If a Tree Falls in a Forest,
Is There a Sound?
by Tom Rathkamp
 very
off-season, baseball’s Hot Stove League provides a major headliner, a
marquee free agent, the next guy who’s gonna utter those hollow words:
"Money isn’t the most important thing to me." May I introduce
this year’s "Ready to Break the Bank" award, Alex Rodriguez.
Standing next to Rodriguez to accept the lesser award of "Phoniest
Journalist" is ESPN’s Dan Patrick.
I don’t normally waste an entire column’s space by criticizing paid
journalists. But the recent column by Mr. Patrick pretending to be
appalled by Rodriguez’s contract demands is insulting to those of us who
don’t make a living commenting on baseball. As if we’re
not insulted enough by players’ increasingly farcical contract
stipulations.
Like the wonderful Editor of this web site (Greenwich
Village Gazette’s Rich
Schiff) does with insightful guts and passion, I am inclined to scoop
up the giant slack left behind by members of the media establishment..
In this case, it is the sports journalism establishment.
Let me preface by saying that I like Dan Patrick – as an entertainer.
But as a journalist, he’s in way too deep to be truly objective, let
alone insightful or empathetic. Patrick points out that owners looking to
sign Rodriguez to a bazillion dollar contract should (as the drug czars
used to say) "just say no." In one paragraph, he implies that
the owners should stage a behind-the-scenes collusion, refusing to succumb
to A-Rod’s demands. Later, he states that he doesn’t begrudge
Rodriguez nor his agent, Scott Boras for asking for the moon. What do you
believe Mr. Patrick?
For a while, you begin to think that maybe – just maybe – Patrick
is as irked as us peons who actually have to fork out exorbitant sums to
see these guys play. Then you read this:
The only thing that would concern me if I were A-Rod is public
perception. He's a great player. He wants to be paid. Fine. He then
wants to go out and be a winner and play hard. If this drags on too
long, though, he may end up being viewed as greedy.
Let me get this straight. Rodriguez might be viewed as greedy only
if he drags his contract negotiations too long? If he settles for an
8-year contract for $200 million, and is so gracious as to drop the
demands for his own office, an out clause (if his new team becomes
uncompetitive), and the owner’s first born, then we won’t view him as
greedy?
At this point, Patrick should have shoved his keyboard down his throat
in shame and disgust. Instead, he continued his failed attempt at fooling
us into thinking he really cares what’s really going on here. For
example:
But do I think anyone is worth $25 million a year? No. On the other
hand, I agree with Boras when he said that it was disingenuous for Steve
Phillips to air publicly what A-Rod's demands were. If I'm in
negotiations with ESPN, and they aired my requests and brought up issues
of why I wouldn't sign with ESPN, I would be livid.
This is in reference to New Yorks Mets GM Steve Phillips publicly
stating that he was disgusted by Rodriguez’s non-cash requests. Again,
let me get this straight. Patrick is appalled by Phillips’ gall but is
willing to defend both A-Rod and his agent. Granted, Phillips is as phony
as the rest, but to infer that a GM’s mere "airing" of opinion
is the real demon here is absurd.
OK. Patrick is concerned over the public’s perception and to the
revelation of his greedy requests. So if A-Rod doesn’t extend his
unemployment and Phillips shushes up, then there is no greed at all,
right? Sorta like: If a tree falls in a forest and nobody hears it,
does it make a noise?
In case you didn’t think Patrick really gave a crap, he cleverly
tosses in softball prose such as "I don’t think anyone is worth $25
million" or "it’s really the owners who are at fault."
Patrick does state that everybody is playing the victim here, from owner
to agent to player. I applauded him for that one. But then came this:
But A-Rod is treading on thin ice here. In the theater of public
perception, he's got to be careful with what he's doing. Boras has got
to be aware of the creeping sense that A-Rod is money first, baseball
second. I hope his player's reputation means as much to him as his
player's paycheck.
Treading on thin ice? I’m glad he pointed that out. I was just about
to hold a press conference to announce that I just might begin to think
that Mr. Rodriguez is a money-hungry fake-a-roo. I’m grateful that
Patrick spared me the embarrassment.
Patrick makes a cogent point when he states that if the owners are
stupid enough to give them the money and perks, then they are the
real perpetrators of this perpetual robbery – not the players or agents.
He claims that everybody is caught up with the players and agents, then
writes this incredibly naïve statement:
Still, I don't know how you can claim to be a team player and then
ask for things that clearly do not have the best interest of the team in
mind.
If you have to ask the question Dan, then you’ve lost the battle. Mr.
Patrick poses the following question/comment in the beginning of his
piece:
What's worse for the game of baseball -- the greedy agent and ball
player or the naive owner? To me, it's a chicken-and-egg question. Don't
blame the agent or the player for having a big wish list. And don't ask
them to provide financial sanity when the owners never consider that
approach.
Truth is, Dan Patrick is the only chicken here. A desensitized
chicken, at that.
Any comments, criticisms, or condemnations on
this sports column or previous ones? Feel free to email me at andydan@milwpc.com
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