NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
A short while from now and, absent an unexpected turn of events, former Auburn quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton will ascend a stage in Manhattan, shake hands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and stand before the cameras as the league's top draft pick.
He'll flash a million-dollar smile. Once the NFL's labor-management dispute is settled, he'll be worth many, many millions more.
Meanwhile, three time zones to the west, a Stanford ungrad likely will be watching -- perhaps with envy, but not regret. And that's Andrew Luck, the runner-up to Newton in the Heisman voting and, had he not defied conventional wisdom by skipping the draft for an extra year at The Farm, the can't-miss quarterback who would have supplanted Newton as this year's #1 pick.
Luck's surprise decision to stay in school has been much-dissected and much-debated. But he appeared influenced by at least three factors:
1) He really enjoys attending Stanford;
2) He wants to complete his degree in architectural design;
3) He talked to Peyton Manning, who faced the same dilemma (opting to stay an extra year at Tennessee); Manning made it clear to Luck that playing on Saturdays is fun, playing on Sundays is a business.
I mention Andrew Luck because his story suggests that Charles Barkley had it wrong: an athlete can be a role model.
And it ties into one of my summertime obessions: the future fate of Albert Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman who, in addition to being the most disruptive hitter in baseball, faces a career choice in the next off-season: sign a new contract and stay in St Louis for the rest of his career, or seek bigger free-agent dollars from another team (most likely, the Chicago Cubs).
Like Luck, Pujols is the total package. He's historically great at his vocation (his batting and slugging average put him in the same rarified air as Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig). He's also a devout Chistian whose charitable foundation seeks to help those suffering from Down Syndrome (that would include Pujols' stepdaughter, Isabella).
If Pujols stays in St Louis, accepting a wee bit of a "hometown discount", it adds another positive chapter to what's already a great story about the 402nd pick in the 1999 MLB draft. It makes him one of pro sports unicorns: like Jeter and (I'm guessing) Kobe, a superstar who will play for only one team his entire career.
But if Pujols takes bigger dollars and heads to, say, the friendly confines of Wrigley Field? Already, there's debate over whether it's the "Christian" thing to do.
Here's something else to debate: should parents offer up college and professional athletes as role models, or is it wiser to shield/discourage their kids from such idol worship?
And, if you happen to think that Albert Pujols deserves to be put on a pedestal for his work on and off the field, would you think less of him should he take the money and run from St. Louis?
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Comments :
Jan '11
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
Count me among those who think that, like any other profession, a sports superstar could be a role model, but that playing sports itself doesn't make you one automatically. To be a role model, you have to be well-known enough, and sports stars already have the fame. But there's another component that shouldn't be faked or imposed: character. The fame of being a professional athlete isn't enough.
As for the second question, I don't work for free, and I wouldn't expect anyone else to. Employment is a contract, not a favor that needs to be repaid. Once you're on the team, you play as hard as you can for the team, and you support the team to the degree you can. However, the day the contract ends, you're entitled to seek the best employment possible.
Jul '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
I can never remember the difference between football and baseball.
It's football where the guys slap each other on the butt after a play, right? Or is that baseball?
Edited on Apr 28, 2011 at 3:30pmApr '11
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
Actually there isn't much butt slapping these days. (why, it could be sexual harassment?). I personally wouldn't mind my child accepting Albert Pujols as a role model, because to this day, he's been a good one. In my profession you get paid what the market will support, and then you do your best to make your employer some income with your efforts. I would expect no less from Albert. In my career I have changed jobs more than a few times, so if he decides to work elsewhere that is his choice, and his family's.
Dec '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
It's professional sports; it's about the money. The money any professional athelete earns and then spends is more indicative of potential role model status.
Anecdote: My (not) World Champion Jacksonville Jaguars allowed our beloved Fred Taylor to leave, to clear some salary cap room and address a need for youth. But they did it in a special way, by just cutting him, to the fury of the fans. Fans, by definition, are fanatics. What Jax actually did by cutting Taylor was put him out on the free agency market, for nothing; no money, no draft picks. That allowed him to negotiate a deal with the NE Patriots to get a shot at the elusive Super Bowl ring that Jax had no chance of pursuing, the next year. We still love Fred and he will probably come back to Jax to retire as a Jag. See how that worked? The folks that knew what they were doing took care of Fred and everybody is happy, even though the Pats didn't win the Super Bowl last year. However, the Jags went 8-8 and they gave a team hero a shot at the ring.
