By By Chandler Myers
When it comes to sports, it is a dog eat dog world and no one person has control.
Contracts are outrageous now and the players that land these contracts rarely deliver the type of statistics and performances they are being paid for.
Some players land huge deals and get hurt before they are able to play in the first game after signing it.
Some get those huge deals and have problems with management who try to show the athletes who’s boss and put them on the bench.
Several athletes have highlighted the sports world for the past few weeks because they either are getting big money and being questioned about it or they have been getting millions for not playing a single game.
Newly signed Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth just inked a deal worth $100 million, but the question remains whether he will be worth that hype.
Haynesworth has only started a full 16 games once in his seven-year career that being his rookie season with the Titans. He has also only posted more than 50 tackles twice in his career with one being 2008 in which he played 14 games and the other being in 2005 when he also appeared in 14 games.
The only reason Haynesworth is being doubted by some is because they question his durabiltiy. They also question his heart and work ethic. Most think he will sign this deal and not match it with his performance. Basically, all the critics think he will flop and not last the full seven years with the Redskins.
Personally, I think he will prove that he is worth a big deal but not $100 million. No athlete is really worth $100 million.
What about a player who hasn’t even started a game in the NBA this season and has only played in two because he was traded to a new team.
Celtics guard Stephon Marbury just arrived in Boston via New York because his honeymoon in New York ended only two years after it started. He arrived in 2005 hoping to bring glory to the Big Apple, but all he brought was trouble or maybe management just didn’t want to let him take control.
Marbury is a great player who has had attitude problems but still he is a great player.
In his career, Marbury has averaged 19.7 points per game and 7.8 assists per game, which is a good showing considering the class of point guards in the NBA right now. The thing is, he really didn’t prove he was worth the big bucks while in New York. That might not be his fault, but it brings up a lot of interesting thoughts.
Why do professional athletes receive so much money for playing a game? The majority of them bust out after signing a huge deal whether it be their rookie year or after one big season.
Either way I think the example of Haynesworth and Marbury prove that contracts are getting out of control.
Chandler Myers is sports editor of the Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123 or by e-mail at sports@atmoreadvance.com