Chicago Cubs: World Series and WBC bringing back baseball

Off the field

There is also more to it than the ratings. Football as been riddled with controversy. Twenty-six NFL players have been arrested in the past 12 months. DUI and drugs are the cause for many of the arrests in that time, but domestic violence is at the forefront. Ray Rice. Adrian Peterson. Greg Hardy. In all there have been 100 arrests for domestic violence/child abuse in the NFL since 2000. This is according to USA Today’s NFL Arrest Database. 

Baseball has its problems as well. The Chicago Cubs may not win the World Series if Aroldis Chapman were not on the team. MLB suspended the flame-throwing closer for firing shots in his garage following an argument with his girlfriend. Still, drugs and alcohol pay a major factor in the off-the-field issues of baseball players.

Money talks

But, then I started to think about money. Ezekiel Elliott signed a 4-year $25 million contract including over $16 million in a signing bonus. In his rookie year, he earned $1,584,379. Elliott was the number four pick in the 2016 draft and won NFL Rookie of the Year. Compare that to Kris Bryant. The Chicago Cubs third basemen was drafted second overall in the 2013 draft. In his rookie year, he put up stellar numbers and won NL Rookie of the Year. He followed up that season with an NL MVP award.  His salary for the two years combined

In his rookie year, he put up stellar numbers and won NL Rookie of the Year. He followed up that season with an NL MVP award.  His salary for the two years combined are less than Elliott’s annual salary in 2016. Just this offseason, Bryant signed a record deal for third-year players worth $1 million.

Ever wonder if the money given to young men enhances the level of issues witnessed? That’s rhetorical.