Show Me The Money

Merry NBA Christmas!

This is the day that basketball fans all over the world have been waiting for.

Today, some of the top names in the game are finally “free” agents.

Players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.

And the list goes on for a bunch of others who will be getting wined and dined in the ultimate rush party.

The name of this fraternity is The Millionaire March.

Or in the case of LeBron James, The Billionaire March, with a B.

King James has always said that he wants to be the first athlete to reach ten figures.

He definitely got off to a good start, signing a $90 million dollar deal with Nike before ever playing a game in the NBA.

And now is his chance to really cash in.

LeBron’s hometown Cavaliers can offer him the most amount of money, about $127 million over six years.

If he signs somewhere else, he could get $97 million over five years.

Now I am all for people making as much money as they possibly can, but let's break this down for a moment.

Calculator please.....

Let’s assume that LeBron gets a deal for $100 million.  (Easy math always wins.)

The average annual salary for a worker in the United States in 2008 was $41,334.97.  (Or $40k for our exercise.)

In his first seven years in the NBA, LeBron averaged about 3,600 minutes of game action, including the playoffs.

So........

• When LeBron gets the $100 mil, that means he will make in eight minutes what the average American makes in a year.

Now don’t get me wrong, LeBron is one of the best players in the league and one of the best players of this generation.

But $5500 per minute great?

In case you were wondering, minimum wage is 12 cents per minute.

I’m just sayin.

When I was working, I was one of the lucky ones with plenty of access to free tickets.

I went to more games than you can play at the county fair.

But it was always on the house.

Not anymore.

Now if I want to go, it’s coming out of my pocket.


Or the kids' college fund.

And that decision costs a lot of dollars and makes no sense.

According to the the NBA’s Fan Cost Index, the average cost for a family of four, and we are five, to attend a game in 2009 was $289.87.

Or as LeBron calls it, a three second violation.

Of course for that $289.87, you get two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, two game programs, two caps, parking and I’m guessing four seats in Section Nose Bleed.

The average price for an NFL game is $412.

The average price for a Major League Baseball game is $197.

Now I’m not making any type of political statement here, I’m just giving you the facts.

If you’ve got the money and want to spend it on going to a game, I think you should.

If you don’t got the money or don’t want to spend it on going to a game, then I think you shouldn’t.

You make the call.

But how in the world did this get so out of control?

And who in the world can afford those prices?

Once a year, Parade magazine produces a special issue of what people make.

A few weeks ago, they had their 2009 edition.

A 911 dispatcher from New Hampshire made $67,000.

A teacher’s aide from Wisconsin made $19,800.

A social worker from North Dakota made $58,200.

A receptionist from Oregon made $23,500.

A police sergeant from Alabama made $67,500.

A firefighter from Arkansas made $45,000.

A parole officer from New York made $63,700.

A paralegal from Washington DC made $39,000.

A truck driver from Minnesota made $91,400.

A bus driver from Illinois made $67,000.

A registered nurse from Utah made $71,000.

A pediatrician from Maryland made $47,000.

A factory worker from Indiana made $29,800.

A state representative from Mississippi made $42,000.

A funeral home director from Pennsylvania made 6,300.

A letter carrier from Oregon made $54,200.

A UPS driver from California made $80,000.

A coal miner from West Virginia made $60,000.

A janitor from Montana made $39,800.

A car salesman from Florida made $60,000.

A barista from Rhode Island made $20,000.

Those 21 people earned a combined $1,112,200 in 2009.

Or as LeBron would say, a five-game road trip.

Something just doesn't smell right.