Fans in Miami and Oklahoma City are angry that the superstar of their favorite NBA team left via free agency to join another team.
The response has been predictable, and the outcry is, as usual, about loyalty. I've always asked this question: why is it we only seem to talk about greed and loyalty when it comes to players and their ability to go out and get paid?
Aren't the owners just as guilty, maybe even guiltier than the players of being greedy and having no loyalty?
I mean, think about it. Who holds all the cards when it comes to professional sports?
True, there is no league without players, but for the most part the superstars are going to get paid and owners are going to fight to keep them around.
But what about the overwhelming majority of players, who are often treated like interchangeable parts?
Owners can cut, waive, DFA, not renew someone's contract and coaches can devalue a player by playing other players ahead of him.
And it is worse in the NFL than any of the other leagues because those contracts are not guaranteed so guys can sign a big-money contract today and two years from now get cut, get whatever is left of their bonus and be out of a job.
The money is big, I get it, and I am not crying the blues for poor players, but the money is not as big as you think for a lot of guys, the lengths of careers are not nearly as long as you think for most guys, and the owners aren't loyal to the players so why should the players be loyal to the owners?
The Steelers are one of the best organizations in sports and are by all accounts an organization that players want to play for because the Rooneys treat players the right way.
But how many players over the past five years, great players who helped the team win Super Bowls, have been cut, waived or told to get on with their life's work?
I'm not saying the Steelers are wrong, that's just the nature of the business.
As great as Troy Polamalu was and as much as he did to help the Steelers achieve great things, the organization decided he was no longer good enough to help it win games, at least not at the price tag he would cost it.
The Steelers obviously encouraged him to retire because they didn't want to cut an all-timer, but it is very clear it wasn't what he wanted to do and he wasn't truly ready to hang it up.
How about Neil Walker? Was he rewarded for his loyalty?
Were the Pirates loyal to him when they offered him an insulting contract they knew he would turn down?
Again, that's the nature of the business, but that is also why I can't stand this idea that somehow the players are the ones who are greedy or lacking loyalty.
It is the same thing when players hold out of training camp. The criticism is that they are holding a team hostage, being greedy and trying to squeeze every dollar out of their employer.
But again, negotiations are a two-way street. Why do we never blame holdouts on the owners (except for, of course, Bob Nutting, who always seems to be criticized for being cheap) for trying to squeeze every dollar they can out of their team?
Players have a very limited window to make the money they need to make. The superstars make far more money than most of us could ever even dream of, but most of the players do not.
So I never, ever, blame players for searching for the most money they can get nor do I blame them for deciding to go elsewhere to finish their careers.
Kevin Durant made a decision to leave Oklahoma City because he felt like he had a better path to an NBA title in Golden State and because he said he wanted to move to the big city.
He actually took a little less money to do it, so people are questioning his loyalty, not saying that he is greedy.
Dwyane Wade asked the Heat for a 2-year $50 million deal, they offered him $40 million, so he went to the Bulls for $47 million.
Some have said he is being greedy, but at his age, you don't know how many more big contracts are going to come your way. He still believes he should be paid the going rate for a superstar.
Maybe Wade is being greedy, and if you want to say that, fine, but don't forget to add that the Heat are being greedy too because they squeezed him to try and save $10 million.
Truth be told, loyalty does not exist in sports. Frankly, neither does greed.
It is a business, and these are business negotiations that are going on. If you view it all with that in mind, you probably will be a lot less upset when players leave for greener pastures or owners cut or trade players who happen to be fan favorites.
