Money, Money, Money!!!
I'm sitting watching the NFL pregame show on Sunday before the modern
day gladiators take to the field and start pounding out yardage, invading
enemy territories and sacking the quarterback. What struck me as kind of
funny and ironic at the same time was the interview they had with Terry Glenn
of the New England Patriots.
Is this guy for real? He gets suspended for the season by the Patriots for
failing to show up for a drug test. He fights the suspension and gets it
reduced to four games. No big deal. That stuff happens all the time in
judicial courts around the country. It was a statement he made during the
interview that just didn't sit right with me.
He wants to know where his $11.5 million signing bonus is. Forget the fact
that he has a pulled hamstring and he's a bit of a flake to boot. He wants
his money. Far be it from me to say athletes and entertainers shouldn't get
paid for what they do. After all, it is a job. A job a lot of us working
stiffs would die for if we had the God-given talent that these people have.
And that's the part that irks me to no end. There are individuals that work 40 or
more hours to put a roof over their families head, food on the table, clothes
on their back and maybe a little something extra on birthdays and at Christmas.
What about them? What about their God-given talent to run a warehouse, drive
cross-country, stock shelves, clean up after people or put up with demanding
customers? Where is their 'signing bonus'?
When you hear about some so-so band signing a multi-million dollar contract
or an unproven college athlete demanding a bigger deal or a mediocre second
baseman wanting $7.5 million over two years you have to sit back and say 'What
the hell did I do wrong?' These people are the heroes of today's youth and all
they are really showing tomorrow's generation is that 'greed rules'.
I have a friend who is good at what he does for a living. Let me rephrase
that. He was good at what he did for a living. He lost his job about a year
and a half ago due to his company closing. Now he's on the brink of despair.
He's close to declaring bankruptcy because of medical bills piling up. He
can't find work because he's either over qualified or too damn old. (I know
it's against the law to discriminate because of age, but wise up people - it
goes on all the time.) And now he's going to be evicted and his family has no
place to go and no one to turn to.
You know what? This guy is a hero. He has managed to pull his family through
one financial strait after another and keep his head high for doing the right
thing. His children still look up to him and respect his opinion. None have
ever gone to bed hungry or worn rags to school. The little extras are missing
from their lives but they've survived. And the love they show to this man is
greater than it was when he was working.
I asked him what his plans were when the eviction goes through. He doesn't
know. He doesn't know where his family is going to live. He doesn't know what
he's going to tell his children when they have to move out. He doesn't know
how things will turn out. What he does know is that tomorrow is another day
and he'll get up in the morning and start to deal with all the problems again.
And if he doesn't find a solution then he'll start again the next day and the
next day until he finds the answers.
Heroes? You can keep you're Sunday afternoon gladiators and your radio idols.
This man is a real hero in my eyes. I just wish I could help him out more than
I have. And I hope I have his strength and tenacity if anything ever happens
to me.
Oh, yeah...Terry Glenn...You aren't worth $11.5 million. And I hope the
Patriots realize that before it's too late.
- Richard Blaine
* Richard Blaine's views and opinions do not necessarily
reflect the views and opinions of the staff at Twin-Music.