It's what we strive for. It's what we need. It's what makes the world go round. It's money, and if anyone knows anything about it, professional athletes these days they are getting plenty of it. What people disagree on is whether these athletes are worth the exorbitant amounts they are paid. In my opinion, loss of privacy, constant scrutiny and potential for injuries merit their paychecks.
Privacy -- Few can argue against the substantial loss of privacy athletes endure upon draft day. These athletes' lives are never the same. Simple trips to the grocery store or local McDonalds become prized events. Predators, better known as the public, salivate at the very thought of knowing every detail about its athlete-prey. Societal structures indeed encourage this profound obsession. Take. for instance, the 1998 court ruling to make a psychiatrist's evaluation of boxer Mike Tyson's mental state public. If this doesn't cross the line between public knowledge and privacy infringement, I'm not really sure what does. What right does the public have to know something as confidential as a person's mental health? Personally, I don't see why anyone felt the need for this evaluation to become open to the public anyway. I mean, who really needs a trained health professional to know Mike Tyson is crazy? You must have missed him biting ears.
The point is, the public will stop at nothing to gain insight into these rare specimen's lives. They shove cameras into annoyed faces and offensively yell obscenities in athletes' directions, if need be. They write never-ending letters. They stalk. In an attempt to escape this madness, athletes are forced into seclusion, isolated from family and friends.
Public Scrutiny -- Two words: Michael Vick. Youtube.com personal videos feature dogs peeing on Vick's jersey, companies have begun marketing Michael Vick dog chews, even the Atlanta Humane Society has supposedly been using donated Vick jerseys to clean kennels. Can anyone be more despised in the sports world right now? Before arraignment, Nike suspended its contract with Vick and dropped his shoeline. Reebok followed suit shortly thereafter. Vick later lost Rawlings as a sponsor, and major sports manufacturer Upper Deck pulled Michael Vick cards and memorabilia -- signed footballs, jerseys and helmets. Professional athletes are under intense scrutiny every minute of every day of their lives. This scrutiny can abruptly turn from positive to negative, as in Michael Vick's case, and affects an athlete's career. Personal Injury -- Last Sunday, Buffalo Bills' tight end Kevin Everett suffered a life-threatening spinal injury that initially left doctors wondering if he would be paralyzed from the shoulders down. Although doctors initially presumed Everett would be confined to a wheelchair, he is showing significant progress, even moving his arms and legs. Doctors now believe Everett could eventually walk out of the hospital -- something deemed highly unlikely last week. In the blink of an eye, one play could have ended not only his career, but life as Everett knew it.
First-round NBA draft pick Greg Oden's first season with the Portland Trailblazers ended before it officially began, thanks to his recent microfracture knee surgery. This dreaded surgery normally entails six to 12 months of reduced activity for full recovery. Oden joins a growing number of athletes who have undergone microfracture surgery, including basketball greats Chris Webber, Jason Kidd and more recently, Amare Stoudamaire. Few have regained pre-surgery health.Unfortunately, more attention is being given to the impact of Oden's injury on the NBA than his future. How much will Oden's game be affected by this surgery, and what impact will this have on his career?
Many times professional athletes are unfairly criticized for being overpaid. Tiger Woods, Forbes's highest paid athlete in 2004, brought home $80.3 million, for example. Sure, that seems like a lot of money for just hitting a couple of tiny white balls around. I argue, however, that athletes like Woods rightly deserve each and every last cent. If anything, a person's right to privacy, freedom from constant scrutiny and sound personal health are priceless.
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