To give you an opportunity to see what's new, and what has changed, we have taken the paywall down temporarily.
Currently, there is no need to log into the site.
We will provide instructions for creating new account and resetting passwords when the paywall is turned back on.
Scott LoftisI have a routine each morning. I wake up, sometimes later than I intended to, let the dog out, make a cup of coffee and turn on SportsCenter.
Given my chosen profession, maybe I should flip to the national news but as bad as I hate to say it, sometimes it just seems like more of the same, especially on cable television. I do try to pay attention to what’s going on in the world but most of my national and international news is consumed the old-fashioned way, via newspapers.
I started my career as a sports writer, and I’m still a huge sports fan. I believe in the benefits of youth sports and I enjoy the entertainment value of high-level amateur and professional sports. I’m not one of those folks who complains about the amount of money professional athletes earn, but I may be getting closer to that point.
Over the weekend, it was announced that superstar Shohei Ohtani is signing a 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $700 million. Frankly, that’s absurd.
The average annual value of Ohtani’s contract is $70 million. That’s $5.833 million per month. (The “point 33,” by the way is $33,000 a month.) It’s a shade over $432,000 per game. I saw a Facebook meme that suggested a beer at Dodger Stadium might cost $800 now.
For the record, my beloved Chicago Cubs pursued Ohtani as a free agent. I’m glad he didn’t sign with them, at least not on a contract like that. The Dodgers can afford it, but I’m guessing they’ll regret it.
We live in a free-market society. Supply and demand dictate everything. Shohei Ohtani is getting $700 million over the next 10 years because there’s a tremendous demand but very limited supply of elite hitters who also are outstanding pitchers (he’s the only one, although he won’t be pitching next season because of an injury). The general public makes such a contract viable because we’ll pay $35 for a hat, or $120 for a jersey, or $75 for a seat in the ballpark. I’m as guilty as anyone where all that is concerned.
Meanwhile, our police officers and public school teachers make less in a year than Ohtani makes two spots after the decimal point in two months. His per-game salary would pay the full yearly salary for four police officers AND four teachers in Arkansas, with some change left over.
I don’t begrudge Ohtani his money, but it’s becoming more and more clear that our priorities as a society are terribly misplaced.
•••
Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of the Carroll County News. His email address is SLoftis@CarrollCoNews.com.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here