taken from espn.com this quote from Bonds made me laugh at how far out of touch he (and by association other big leaguers) is (are).
Bonds was asked whether baseball fans would be able to side with the players, considering the average salary is now $2.4 million.
"It's not my fault you don't play baseball," Bonds told The Post. "It's not our fault you're not an actor or Bill Gates or anybody else. Nobody is complaining about their salaries, or the owners' salaries. So don't complain about ours. We have the right to make it."
I think Barry Bonds has proven repeatedly he's a complete DOPE.
Who cares what Barry Bonds thinks? Barry Bonds is a total jerk. Just in the past three weeks I can think of two completely ridiculous statements he's made:
1)In response to a question asking him how he feels about passing Frank Robinson to be the 4th highest career home run hitter, he says that if he got hit by a car tomorrow, would they be wanting to know about his home run record then.
2)Getting hit by a pitch earlier this week, then chastizing his pitchers for not protecting him, and saying he would take matters into his own hands.
The guy plays the game hard, plays it well, and he wants to win. I guess we shouldn't ask too much more from a player in an age where image and money are so prevalent, but at milestone moments in a person's career, you'd love to see the guy just demonstrate that he appreciates his path into the annals of baseball history.
Baseball would survive another strike in my opinion. Fans forgive too easily. I used to watch baseball before they cancelled the freakin' World Series over labor issues. I didn't return, but most fans did. They will again.
Instead of taking up the whole beaning incident with Clemens (who said a week earlier that he was gonna throw at him), he put his tail between his legs and "shrugged it off". Now when some non-superstar pitcher decides to plunk him, he gets his panties in a tizzy. Please. Be a man. If you're pissed at Clemens, walk toward the mound and point at HIM. Don't take your agression out on pitchers who have no reputation.
The fact of the matter is that he was/is scared of Clemens. If he had pulled that shit with Clemens, Rocket would have thrown at him the next time he was up just to prove a point. Simply put, Bond is a bigger bitch than Vlade.
This is coming from a purebred Yankee hater. I've always been a Mets fan and will always be one. Did Clemens have a right to throw at Bonds? The way he crowds the plate while wearing that armor? YES. He should have hit him in his fucking face. And Clemens is right. If Bonds' arm is healthy enough to hit 70+ home runs, he should be able to bat without that ridiculous armor.
I lose more and more respect for him every time he opens his mouth. It makes me laugh every time Bonds uses the HHH speech about not using steriods. This guy lives in his own world, and if he wasn't hitting home runs his team would be all over him again like they were two years ago.
And for the results of another strike... it will kill baseball in Canada, Florida, and destroy the Royals, Brewers, Twins, Angels, and maybe some other tweener clubs. The '94 strike nearly ruined baseball, the next one will surely be it's death.
What do they care? They would run every major sport right out of New York if they could.
Oh, and I don't think the Brewers would be dead. Bud Selig would NEVER let that happen. But the Twins? Expos? Fuck 'em!
Karl: If you had a neck and I had hands I would squeeze your brain which is your body right out of the top of your head which does not exist! Zorak: That's some great hair. Karl: Thanks, it's not real.
It would depend on how long of a strike. If it was a couple weeks then definitely. A few months probably. If the season was called off then I would guess that a lot of the marginal teams would shut down. Actually I would guess that the MLB players would get their ass kicked and have a wage freeze for a while.
I just have 13 words for you. How much wood would a woodchuch chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Originally posted by DirkLurkertaken from espn.com this quote from Bonds made me laugh at how far out of touch he (and by association other big leaguers) is (are).
Bonds was asked whether baseball fans would be able to side with the players, considering the average salary is now $2.4 million.
"It's not my fault you don't play baseball," Bonds told The Post. "It's not our fault you're not an actor or Bill Gates or anybody else. Nobody is complaining about their salaries, or the owners' salaries. So don't complain about ours. We have the right to make it."
Thoughts?
Dirk
Bonds is right, but I don't think the fans are so concerned with salaries. The only problem I have, personally, is the seeming inability of the owners to successfully run a freakin' business. The owners, theoretically, are in charge. So between them and Bud, they should get baseball running smoothly. The fact that they're unable to do this pisses me off. Bonds can make 50 million a year, if the club can pay him and still fill the stadium. I don't care, as long as he's actually out there, playing.
Using a key to gouge expletives on another's vehicle is a sign of trust and friendship.
I guess you've never paid for a ticket to a game then, or had the price of something you bought reflect the amount of money that they had to spend to advertise during a game, or lived in a city that had a stadium extorted out of them.
Bonds is an ass if he thinks it's none of our business. Where does he think that money comes from? The sky?
It's shit like those statements that turns the fans on the players. Sure the owners run a shitty business, but most people would rather see them win the labor war, well at least I would.
Originally posted by IkeWhat do they care? They would run every major sport right out of New York if they could.
Oh, and I don't think the Brewers would be dead. Bud Selig would NEVER let that happen. But the Twins? Expos? Fuck 'em!
1) The Expos own us all, so STFU! 2) Twins are awesome, so STFU some more!
I care about those two teams at least.
As a Light-Heavyweight, I'm proud that I'm entitled to weekly boasts on Fridays about how I'm going to be pushed to the moon. So far I've been main eventing "Metal", a B-Level show. Those silly Cruiserweights who think that a couple of mentions in the Ross Report makes them all that. They really believe that THEY'LL be getting OUR pimps from the Ross Report abou....huh?! A new show called "Velocity"?....WHAT DO YOU MEAN METAL GOT CANCELLED?!
