NFL Draft - Jake Long, originally uploaded by Form Digital.

Imagine the following scene:

A top corporation with billions of dollars in revenue, a significantly bright future in terms of market stability, and a well-known brand name is in need of an entry level manager for one of their sub-brands. The position would guarantee an influence on the overall vision for the corporation, and a solid position for upward mobility.

The hiring committee settles on a candidate, one with a great upside, and mold-able talent. Before the candidate sets foot in his/her new office, he is offered an executive salary, comprehensive benefits better than those of his superiors, and stock options outnumbering all but those on the board-of-directors.

In the normal business world, a scenario like this would be met with government inquiries, accusation of insider treatment, and numerous front pages in the Wall Street Journal. It would be taboo, and as such, it is never seen.

Yet, take a look at the National Football League (NFL), and one is met with a school of economics that would make John Stuart Mill roll over in his grave. Last month, Jake Long signed with the Miami Dolphins as the first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. His contract covered five years and $57.5 million, making him the highest paid offensive lineman in the league. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Michael P. Whelan

It’s the middle of May, 30+ games into the baseball season, and teams have already begun the process of identifying needs and reevaluating their talent. Traditionally, teams make their most serious adjustments after Memorial Day, but it’s never too early for a team to make a change to their roster if it seems so obvious as to be necessary.

This makes it all the more interesting to see that three of the most decorated, dominant players of the past few decades – if not all time – are still sitting at home, unemployed. With each passing day, it seems increasingly likely that we’ve seen the last of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemens.

In 2007, Bonds hit 28 homeruns in 340 at bats, to go along with a league-leading .480 on base percentage, remaining a powerful offensive force in his age-42 season. Meanwhile, Clemens famously signed mid-season with the Yankees, and pitched 99 innings of 4.18 ERA ball – a far cry from his established level of performance, but more than respectable in this day and age. And Sosa shocked everyone by coming back from a one-year hiatus to hit 21 homeruns for the Rangers, including his 600^th career homer.

All three demonstrated last year that they can still put up solid to strong individual performances. And yet they all three share the ignominy of being ignored this season. Oh, and for being three of the names most associated with baseball’s steroid era – but who remembers that?

As it happens, team executives around the league remember, and for good reason. Fans, journalists and bloggers have regularly suggested that their teams pick up one of these three free agents, seeing them as an easy, guaranteed way to add performance to a team looking for one last piece. David Chalk of bugsandcranks.com has spent the past 6 months begging for his Tampa Bay Rays to sign Bonds to become a real contender, while Ken Rosenthal on foxsports.com suggested in a video story yesterday that the Tigers ought to look at signing Bonds to solve their early-season funk. The Rays and the Cardinals are known to have looked at Bonds, while a number of teams have been suggested as options for Sosa’s right-handed bat and Astros and Yankees fans have occasionally speculated about replacing their young, unproven, and nonperforming arms with Clemens.

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Last summer, ESPN created a ‘My Wish’ feature for their SportsCenter broadcasts that showcase individual athletes giving back to the community through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Stars ranging from Tedy Bruschi to Kobe Bryant, and Wayne Gretzky to Derek Jeter gave their time, and often a lot more, to brighten a child’s day. These children often face the fears of dealing with a terminal disease or live in constant pain from chronic illnesses and deformities.

While ESPN gave these children a voice through the 10-part series shown last July, numerous other professional athletes often give of their time, fortunes, and hearts to provide a ‘wish come true’ to countless children who deal with the same issues. Too often, however, these stories are ignored.

Last night, Chris Paul, the phenom point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, honored one of these children with a simple gesture. He wrote the name of an 8 year-old boy on his shoes.
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