When describing the word "Professional", the definition most people give is a career that you earn money with. You work towards a profession your entire life, and once you find a profession you love and can live comfortably on many stay in said profession for years to come, making it a passion and a profession. When does that passion turn not towards the career itself though, but the money involved with said career? When does money supersede loyalty? Over the past couple years, we've seen money become more and more important in the professional sports landscape, to the point of where it has even become a determinant (legally at least) in the college sports landscape. The question posed now more than ever is, where's the loyalty in all this? Where's the drive not to earn the most money, but to build upon and make great the career you have with the team you're on? Many organizations look at journeymen as "bad" players, so why would you chase money to go elsewhere in your career?
With the PGA controversy, Tyreek Hill, the NIL, and other headlines being top of the hour stories, we see a conflict between money and loyalty now more than ever. The question is, will that gap continue to grow now that it has been shown that there's not a whole lot of consequence anymore? Players are still getting paid more with little to no repercussions (I think we all know that PGA ban will not last given the names that went to LIV), so who loses in a player driven market? Many say the fans, but I say the legacy of the players is hurt more, especially if they underperform, as well as the professionals that work front offices and personnel. Professional sport is driven by money, it's in the definition, but loyalty matters more to organizations and professionals who can't move as well as players can. When and if loyalty is lost, how will the landscape change? Will it water down the product? What will happen to organizations that can't pay the players what they ask? Will small markets survive this culture change? Will we see non-players paid more as well? I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments below!
Burn Notice: 10/10 An overheated Tesla with lots of dollars bills stuffed in it
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