One of the most anticipated NBA free-agent announcements came when Lebron told the world he’s heading to South Beach to play for the Miami Heat.  Of the six teams coveting him, really only three stood a chance: Miami, Cleveland, and New York City for obvious reasons.  The other three teams: Chicago, LAC, and New Jersey will just be footnotes and forgotten.

What’s most interesting is not Lebron’s decision to make millions of dollars less to join two guys he thinks he can win championships with.  Instead, Lebron’s decision to completely spurn President Obama is what really gets me thinking!  No less than seven times has President Obama made a public statement insisting that Lebron join the Chicago Bulls. As you know, Obama was the Senator of Illinois before he became President.  Many pundits also believe that Chicago is a better candidate for Lebron to win championships with Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Derrick Rose, Brad Miller, and Joakim Noah.  But, nope.  Not Lebron.

If Lebron James, who is a huge Obama fan, doesn’t even listen to Obama’s words, why should the general public?  It wasn’t like Obama was saying go to the Minnesota Timberwolves where they have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning.  Chicago is a seriously legitimate team if not the best choice!

FIVE REASONS WHY LEBRON DOESN’T LISTEN TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

* Relationships are most important. Lebron, Dwayne, and Chris created an amazing relationship after winning gold metals in the Beijing Olympics.  Their friendship transcends money, which jives well with the theory that money can’t bring happiness but friends can.

* Location matters. Let’s face it.  Chicago is a crappy place to live 6 months of the year.  Why on Earth would Lebron decide to move from crappy weather Cleveland to crappy weather Chicago?  He might as well stay in Cleveland!  Ever wonder why it wouldn’t be easier to get Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to go to Cleveland?  It’s because Cleveland is a hard place to live unless you have family there.  If you’re going to make a move, you might as well go all out and either move to Miami or LA because we all know that weather in NYC and NJ is horrendous as well.

* Charity is a good thing. At the end of the interview with ESPN, Lebron announced he is donating all proceeds raised from the “The Decision” to the Boys & Girls Club he’s so intricately involved in.  With President Obama limiting the tax break for charity deduction to 28%, that penalizes those in the higher income tax brackets who are the onse who make up the majority of this country’s donations!  The clear repercussion of this proposed legislation is that giving will decline by billions at the margin.

* Just say NO to discrimination. With President Obama allowing for an even higher progressive tax system, he is saying it is OK to discriminate against people based on their income.  If you worked hard and spent an extra 8 years of your life after college to become a physician and make $500,000, the Democrats believe it’s OK to tax you 39.6%.  Meanwhile, if you decide to goof off in school, not study and make $25,000 a year for the rest of your life, you are rewarded by only paying 15% in Federal income tax.

* Lower taxes is the result of fiscal prudence. Although Lebron has to pay 39.6% on his mega millions a year, he won’t have to pay state tax, which is a 10% savings compared to playing in California or New York, and a 6% savings compared to staying in Cleveland.  If you make conservatively $50 million a year after endorsements, you’re saving $5 million in state taxes a year!

CONCLUSION

It’s been a year and a half since President Obama came to office and some people are getting tired of rhetoric.  We’ve had a great recovery in the financial markets, but our employment outlook still looks murky.  We are spending record amounts of money on government programs, yet the government tells other people to practice financial austerity.  Federal government employees are raking it in with recession proof jobs and rising wages.  Lebron has lost faith in the President and his ability to help out the Midwest and his home state of Ohio.  As a result, he no longer listens, so why are you?

Readers, has anybody else lost faith in our President and his promises?

For basketball fans, did Lebron make the right choice going to Miami?

Why do you still not play or follow sports when America is a nation of sports enthusiasts?

** Very few people can claim to have worked in one job for 7 consecutive years right out of school.  So before you go bashing Lebron for his decision, like Cleveland Owner Dan Gilbert who just lost hundreds of millions in franchise value, take a look at your own track record.

Regards,

Sam @ Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

Follow on Twitter @FinancialSamura and subscribe to our RSS or E-mail feed.

Related posts:

1. Why Isn’t President Obama Considered White to The World?
2. Why Are President Obama And The Democrats Against Charity?
3. Be A Sloth and Don’t ROTH – Why Converting To A ROTH Is A Mistake!

2009 was the year I rediscovered tennis.  Ironically, I figured I’d better utilize the club as much as possible because I couldn’t afford any other luxuries after the markets imploded!  Just last year, I failed miserably at breaking a 10 handicap (got to 10.2 and ricocheted) in golf and decided to quit before I threw my bag into the lake.

For the past 15 years, I forsook the game I played so diligently as a youngster.  It was boring running around, hitting a ball back and forth.  Now, I’m hooked again because of the camaraderie of the game.  Although tennis is an individual sport, there’s a team aspect to it if you join a league.  Meanwhile, my evil plan is to get my wife to get good enough so we can play some competitive mixed doubles my next summer!