Yeah I would love to see the owners win a war and not just a battle, but it will NEVER happen. The only way to fix this game is for their to be a pro-longed strike that wakes everyone of the players and owners to the fact that they are lucky to be in the business they are...
I don't blame the players for the problems. The owners have never been able to stand up to the players unions. (in any sport) If I was a ball player, I would try like hell to get everything I could while I could...
---------- And the real wonder of the world is that we don't jump too ----------
Bonds just wants a strike so he can petition to have his child support payments reduced again just like he did during the last strike.
I barely watch on TV - barely watch the SportsCenter highlights and only go to games for work if I absolutely have to......I would much rather see one of the multitude of fan friendly minor league teams that have sprouted up like weeds than another Major League game.
How much money do you make, Guru? Are you willing to tell us?
It's really not any different. Bonds is paid by an employer, just like you or I. The employer makes money by selling a good or service. That good or service is priced at a level where enough people are buying to make a profit. It's the fair market value.
Whether it's hamburgers, haircuts, furniture, cars, psychic readings, or, yes, baseball, it's really all the same. But generally most people's salary amounts are regarded as nobody's business. But for some reason, athletes are treated differently in that regard.
The concern should be ticket prices, and the availability of the service. It shouldn't really matter why ticket prices are costed the way they are. If it is a price you are willing to pay, you should pay it (at which point, you really don't have much room to complain). If it's not, you SHOULDN'T pay it. Vote with your dollar. This is happening in some cities, but it should happen more. But one thing is sure, the league won't give a damn how bad you hate to pay a certain price if you STILL pay that price. They are in it for the money. The labor dispute is also a concern if it gets to a level where they are unable to provide the service. Once again, people should vote with the dollars to show their discontent.
But what Barry Bonds makes? No concern to me. If the ticket is $60, I care about the ticket being $60, not that Bonds is getting a good piece of the pie, or if the owner is keeping it all. Hell, who doesn't try to earn as much as they can? Does anyone really turn down a raise to keep prices low? It would be rare.
So in summary, price for a ticket of the game is no different than price of a McDonald's hamburger, but we don't ask the cashier how much they get paid and then criticize if it's above minimum wage. The price of something you bought must be fair if you went ahead and bought it, otherwise why the hell did you buy it. And it's the city's fault for caving into a team's stadium demands. It's stupid for the city to do that, but as long as they are willing, why SHOULDN'T the owner demand that? Afterall, they are in it to make money, and certainly not having to pay for facilities is a good cost-saving measure for the owner.
While the CPI has gone up 25.9 percent since the start of the 1991 season, the average baseball ticket price has increased 92.9 percent in that period. The NFL's average ticket price has risen 81.0 percent since then to $45.63, the NBA's 81.3 percent to $48.37.
Now, let's look at the salaries from the same period:
In a period where the CPI went up 25.9 percent, the average player salary went up over 122%. Ticket price went up 92.9%. You don't see a correlation there?
It's a slippery slope for baseball. I've already given up my season tickets. Should I abandon the sport altogether? Hey - that's what the thread is about!
If Bonds is causing my tickets to cost more - then I care about it. I don't want to give up on baseball, but it doesn't mean that I won't. It definitely is my business if player greed is causing me to give up a sport that I love.
Maybe it's the other way around. Maybe instead of higher salaries causing higher ticket prices, fans paying higher ticket prices has enabled owners to pay players higher salaries.
Mean Gene: "You know, I don't think it's a question - Goldberg, I don't think it's a question of who's next, I think it's a question of who's left?" Goldberg: "No, see, that's where you're wrong. It ain't who's left, it's - WHO'S NEXT?"
"Just how hardcore am I? Well this morning, I drank milk that was two days past the expiration!" -Norman Smiley
What I don't get is how the owners can say they are going to lose money by a prolonged strike. These are all successful businesmen, outside of baseball. Baseball is not their bread and butter, and since they claim to be losing money by fielding a team, then they should be losing less by not fielding one, Right? Or am I way off base on this?
TV Money is what allows the owners to pay the higher salaries - not ticket price - and rarely do you see the ticket price jump prior to the signing of a ridiculously priced free agent.
and whether they play or not, the owners still are on the hook for their leases and still on the hook for the salaries of the non-playing members of the organization - they have contracts with concessionaires and countless other expenses - I'm not defending the owners - it is their own fault that salaries have skyrocketed the way that they have because of a choice few who don't care if they make money or not just as long as they win (ie: George Steinbrenner)
Originally posted by TheBucsFanMaybe it's the other way around. Maybe instead of higher salaries causing higher ticket prices, fans paying higher ticket prices has enabled owners to pay players higher salaries.
That is of course correct, as first-year economics will attest to.
Anyway, who agrees to pay the players' salaries? Magic elves?
gonna build a giant drill and bore straight into hell releasing ancient demons from their sleep-forever spell so they can walk upon the earth and get recituated and run the diet pill pyramid that MC Pee Pants has created
Who in the HELL gives a 36-year old catcher a four-year guaranteed contract for over $50 million? I don't care if the guy OPSed a billion last year, that is insanity, even for the Yankees.