Friday, January 13, 2006
Um, Yeah, They're Worth The Money
So, the injury suffered by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was "devastating and potentially career-ending", but the doctor thinks he can fully recover.
It happened on the Bengals' second play of their home playoff game against the Steelers. Just like that, the Bengals best player's season was done and whatever hope the team had against Pittsburgh ended almost before it began.
That is the risk all professional sports players have -- that the awesome opportunity that their physical skills have given them could be gone in an instant.
That's why the players work to get every cent they can, while they can. They know that their pro careers are limited. At best, they will be able to last into their early '30s.
The average career of an NFL player is 3-4 years. Yes, quarterbacks can stick around longer. But for every Doug Flutie, there's a Joe Theismann whose career ends upruptly with a broken leg on a sack.
Believe that Carson Palmer is happy that he signed that contract extension as the season ended (though, like all NFL contracts, it is not guaranteed).
And, the fact is that they are in an entertainment industry that rakes in billions of dollars.
So, even though the athletes often come across as selfish, it is understandable why they don't necessarily feel that they should just be "happy" to play games that many observers think they can do just as well in their backyards or on public fields.
Lesson: You're in dreamland, if you think that's the case.
Tags: sports, NFL, carson palmer
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It happened on the Bengals' second play of their home playoff game against the Steelers. Just like that, the Bengals best player's season was done and whatever hope the team had against Pittsburgh ended almost before it began.
That is the risk all professional sports players have -- that the awesome opportunity that their physical skills have given them could be gone in an instant.
That's why the players work to get every cent they can, while they can. They know that their pro careers are limited. At best, they will be able to last into their early '30s.
The average career of an NFL player is 3-4 years. Yes, quarterbacks can stick around longer. But for every Doug Flutie, there's a Joe Theismann whose career ends upruptly with a broken leg on a sack.
Believe that Carson Palmer is happy that he signed that contract extension as the season ended (though, like all NFL contracts, it is not guaranteed).
And, the fact is that they are in an entertainment industry that rakes in billions of dollars.
So, even though the athletes often come across as selfish, it is understandable why they don't necessarily feel that they should just be "happy" to play games that many observers think they can do just as well in their backyards or on public fields.
Lesson: You're in dreamland, if you think that's the case.
Tags: sports, NFL, carson palmer
