Are Today's Professional Athletes Given Too Much Too Soon?

[erpowers]

I began to think about it when sports reporters began to complain about the supposed lack of progress from Kevin Durant. During the middle of the NBA season some sports reporters began to claim Kevin Durant's defense had not improved enough during his first year in the league. I began to think about it again when, recently it was revealed that Vince Young considered retiring after his first year in the NFL. It seems to me that it is very easy to consider retiring from a sport or just not progressing when you have already earned $20-$70 million dollars your first year in a league. I contend some people could make the argument that Lebron James has not progressed in the way that he should have. Even if you think he is great there are some who point out that there are a number of things he still cannot do even after five years in the NBA. It seems that if someone is given a hugh contract to start their career they can think even if they get cut tomorrow for not making progress they are still set for life, or if they retire and spend their money wisely they have nothing to worry about. It seems to me that if guys were given less to start with they would be willing to work harder and not consider retiring early. I realize it would be hard to go back to a day of lower salaries and lower endorsement levels, but would things be better if athletes had to wait to gain so much money from their contracts and endorsements?

I realize that Tiger Woods does not seem to have let go of his will to win even though he makes large sums of money. So, maybe it is that guys like Micheal Jordan and Tiger Woods just have something inside of them that does not let them give up or reach for something less than greatness. With Woods and Jordan it does seem; however, that they at least to a degree had to earn their hugh endorsement deals. Neither Jordan nor Woods started their careers making large amounts of money from endorsements. Woods was not going to get as much money if he did not perform well. It may be possible that if they had been given great amounts of money they would not have progressed as they did, but maybe they still would have. So, what do others think?

[northzax]

1. we,, as for Tiger

I think you are underestimating his deals he signed the day he left Stanford, good for about $50million or so. he had made $100million by the age of 20.

Honestly, however, it's not the money. Professional Atheletes have routinely made more money than the average joe, so there is something else that drives the really great to be even better. who knows what it is, the right coach? the right teammates? some internal need to be better than anyone else? some internal combination of all of them?

[redqueen]

2. Most likely a combination of things...

the right coach, the right style of play, the right teammates... but I bet first and foremost the right attitude.