New York sports fans have been treated to the pitiful spectacle of two well -known professional athletes aggressively engaging in anti-social behavior.
- Brandon Jacobs. New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs threw his football helmet ten rows into the stands during the Giants-Colts football game. Mr. Jacobs was upset for being pulled from the game for poor performance. He merely meant to throw it at the bench, but the helmet stuck to his hand and landed in the stands. The NFL fined Mr. Jacobs $10,000 for the incident. Last year the Giants entered into a 4-year, $25m contract with Jacobs. Previously, he had lost his starting job to Ahmad Bradshaw. He has been vocal in his disapproval of this demotion to second string back; he has criticized the coach and the management. Rumor has it that he wants to be traded.
- Braylon Edwards. New York Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards was arrested at 5:15 AM last Tuesday morning for driving while intoxicated. Passengers in his car were two other Jets teammates, Vernon Gholston and D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Mr. Edwards’ blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. He argued with the arresting officer about taking a breathalyzer test. See Braylon Edwards Charged with DUI. Mr. Edwards was in legal trouble when playing for his last team, the Cleveland Browns. He was arrested for assault during at a night club brawl in Cleveland and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. See Braylon Edwards Pleads No Contest in Connection with Downtown Fight; Gets Probation. Mr. Edwards has a one-year contract believed to be worth $6.1m.
Even Superstars are Employees.
We are in the midst of a recession which we could argue is really a depression. Officially fifteen million Americans are unemployed and perhaps another nine million are underemployed. See BLS September 3, 2010 News Release. Jobs are valuable. In Thinking About Jobs we discussed the casual approach that many Americans take toward their jobs:
I was always amazed at how casually some of my colleagues approached their work: often coming in late, exercising in the company gym for several hours mid-day, leaving early, never missing a child’s soccer match or play (I actually have regrets on this one), arranging vacations wherein they could not be reached, constantly complaining about pay, bad bosses or workload inequities. A job had become an entitlement.
In this environment respect for the job, deference to one’s employer, teamwork, cheerfulness, positive attitude, giving something extra and versatility should all be part of the package that an employee brings to the workplace every day.
Unfortunately that message did not impact either Mr. Jacobs or Mr. Edwards.
These players apparently believe that they are not subject to the rules of ordinary employees or citizens. Even though they are naturally gifted athletes and enjoy a degree of celebrity in their jobs, these employees are like any other. They need to show up, be part of a team and contribute toward their employer’s welfare, in their case the sixteen regular season NFL games. Yes, there are practices, pre-season games, and if fortunate, post season games, but all in all it is not a bad employment situation. Colin Cowherd, ESPN sports show host, referred to the problem of coddled football players. He said that, unfortunately, the NFL often gets “five star athletes, but one star human beings.”
Fans pay a lot of money to see their teams play. The sports networks and advertisers expend huge sums to broadcast these games. Someone should sit these two athletes down and tell them that they are just employees. And like all employees they can be fired. Perhaps they need to show up on time, be quiet and do what is asked of them by their coaches and management. For six million a year, it is the least they can do. They may be gifted, but their lucrative jobs are the real gift. And real jobs are pretty scarce out there.
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Related posts:
- The New Reality: Permanent Job Loss
- Labor and Employment Laws: The Hidden Job Killer
- Thinking About Jobs
- Hurd Roundup
Tags: Brandon Jacobs, Braylon Edwards, NFL
