Gil Meche on quitting: I Don't Deserve $12 Million

I'm shocked, but I'm not shocked this happened in baseball, their deal makes them just about the only league where something like this would be even remotely likely.

 

What about basketball? Maloney was paid a lot of money on his guaranteed contract. Yao has received millions the past 2 years.

 

integrity

doesn't matter if you agree with the guy...he felt what he was doing was wrong, so he stopped doing it...even at great cost to himself and his family. tons of respect for that.

 

I believe he was referring to someone giving the money back basically.

 

not impressed.

look at all the money he made before.

it would have been a lot different if he were struggling financially like the rest of us with no millions in his bank accounts.

don't get me wrong. he's doing the right thing as he knows he's basically done and probably could have just retired after taking the money. but, anyone who would take that money like that is pulling an albert haynesworth. well, maybe not quite as bad as albert haynesworth. lol

 

your point would be much better taken if he were just one of many who were doing this. but he's not...he's a "freak" in the pro sports world, honestly. "so shines a good deed in a weary world."

 

Latrell Sprewell faints..

 

It's not something you would expect to happen in any sport or business, don't think I can remember a time when a player returned that kind of money for not "earning it". However, it's not like the $12 Million he "doesn't deserve" is going to go to someone else that does deserve it. Are the owners going to spend it or keep it? I would be more impressed if he donated the entire amount to a charity or something. I applaud his integrity, but question his financial sense.

 

great point...that money could have gone to a great cause instead of back into the owner's pockets.

takes a lot of guts to give up that kind of cash.

 

except he sees it as robbing. making himself a thief. he's trying not to be that. i could go take lots of money that doesn't belong to me and give it elsewhere (robin hood)...but if i am bothered by the idea of "stealing" i'm not going to do it.

 

Really? What tickles you then? This is not an ordinary event at all.

He shouldn't feel like that, business is business, in this case legitimized by a contract.

I agree with you both, that's why I don't consider this as an act of selflesness, if deciding right now I thinks Barkley's desicion to take less money to stay with us is a more selfless act than this.

On the other hand, it would be a facade (to himself) to go through the season collecting paychecks just so he could donate them, if he really feels like retiring as proclaimed here:

 

I don't think he should do the Royals any favors. That money saved will be wasted somewhere else anyways. He should have kept the money.


I appreciate refreshing integrity, but their GM hardly deserves it.

 

give the money back, pitch another 5 years for free

false altriusm

 

Agree with Surfguy - how many of us can say that if we were able to earn $50 million that we would never need to work again for the rest of our lives?

Yes he is unusual for doing this but only because the group of people he has worked with the last several years would not do this. If he had a normal job like the rest of us, this would not happen.

I have always felt that the best job to have is one like a major college football coach - sign this big contract and then have one bad season and get paid millions of dollars to leave. Sign me up for a job like that - know what I am saying?

 

I remember when they signed that guy for $55M. Terrible

 

A man does something out of ordinary stuff that only brave & honest men could even remotely dream of, and still being criticized.
Sounds about right.

 

what a numbnutt. no way in hell would i give up that kinda cheddar.

 

That covers everything and both are valid.

 

screw that...milk that teet for as long as you can...