Where are all the athletes?

Baseball has always been known as Americans past time. But if that was true, why do so many players of international decent dominate the game? It seems that names like; Cano, Ortiz, Darvish, and young stars Montero and Cespedes, have become much more dominant in the league than others. But here is the million-dollar question, where are all of the athletes of the United States taking their talents (and no, they’re not taking them to South Beach)?

            The answer is, the NBA and NFL. The better question is actually why, and it is actually quite simple, money. Not only is it about money, but also getting large amounts of money, and getting it quick. Lets just take a look at some of the top draft picks in 2011 and there starting contracts for the NBA and NFL.

            I would have included the MLB draft picks as well but lets just say, that’s a little more difficult to do. The top three picks in the 2011 MLB draft were: Gerrit Cole, Danny Hultzen, and Trevor Bauer. Cole got an $8 million dollar signing bonus and is then on a minor league contract. Keep in mind most minor-league players make around $6,000 a year (no wonder they give out such hefty signing bonuses). Hultzen’s bonus was, $6,350,000 and Bauer’s was, $3,400,000. Both Hultzen and Bauer signed major league contracts so they will make out with a little more than Cole for the time being. But the point is do any of these numbers touch either of those shown in the graph?

            No, they just don’t (and you know what, it sucks!!). Young athletes have come to the realization that their skills will be paid more handsomely in the NBA and NFL. Both of those sports are dominated by home grown athletes. It’s sad to see all of these players go to other sports, rather than “Americas past time” but I guess this is the society we live in; a society with an “all about me attitude”, and the need for constant instant gratification. Baseball is such an amazing and graceful sport but the question has to be asked, will baseball ever be the great sport it once was for America again?

To Play or Not to Play?

                Who is better the 2012 U.S.A Olympic basketball team or the “Dream Team?” It is the debate that has been revolving around the sports world for weeks. But why? Because people loved the dream team and still do. People loved to see the best players in the world absolutely dominate inferior competition. But with David Stern now proposing that there be an age limit of 23 to go to the Olympics because of potential injuries, will we ever see another Dream Team again? 

                It seems kind of hypocritical of the NBA to disallow players older than 23 to go to the Olympics because owners don’t want to see their “million dollar man” go down. Especially for a U.S. team that is clearly the best team in the world and some would say has nothing to prove. Yet the NBA seems to forget about the foreign players.  Their countries do have something to prove and they desperately need their help to do so. This makes it an all-or-nothing situation. If the owners are so worried about injuries is it really fair for teams like San Antonio, who relies heavily on the well-being of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobilli, to have their star players put their health at risk? A team like the Mavericks season could be lost if their superstar Dirk Nowitzki were to go down in the Olympics, right? So if injuries in the Olympics are as threatening as the NBA is making it out to be then are they not giving teams without any foreign players an advantage of lower health risk? 

                The only real solution to the problem is to simply let the players play. If the owners really have a problem with their star players potentially getting hurt then include a no Olympics clause in their contracts, and if the player refuses then you better just accept the fact that most players want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the past legends that represented our country in the greatest international sporting event possible, the Olympics.