Monday Musings: $700 Million Contract – for 1 Man (gift issue for all)
Compare this with veterinarian Kwane Stewart, CNN 2023 Hero
Happy Monday! Today’s Monday Musings is free for everyone because I’m taking a break for the rest of the week. I’ll return to the regular schedule next week.
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I don’t follow baseball news, not since the Montreal Expos were destroyed by Jeffrey Loria and moved to Washington. But this weekend, it was hard not to see and hear about Shohei Ohtani signing with the Dodgers, getting himself a 10-year $700 million deal. Think about that. $70 million a year. And, of course, that’s not the only money the 29-year-old will earn. He’ll get endorsement deals that will add millions to that pot.
I have nothing against Mr. Ohtani. He’s a great baseball player. He’s a pitcher who can also hit the ball – hard and far. According to CBS Sports, he “led the American League with 44 home runs this past season, in addition to throwing 132 innings with 167 strikeouts and a 3.14 ERA.” I think everyone should try to get the best deal they can in whatever their professional life is. But what I think is obscene is the fact that he could get it. I also don’t know Mr. Ohtani – he may be a very generous person, sharing his fortune with others who need it. I certainly hope he does.
On the other side of the country
Last night, in Atlanta, veterinarian Dr. Kwane Stewart was named CNN 2023 Hero of the Year. Ten years ago, Dr. Stewart did a small, kind act – he stopped and treated the dog who belonged to an unhoused man. The owner thanked Dr. Stewart for not ignoring him. That changed the course of Dr. Stewart’s life. He went on to found Project Street Vet.
The organization provides free veterinary care in San Diego and Los Angeles for pets who belong to people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of it. There are people who believe that those who are unhoused or have no money shouldn’t have a pet. And I get that feeling. Our first reaction is, “If you can’t feed or house yourself, you shouldn’t be using resources on an animal.” But that animal may be what is keeping that person alive. It may be the only thing giving them hope. Check out this great blog post, “The Truth About Homeless People and Their Pets You Need to Know.”
“Being homeless is one of the most difficult challenges someone can face. For most homeless pet owners, their pet is the only solace they have in this harsh world.
Many studies show that having a pet decreases the use of drugs and alcohol as well other high-risk behaviour.”
Along with being named the CNN 2023 Hero, Dr. Stewart received a $100,000 prize – which he promptly shared with the other heroes on the stage. You can watch the video here.
On one hand, we have one man who will be receiving $70 million dollars a year for being able to throw and hit a ball – not even all year long. On the other, one was awarded $100K for treating and saving animals on the street.
Let’s look at other numbers
The average full-time salary for:
Registered nurses about $82,000 (US)/$85K (Canada) per year.
National Hockey League (NHL) players about $2.69 million per year.
National Football League (NFL) is about $2.7 million per year.
National Basketball Association (NBA) $7.3 million per year.
Ok, whenever numbers of highly paid athletes come out, defenders say, “But they only can play at that level for a few years.” Yes, that’s true. But does that mean they can’t find work doing anything else when their playing days are over?
A common response to that is, “Well, they put so much time and effort into becoming an elite athlete that they don’t have the time to study and prepare for an alternative career.” Tell that to Superbowl winner (and fellow Montrealer!) Laurent Duvernet-Tardif, who combined a football career with medical school. Or baseball player Mark Hamilton who went to medical school after leaving baseball. Yes, I know – they are outliers. But there is no reason why a professional athlete can’t go back to school to become a teacher, businessperson, therapist, nurse, accountant, pilot, or anything out there. Just because they can only play a sport for a few years doesn’t mean their learning potential ends.
We need help
Our healthcare systems are falling apart. Nurses and other healthcare professionals are burning out at rates we never imaged. They’re not paid enough. But sports stars are. They don’t get the support and resources they need. But sports stars do. They don’t have enough colleagues to share the load.
Right now, in Quebec, there is major, major unrest among healthcare workers, teachers, and others in the social network. Thousands of people are on strike and more will follow soon. They’re not asking for unreasonable things. The government says that the nurses and teachers aren’t being flexible enough. What are they asking for? For their salaries to keep up with inflation. What is the government offering? Way, way less than that.
And yet, the politicians had enough money to vote themselves a $30K raise this past summer – way more than the cost of living increase. The Quebec government offered the provincial police a raise of 21% over five years. And they refused it! What did the government offer the nurses and others? 13.3% over five years. The unions are asking for almost 20% over 3 years.
Want to make it worse? This government, which claims it has no money to give to our social system, is going to pay $7 million to the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings to play two hockey games in Quebec City next year. Seriously?
We need to reevaluate who we consider heroes (baseball players or vets who help on the street?). We need to reevaluate who earns the big bucks (baseball players or nurses?). And yet, we never do.
What do you think? Leave your comment below. Let’s get a conversation started.