Manning was right, mostly.
Oct '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
May '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
If Pujols signs for $30M/year, as a Reds fan I will be happy. Because the Cardinals will have so much tied up in one player they won't be able to afford anyone else and the team will spiral downward. (See: Griffey, Ken Jr.)
Aug '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
This is an excellent post. I have wondered the very same thing about Pujols, since feeling surprisingly disappointed to read that his contract negotiations with the Cardinals had gone sour. I admire Pujols's stance as an open and devout Christian, and I guess at some level assumed that he would not 'lower' himself to acrimonious dispute over mere money.
But does that feeling (and I readily admit it's just a feeling) have any rational basis? Would I acquiesce to my employer lowballing my salary just because they thought I'd be a nice enough guy to go for it? (Note: I'm not saying this is what the Cards are doing; I'm not familiar enough with the details of the dispute to say.)
The article you link is good; it makes a solid case for Pujols going for his value on the market (there is no question he's currently underpaid by MLB standards) and then using that money to advance his charitable work.
Rationally, I agree. But the little boy sports fan part of me would still feel bad to see him in a Cubs uniform.
May '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
EJ, the Ken Griffey move was a disaster because Griffey couldn't take four consecutive steps without limbs falling off.
I'm a crazy-go-nuts Cardinal fan and I happen to think the world of Albert Pujols. The Cubs are the focus of all evil in our world, and don't deserve him.
May '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
Yes, but age catches up with everyone and baseball is a grind. Pujols had to leave Sunday's game because of that "pull" in his leg. Long term it will hurt the club.
Aug '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
Sports figures as role models is a tricky business. It's easy to hide their flaws and present a fake persona to the world (i.e. Tiger Woods, etc). Though I have no kids, my thinking is that you want to get them interested in the game, the history, and the atmosphere (though maybe not so much these days) more than the players. When a child is older they can comprehend that even though they may be superhuman on the field, they are still human off the field and prone to make mistakes.
I have nothing against Pujols seeking a salary more inline with his market value. If he thinks his ability and what he brings to the team is worth more, and the team is willing to pay it, why not? How is it any different than an average worker asking for a raise because they've done good work and hope their employer would recognize it. There may be details about what is happening in St. Louis that make the situation more complex. However, I don't know why the standards change when your salary has more 0s on the end.
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
I'm a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan. Huge. And Pujols is far and away my favorite baseball player right now. He's also a model off the field, too.
Having said all that, I'm okay with him leaving my team. The thing is that the Cardinals have sold out games for decades. They'll continue to do it with or without Pujols. There is (normally) additional value to the team in having him as he helps them make the playoffs and what not. But other players could do that, too.
So if he goes to a team that is not currently selling out games, he will quickly change that dynamic. And that means he does have more value to other teams. There is no reason he needs to be a martyr here. If he can get more money elsewhere, I don't begrudge him. He does excellent things with his money, too, such as support those who (like his own daughter) have Down syndrome.
Sep '10
Re: NFL Draft: Idol Thoughts
I would be wary of highlighting any professional baseball player as a role model to young kids. I am not making any specific accusations, but there isn't a single active player, not one, that I would be surprised to find out was using performance enhancing drugs. Of course I personally don't care much about that issue, but for kids it can be kind of depressing to find out their hero was juiced.
Regarding the salary issue, I say go for the big bucks. The rules are what they are, and since the current rules favor big markets and big money, then that is where the top players will flock when they become free agents. My own team (Brewers) has two of the top hitters in the game right now. One of them (Braun) signed a 9 figure extension to play here until 2020. The other one (Fielder) turned down a 9 figure extension so that he may test the free agent waters this offseason. I wish them both well and hope everything works out for them and their families.