Perspective

I have a question for you. Who thinks $64,000 a year is a decent salary? Show of hands? OK. I’d guess about 90% of you agree with me.

And that agreement is despite the fact that sixty four grand is not even enough to qualify for a mortgage in this town (Vancouver, that is).

For the following blog post I feel obliged to submit full disclosure: I’m not a true blue, dyed-in-the-wool, Canucks fan. I’m a bandwagon jumper. If they’re in the playoffs I’ll watch most of the games. And if I’m given free tickets, I’ll certainly go to the game and quite honestly enjoy myself.

And I know the Canucks organization as a whole gives a lot back to the community. I know of Canucks Place for sick children, and there are probably many more charities they contribute to, of which I'm not even aware.

And I’m sure Mr. Luongo is a very nice person if you get the chance to get to know him.

Stay with me, I do have a point. I subscribe to the editorial crescendo effect.

What I’m really getting at isn’t even really confined to the Canucks organization; it’s very much more widespread throughout the professional sports world.

Here’s my point. A sixty-four million dollar contract? That phrase really has to be delivered in a Dr. Evil (from the ‘Austin Powers’ movies) tone of voice. “Sixty-four million dollars?”

To put this whole financial vehicle into a more “Average Joe” perspective, the lump sum contract amount (64 mil over 12 years) breaks down to five and a third million dollars a year. Or 83 times that baseline salary about which I asked your opinion at the start.

In other words, it would take the average Joe earning sixty-four grand a year 83 years to earn what Mr. Luongo will take home annually.

I hope this doesn’t come across as sour grapes. That’s honestly not my intention. But I do think it’s beneficial to stand back and observe the big picture once in a while.

Sixty-four million dollars. Remember, that's only for one player.

To big league sports owners/ general managers everywhere I say, “Give your head a shake!” And more importantly, don’t start blaming Joe Average for not supporting the home team when your unsustainable business model begins to bleed red ink and the banks threaten foreclosure. But that’s a rant for another day.

One final observation: How did a simple game of shinny escalate into a billionaire boys club?