A couple days ago I wrote about Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions, and how much money he stands to make in the near future. As arguably the best receiver in the NFL right now, and barring injury, it will be a very large figure.
Let's look a little closer. Given he stands to make about $22 million next year, I did a little math that maybe the average working stiff (which I was, for over 30 years) might be able to relate to. Breaking down Calvin's money, that comes out to a little over $2500 an hour. That amount of money could probably get one 3 or 4 top flight attorneys if one was in serious legal trouble. Maybe a surgeon to save your life in an operating room. With a few connections, one might even be able to parlay that into an 8x10 autographed glossy of Romney or Obama in this election year. Sorry, got carried away there for a sec.....
Is Calvin Johnson worth $2500 an hour? For what he does on the football field during games, I would say most definitely yes. The "Megatron" is the most exciting player Detroit Lion fans have seen since Barry Sanders.
But that's the thing. That $2500 an hour isn't just about the time he spends on the field.
At $22 million a year, $2500 an hour is what he makes every hour of every day, 365 days a year. That applies when he's playing, practicing, lifting weights, watching film, or attending team meetings.
That ALSO applies in the entire off-season. Whether he's eating, watching TV, taking a shower, sleeping, at the movies, a nightclub, enjoying the company of a lady, travelling wherever for recreation and/or vacation, doing something else, or even on the phone with his agent discussing more money doesn't matter.
All year long, 24/7, every time the big hand on a clock goes around, Calvin just made another $2500. Cha-ching.
If we compare it to just football, then let's talk about actual game time. Even if one includes the 4 preseason games it comes out to around 65 hours. But wait, even assuming Johnson plays every minute available to him (he won't), we have to divide that number in half, because the offense is only on the field roughly half the time.
Bottom line? Doing the math again -- Johnson will be paid roughly $700,000 an hour to be on the field. In today's economy, Calvin can put in one game's worth of active duty, and make more money than most will make in their entire lifetimes. And he'll get a pension too, when he's done. Most common people won't anymore.
And you wonder why the people that are still fortunate enough to still even HAVE homes have to skip a payment to attend a game, with the outrageous prices for tickets and concessions going for what they are?
Maybe just this one time -- I think I have a clue.
Sorry Megatron. I can't afford to go see you play next year, even if I was so inclined -- which I'm not. I'm on a fixed income. My property value has plummeted but they've found a way to increase my taxes. The utilities keep creeping up, and the insurance company keeps giving me a choice between raising my rates or my deductible, even though I haven't put a claim in for over 20 years. On top of that, the governor and the legislators, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to zap my retirement checks for $140 a month. Far be it from them to tax themselves or their rich cronies. They want to lean on poor people and retirees. I don't get any raises. As the cost of living goes up, my purchasing power goes down. You signed up knowing you were going to get hit. A lot of us weren't counting on other hits that were going to come our way. There's a big difference.
If Johnson's feeling underappreciated or underpaid at $22 million next year -- he will get very little sympathy here.
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