I've been following the news the last few days, and I've seen a lot of public outcry (Here's looking at you, Steve) about iconic players leaving the team they've been associated with their entire career. Brett Favre, after 17 years, asked for a trade from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets. Just this week, John Smoltz ended his 21-year Braves tenure for the Boston Red Sox. They left for different reasons, but both have received criticism from the fans and hometown media.
But do we have a reason to be angry?
If we like it or not, professional sports is a business. Yes, most players play because they love the game, but you're kidding yourself is you think money is not a factor, if not THE factor, that drives the sport. In the NBA, salary cap space is traded (through expiring, expensive player contracts). Baseball is divided into the "Have-Nots", "Haves", and the New York Yankees, all by amount of money to sign free agents.
Should John Smoltz be hated by the Atlanta Braves fanbase, just because he thought he was worth more than the Braves were willing to offer? I mean, there's not much difference between a $5.5M base salary and $5M in incentives (Red Sox) and a $2M base salary and $8M in incentives (Braves), except what it takes to reach those incentives.
(For the record, the Red Sox incentives were tied to being healthy and on the active roster, and the Braves incentives were "all or nothing" innings pitched/starts made and season awards such as "Comeback Player of the Year" or the Cy Young. Smoltz claims the Red Sox incentives are "more attainable"; the Braves feel that their package is attainable through a healthy, competitive season. What more can you ask from a 41-year-old man?)
I think it's time fans learn to separate the players from the team. In the "olden days", it would have been common to see the players spend their entire careers with one franchise. But those days are over. Finished. Get over it.
Yeah, as a Braves fan, it hurts losing Smoltz. I'm 24. Since I was 3, All I've known is God's gift to baseball John Smoltz going out there every five days to preach to his congregation of Braves fans across the Southeast, with the mound as his pulpit and the fastball as his word. Now he's trading in a Tomahawk for some "Hanging Sox". The world needs less violence anyways.
But you know what? He's not evil for it. He's prideful. He thinks he can still do it, and so do the Red Sox. Don't fault the man for that.
Good luck, John. Thanks for all you've done.
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Nice post, but I can't wish him luck. I know this sports is big business and all it comes down to is money but sometimes I like to think that there is one guy who can look past the money and realize that loyalty still matters to some people. I thought Smoltz was that guy but I guess not. Just a few months or years (can't remember) ago, I heard him say that he wanted to stay with the Braves until he retired, guess he lied. Guess the money meant more to him that loyatly. I am going to the Red Sox - Braves game this season just so I can hold the sign that says "$moltz $ucks".
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