Don't think I'm picking on just football, because other sports are just as guilty on this issue. There are hundreds of baseball, hockey and basketball players who care more about being in the spotlight than the performance of their team. We've got players kicking cameramen, spitting on umpires and jumping off the ice into the stands to fight fans. Even many of the time-honored Olympic sports became opportunities for athletes to show off for the television cameras this past summer. Many people credit this type of behavior to the big money and media coverage that has invaded professional sports.
Most athletes make millions of dollars to play just a few months a year.
Maybe some athletes have developed outrageous attitudes to match their outrageous salaries. I agree that big money is responsible, at least in part, for the change in athlete's demeanor. Long gone are the days when class acts like Tom Landry strolled the sideline in his famous suit and hat. Sponsors shell out millions of dollars to place their logo on a racecar. Almost every regular Winston Cup driver earned at least one million dollars during the 2000 season.