guaranteed

 The Ravens football team is having an issue signing their quarterback. Lamar Jackson has been negotiating with the owners for quite a while now. They haven't agreed to what he is asking and now he is asking to be traded. Now I admit to enjoying watching the game on a Sunday now that all that kneeling stuff has calmed down. But I wouldn't call myself a die-hard fan at all, fact is I'm still a little sick from that kneeling episode and could relapse at any moment. I really don't care what they do with Lamar and his contract. There are plenty of quarterbacks to take his place. So, whatever.

 I'm not well informed about these negotiations and how the whole process works. I've heard something about a franchise tag, and what they can or cannot do. If Lamar isn't traded by July, he still has to play for the Ravens. A disgruntled employee may not be the best choice to lead your team, but I guess all they really have to do is pay him. Well, whatever the case happens to be my understanding of the main problem, the reason no contract was signed, was because Lamar wants a five-year guarantee. He wants a certain amount of money guaranteed to him whether he plays or not, whether he is injured or not, in short, he wants to be guaranteed a paycheck for the next five years. That is what he feels his worth is. I've haven't heard any figures, but the general consensus is, more than 230 million dollars! That's more than 46 million a year. If he worked 24/7 for a full year, that equates to 5,251 dollars an hour! Not bad for playing a game. 

 There is some talk that the owners of the other teams are colluding with the Ravens ownership. The talk is the owners want to nip this guaranteed stuff in the bud. It is like employers that don't want to pay a minimum wage. Employers had to be forced in to that some years back if you recall your history. That happened in 1938. Now raising that guaranteed rate is always a topic of conversation but no none is proposing guaranteeing you that rate whether you work or not! No, we have other programs for that, some even more fruitful than if you were actually working. Amazing, isn't it? But all that is another topic. 

 It is a sign of the times. It seems like a lot of people are expecting guarantees these days. It has gone way beyond expecting to be paid for your labor, to being guaranteed that you will be successful. It doesn't matter if you are qualified, show up for work, work while you are at work, comply with the rules or are productive, you are guaranteed success. If you are not, it isn't your fault, it is the fault of the system. Did you go to the doctor and get an unexpected outcome? Sue them, you should be guaranteed a positive outcome every time. It was probably negligence of their part or a lack of training. Did your self driving car run into a tree? Sue the company, it wasn't supposed to do that! And I ordered a double shot latte with foam and a hint of cinnamon, but the barista fouled up, sue them. 

 Well, all I can say is this, nothing in this world is guaranteed. Death and taxes are certain just like Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1789. As far as giving Lamar Jackson a guaranteed deal for five years I wouldn't do it either. I am paying you to do a job. If you can no longer do that job, I'm not paying you, it's that simple. That is what insurance is for. Each state decides just how much you can receive in unemployment insurance. There is a cap on that amount, you are not guaranteed your full salary. I don't see why it should be any different for a football player, or any other player for that matter. The players union negotiates on behalf of the players. They have done great things for those players, no doubt about that. But now like every other union in the country they are getting just a bit greedy. Looking for guarantees. Unions began as a way to ensure the basic needs of the workers were being met, safety, hours worked and a min wage. My how that has changed. 

 I don't know it all just makes me wonder. Things sure aren't going to get any better if we continue on this path. Life has a way of throwing a wrench into the best laid plans of man and government. We had better relearn a simple lesson, nothing is guaranteed. Another lesson to be learned is, you get pretty much what someone else is willing to give. You really don't get to decide on that. You may feel like you are the next big thing, so valuable, irreplaceable even, but you are not. Bruce Jenner may feel like a woman, but he is not. Are all the owners of the other teams colluding? Can 32 teams create a monopoly? That's basically what they are trying to say. If the other 31 teams refuse to give Lamar a guaranteed contract for five years, it's because of collusion! Or maybe it is just common sense that they don't. I sure wouldn't set that precedent. Then what? A guaranteed career? I'll sign out of college for a twenty-year deal at 46 million a year, guaranteed, whether I play or not.