No Fortune After Fleeting Flame
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By DERON SNYDER
HBO’s Emmy-winning newsmagazine, “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” returned Tuesday night to open its 18th season. The lead story was a feature on Magic Johnson, the NBA great-turned-businessman whose net worth is estimated at $750 million. His famous smile was bigger and brighter than ever in the piece.
But earlier that day, we heard a tale regarding athletes and money that unfortunately is much more familiar. An attorney for former NFL quarterback Vince Young said his client “needs a job.” Young apparently has hit hard times, despite being the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2006.
That can’t make him too happy, and the situation becoming national news doesn’t help. He used Twitter on Wednesday to concur with his attorney, tweeting: “Yes, I need a job, who doesn’t.”
Most folks need jobs. But most folks didn’t earn $26 million over six years from the Tennessee Titans and bank another $4 million last year from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Young’s case, and others like it, can produce a wide array of emotions, including anger, pity, contempt, sorrow and disgust. The warped among us even might experience joy or contentment, believing that athletes don’t deserve their riches anyway and it’s funny when their wealth is squandered.
I find it sad that so many athletes go through piles of money like they’re wearing leaf blowers. I wish more players would learn from the horror stories of those who preceded them. Better yet, more should study examples like Johnson or Junior Bridgeman, the former NBA star who owns more than 260 Wendy’s and Chili’s combined.
