I love this time of year. Spring is right around the corner. Spring Training has started and baseball is almost here. What I hate about this time of year, though, is having to see story after story about various player’s contract negotiations.
I really don’t care that many players will make more money in a year than most people will make in their lives. This is America. If somebody is willing to give them a lot of money to play a game, good for them. I love to watch the best play baseball and the best don’t come cheap.
I have to confess, however, that I do have a problem with athletes that openly tout their Christian faith, becoming involved in prolonged contract negotiations. Where is God in all of this? If a player is turning down, say, 20 million dollars a year to play baseball because it is not enough, what kind of message does that send to the same people who have heard that athlete talk about his Christian faith?
Am I missing something here? I understand that there are unions involved, agents involved, a team, a player, and some pretty big egos as well. Maybe I just don’t understand the Big Picture. What I remember reading, though, were some pretty clear words to those who follow Christ. Stuff like, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” Or, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
Athletes and entertainers are quick to give a shout out to God when a microphone is shoved in their face after a win or after they win an award. What I’d like to see, though, is an athlete give a shout out to God during contract negotiations. Something like, “I’d like to thank God for the opportunity to play baseball for a living and I’m very content with the 15 million dollars a year I have been offered.”
Yeah, I know. I’m living in a fantasy world!
What do you think? Should a Christian athlete fight to get every dollar they can? Does it even matter?
