In my mind, the worst case of this corrupted system is the NFL Draft, where first round picks, and in particular the top ten selections, are rewarded with contracts worth enormous sums of guaranteed money.
The biggest issue I, personally, have with the system is how all of these multi-millionaires are unproven commodities who may or may not have success in the league. A prime example of a player who has been of the latter, to say the least, is QB JaMarcus Russell.
The Oakland Raiders drafted the former LSU quarterback with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. At the time, countless people were skeptical of their choice, primarily because it was based on potential.
After his combine workout, some so-called draft experts claimed that Russell had one of the greatest workouts they've ever seen. Well, as ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth wisely stated, "That and four bucks can now get you a Starbucks."
Despite being so, the Raiders offered him a jaw-dropping six-year, $61 million deal, with $29 million guaranteed. In simpler terms, even if he were to come to practice overweight, put little effort into game-day preparation, and eventually be benched for lack of production, it wouldn't matter.
It wouldn't matter if Russell has failed to live up to his high expectations, will most likely never be given a second chance in the NFL, and is arguably the greatest NFL bust of all time. To him, it truly wouldn't matter.
With the $38 million that he's already earned, safely stowed away in his bank account, he's ultimately set for life. Meanwhile, millions of hard-working people all around the world struggle to simply make ends meet and survive.
If there we...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
