The people who complain about its absence generally are the ones who stand to gain the most from it. They swear allegiance to a player, put his poster on the wall and stamp his number on their hearts, till death or detox do us part. Athletes aren't loyal as a rule. They come by infidelity naturally. Organizations rear them this way, showing by example that they can be disposed of at the first sign of a failing arm or slow bat or something in a more attractive waggle.
Athletes understand how the game is played.
Alex Rodriguez is counting on it when he sees his former teammates for the first time this weekend. It couldn't have gone any better. If it was just based on teammates and manager and staff, I would have signed a contract there forever. Of course, it wasn't based on anything so sentimental. He had lots of reasons for signing with the Rangers.