutely absurd that having reached a level of success and monetary reward that few even dream of; that having been given a break by the league to play for one of the better teams in the league; that having been blessed beyond his due given his well-documented attitude issues; that Owens finds it appropriate to pull this stunt. Is it really worth the extra money to potentially undermine a run for a world championship?

It is exactly this type of behavior that gives pro athletes a bad name. Owens is the most flagrant, but Walker and Boldin are in the same boat. Why is it so hard to have a little gratitude? Why is it so hard to see that you are one of the lucky ones? I understand that this is a business, but that changes nothing. Work hard, honor your commitments, and things will work out.

A good example of how to act as a professional is playing itself out in a rather weird way in the career of Jerry Rice. Few would argue that Rice is one of, if not the best receiver in the history of the game. Sadly, he could not finish out his career in San Francisco so he went off to the Raiders to prove he still had what it takes. And I think he showed in Oakland that Rice in his declining years is still a decent option. In both 2001 and 2002, Rice had over a thousand yards receiving.

Here is where the sort of sad part comes in. It appears Rice is just unable to call it quits. After he struggled with Oakland, he moved on to Seattle where he never really was part of the offense. (By the way: if a playoff game is on the line and you have Jerry Rice on the team, why don't you throw it to him? I mean, really, I think he would have made that catch.) And now he is wrangling to latch on with Denver and former 49er assistant Mike Shanahan. [UPDATE: Rice has now signed a deal with Denver]

Given his knowledge of the game and his work ethic, Rice might make a decent player-coach. Who knows, maybe he can show Ashlie Lelie what it takes to bring your "A "game every time you get on the field. But it just seems a shame to see this future Hall-of-Famer practically beg teams to take him on. It is somehow unseemly.

Clearly, Rice is just not ready to give up the game he loves and the sport to which he has contributed so much. But if he pushes this thing much farther, I think he does so at the expense of his dignity. There comes a time when you simply have to walk away and start your off-the-field life. I can't imagine what that must be like when you are still hungry for the competition, but it is a fact of life. Rice will have to face that sooner rather than later, I am afraid.

Still, if the NFL had more players like Jerry Rice and less like Kellen Winslow and Terrell Owen — despite Owens' obvious talents — the sport would be better off. Perhaps I am being naive, but I think in the long run, hard work and dedication pay off better than greed and selfishness. It is apparently a lesson that young men like Kellen Winslow have to learn the hard way.