One Clear-Cut Sign That You’re Overpaid
I don’t think the U.S. has an official “sports minister”, but based on the recent comments of the UK’s Gerry Sutcliffe it sounds like it would be fun to have one. Last week Sutcliffe called Chelsea captain Jon Terry’s new contract “obscene”, and he criticized Manchester United for raising ticket prices…again.
Sutcliffe said there was a danger of football losing touch with ordinary fans because of players’ sky-high salaries, and that clubs could price grass-roots supporters out of attending matches.
“Good luck to John Terry but I think it is obscene to be on £150,000 a week,” he said. “People in the street cannot understand salaries like that. Chelsea are £250 million in the red and they may be able to cope with that but it’s not the real world. £250 million in the red is not sustainable.
“This year Manchester United increased their season tickets by 13 percent and said fans have to buy automatically European and Carling Cup games as well and that costs an extra £200. That’s taking the game away from the ordinary grass-roots supporter.
Poor John Terry. Being singled out like that can’t be fun. All he wanted was to get paid $250,000 a week to play soccer, but he can’t do it without some damned politician criticizing him for it. And what’s Manchester United supposed to do? Not raise ticket prices? That’s cooky talk.
I can only imagine what Sutcliffe would say about A-Rod’s new contract or the Red Sox charging the per capita income of a small African nation for season tickets. The guy would have a field day. Maybe the U.S. can borrow him for a couple of weeks. In return we could send Arnold Schwarzenegger to the UK. They love Kindergarten Cop over there.
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