LAZY SHIFTLESS ATHLETES

August 18, 2014               

When we were kids, it was often said that a messy room, appearance or desk, was an indication that we were not in the zone, so to speak, for peak performance and were sloppy.
I never fell for the line of thinking myself but as I got older I began to find some wisdom in it.

We have been talking a lot this year in my family about the Blue Jays baseball team team and  why they falter so often when they have some of the best talented players in the world.
I have this notion that I have been sprouting of late. Many time over the years I have been in restaurants and bars where professional player from Hockey, Baseball hang out after games. Usually they were expensive places and the player were always accorded special status and service.

Sometimes I had been at the game and noticed that win or lose they were always happy and enjoying the experience. This got me thinking and I remember one game in particular, the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team had just lost 10 to 3 and all the guys were in fine form, which I remarked to my pals. They chuckled at the observation and tossed it off, as they were big Leaf fans, which I never was. Montreal was my home and Team.
Now I am sure there is something going on here. These guys make millions a year. Many make in the $50,000 to $100,000 PER WEEK range. WOW.
So win or lose they get paid.
Also I am now starting to think the way many player groom themselves is telling us more about attitude and it's effect on performance.
In old days pro player earned a little more than a good living but never got rich. Ask Mahovolich or Dick Duff and those guys.And until recently many player got little or no pension. but they were always well groomed and wore a suit to games. Baseball players especially, seem to be allowed to grow all manner of facial hair. Blue Jays, Lind has a God awful  long goatee, Bautista has a beard and many others are scruffy looking and not professional on the field but I am told they are supposed to wear a suit to and from games.
I think this belies an attitude of rich men, many of them Nouveau Rich, who are spoiled and often do not put out all they should in games and lose good attitude when challenged with up hill battle to win a game. Maybe if we changed some rules and paid player by the game. And if they lost they only got half their game fee.
Only lately have I begun to look to the money for insight into human behavior.   I heard from my son who was studying economics about an English economist Pigov

He authored the term Pigouvian tax, which is a tax often levied on companies and people to get them to change their behavior.
Players get to the big leagues  and often seem to lose that God Blessed drive they had to get there.
Think about it pls?