The blatant hypicrisy of pro athletes

[IrishHand]

Every time a pro athlete demands a renegotiation after a good year (or even an average one), I shake my head. Then, of course, something like this comes along that allows me to shake my head again - only this time left-to-right, rather than right-to-left.

The following exerpt, from today's Oregonian, describes the plight of one-time NBA All-Star Damon Stoudamire, currently relegated to the end of the red-hot Blazers bench. Currently, poor Damon is making over $12 million with $13 and $15 million due in '04 and '05.

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He won't accept a salary cut -- in the guise of "renegotiation" -- to facilitate a trade to get him to a team that will use him more, whether that deal is being discussed before next Thursday's trade deadline or over the summer.

"I would never renegotiate my contract," said Stoudamire, who has not played in the last three games. "I mean, that would be dumb. If it's meant for me to ride out my contract and stay here in Portland for the next 21/2 years and not play a minute, then that's what it was meant to be."

Stoudamire said that if deferring some of his salary might get a trade done, "then we can do that. I mean, if you want to backload my contract and I get the money at a later date, I'm fine with that. I'm going to honor my contract like they're going to honor my contract."
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Interesting how little virtue their is in "honoring" a contract when it's for $1.2 million after a breakout season rather than $12 million after you've lost the starting job for the 3rd year in a row.