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By Sports Addict, July 26, 2010 10:56 am

Peyton Manning is already supposed to have a signed contract that makes him the highest paid player in the NFL .  At least that’s what we heard from Jim Irsay back in March.  But it’s July, we’re less than a week away from training camp, and the best player in the NFL doesn’t even have a contract.

The scene seems familiar:  Manning didn’t have his $98 million contract finalized in 2004 until the season was well underway; but that was coming off his rookie contract .  This time it’s different, now all of the NFL is waiting for and expecting a record breaking new contract from the Colts .

Sam Bradford’s new contract with the Rams guarantees $50 million, a record for a rookie, who has yet to even prove he can deliver on the field.  Now Manning ‘s agent, who also represents Bradford, has to convince the Colts  that their star quarterback is worth more than double that; because lets face it: he is.

Manning is the league’s only four-time MVP, he has taken the Colts to two Super-Bowls, and he is breaking every record in the books.  On top of his greatness on the field, Manning shows he is just as committed off-field.  He attends every team function, , pre-season work-out, meeting, and practice–whether it’s mandatory or not.  And unlike his peers–Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick– Manning stays out of trouble.

Manning is constantly referred to as the guy who will be know as the “Greatest of All Time,” and Jim Irsay needs to make sure he’s paid like the greatest.

Even though most players don’t–and probably never will– match Manning‘s credentials, his salary will set the bar for every other player out there, and you can bet every one of them is praying that Manning gets a ridiculous amount so they can negotiate higher when their contracts are up for review.

But in the worst-case scenario that Manning doesn’t get his contract finalized in the next couple weeks, every fan and player will fear it means only one thing: lock-out.  And with that we can all kiss the 2011 season good-bye since the NFL labor negotiations between owners and players is still uncertain.

The bottom-line is that everything football is riding on Manning ‘s contract: the season, the salaries, the players, and the fans.

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By Sports Addict, April 1, 2010 11:22 am

Many people have a lot of expectations this year and nobody has higher expectations than Dodger fans, in hopes that Manny Ramirez and crew can bring them back a World Series trophy.

However, there is just one problem. Is Manny Ramirez going to show up to play, or show up to be paid?

Last year Ramirez sat out for 50 games because of violations to the leagues anti-doping policy. When he returned, his numbers weren’t quite as high as everyone had hoped. His time sitting out of baseball definitely took it’s toll on him, physically and mentally.

Ramirez hit .290 in 2009, a good .023 lower than his career average. He also has been questioned about his effort, and how much he cares about his team and winning. At the beginning of 2009, Ramirez held off signing a contract for quite some time. He didn’t even play in Spring training because his agent, Scott Boras, was adamant about holding out until the Dodgers offered him a $45 million deal, for only two years.

Will this be the year that the Dodgers are saved by Manny Ramirez? Or will it be the year that Manny Ramirez clocks out, calls it good, and announces his retirement in the off-season?

Only time will tell. Either way, he will go down in the record books, the hall of fame, and the minds of baseball fans everywhere as one of the greatest hitters of all time.

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By Art Vandalet, December 9, 2009 12:21 pm

Tim Donaghy made a mess. The NBA referee’s gambling addiction hurt a family, a career, and a reputation. Like Shoeless Joe Jackson, Pete Rose, and Ben Johnson, Donaghy’s infamy will be widespread and possibly long lasting in sports history.

The throwing of major sports games for personal gain troubles fans who, watching for entertainment, expect fair play. People don’t follow sports for the scandal, they watch for the talent. Donaghy violated the trust of NBA fans when, as an official, he bet on NBA games.

In his new book, “Personal Foul,” however, Donaghy claims the infamy for more than himself.

Donaghy claims that he didn’t fix any games because he didn’t have to. His argument is that he simply used his knowledge of NBA politics to guess at the outcomes of games. The insider knowledge of the relationships between and tendencies of the different coaches, players, and referees lead Donaghy to an unheard of 70-80 percent success rate.

Donaghy got in deep. He almost had his kneecaps broken at one point by a prisoner that may have been associated with the mob. By the time it was spiraling out of control, the mob, the FBI, the NBA, and federal prosecutors were involved.

The implications for the NBA are the biggest issue at hand though. If Donaghy’s claims are true, the NBA has a few problems to work out. This book reveals a serious fault in their credibility as a fair and straight forward organization. The assertion that NBA games do not unfold on a level playing field, is enough to make any fan indignant, if not angry.

Clearly, Donaghy shouldn’t have bet on anything associated with the NBA. But he did. The point he makes in his book is that the inner workings of the NBA made it easy. The assertion that NBA referees are not honest brokers has profound resonance and may lead to some changes in NBA policy and politics.