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS MATERIALIZE

Despite all the passion, I have a couple swollen knees that makes sitting cross-legged difficult.  If I try and extend my legs after sitting in cobbler’s pose, there’s so much pain, it’s hard to walk for the first several minutes.  Meanwhile, my feet often blister due to the constant friction caused by unnatural side-to-side movements.  The doctor says all I have to do is rest, but I can’t.

How can I rest when I get a daily e-mail from my buddies wanting a rematch after last night’s beat down?  How can I rest when it’s just so fun to needle my opponents with smack talk for a couple hours at a time?  I’m a tennis junkie.  The competition is exhilarating to the point where you often feel like you’re observing yourself play, an out of body experience if you will.

When I’m on the court, all the pain miraculously goes away.  It’s the next day when the aches reappear, yet I long to play again. I realize that if I don’t take care of my body and allow it to heal I risk my long term health.  But, then I rationalize and say it’s about having fun now, no matter what the cost.

CONCLUSION

Like a consumer addicted to credit, I’m an old fart addicted to tennis.  The costs aren’t just physical but also monetary as well.  I’ve upped my insurance coverage for 2010, setting me back $600 in premiums because I’m going to check out both knees, wrists, shoulders, and head!  The head examination was due to an outrageous fight on the basketball courts last winter.  Don’t get me started.  My day of reckoning will come, but I don’t seem to care until it does.  Help!

Readers do you do things you love that you know you shouldn’t be doing?

Why is it so hard to pace ourselves given we realize the long term damage the activity may cause?

Any advice on how to curb my tennis addiction and just say NO to the invites?

Related Post: Revenge of The Nerds: Golf And Tennis Are #1!

Keiju,

Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

Follow me on Twitter @FinancialSamura and subscribe to our RSS feed.

Related posts:

1. The Mental To Physical Connection For A Healthier Lifestyle
2. Revenge of The Nerds: Golf & Tennis Are #1!
3. Play Games To Save Money And Achieve Your Goals!

Freddie & MJ At The President's Cup

I had one mission this weekend, and that was to “high-five” as many famous people as possible.  You see, The President’s Cup descended on San Francisco and I was determined to watch America’s best golfers tee it up against the rest of the world, less Europe (that’s the Ryder’s Cup).

Did I succeed in my mission?  It depends on whether you count: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, Freddie Couples, Greg Norman, Condoleeza Rice, Gavin Newsom, and Michael Jordan as famous people!  For if you do, you’ll understand why I’m never washing my hands again!

In “Revenge of The Nerds: Golf & Tennis Are #1″, we write that if you want to make a lot of money, you should think about picking up either golf or tennis. As the 30,000+ patrons at Harding Park showed me today, there’s a darn lot of different types of folks interested in golf!  All along the signature par 4, 468 yard, 15th hole you saw corporate tents with names such as: Charles Schwab, PG&E, and Mastercard filled with rich looking patrons sipping their Chardonnay’s.  Ah, to gain access to one of these tents.  Except for Citigroup, it’s good to know there weren’t any government bailed out entities partying it up on our dime, so score one for the common folk!

THREE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS WEEKEND

1) Sports is the great equalizer of all people. Michael Jordan is the best basketball player on earth and a mega millionaire to boot.  Yet, MJ was basically a volunteer assistant to the team at Captain Freddie’s request.  “Whatever Freddie wants me to do, I’ll do,” said Michael to reporters.  I saw MJ shuttle back and forth between holes delivering things, relay information, carry some equipment, and joke around.  When I asked him for an autograph while he was waiting to drive across the 7th fairway, he told me “Sorry, I can’t now cause I’m working.” That’s dedication and a nice way to tell me to go away!  One of the most famous sports stars in the world was just like one of us 30,000+ fans that day, willing to do whatever it takes to support our team.

2) Never get stressed out if you don’t have a ticket to a sold out event. No matter how big the stage, there will always be scalpers willing to sell you tickets based on your desires.  The market is efficient, so don’t worry.  In fact, if you want to save money on tickets for future events, miss the first inning, quarter, or opening Hanna Montana song.  If you do, you’ll get prices for proportionately much cheaper than the time remaining.  My two friends bought two $80 face value tickets for only $20 each because they arrived later in the morning on Saturday.  Scalpers have no use for inventory once an event starts, and will go down to their lowest price, theoretically $0.01.

3) Never go to an event hungry! This is especially true for a golf event because you end up walking around for miles.  Try and stuff your jacket pockets with snacks and a mini bottle of water.  You’ll be happy you did when you walk by the concession stands and do a double-take on $10 dollar hot dogs and $8 dollar Gatorades! Going to an event full will easily save you $10-20 dollars.  Even at the  movies, if you look at their business model, much of their revenue depends on concession stand business.

Tiger In Deep Thought On Hole #2 (200 Yd Par 3). Had to use my crappy camera with no zoom since it was the only one to fit in my shoe!

CONCLUSION

This weekend was a great reminder of why it’s hard to leave the Bay Area.  San Francisco is a strong enough city to attract popular events, thereby saving its residents a lot of money by not having to travel.  Golf and sports fans around the world watched San Francisco this weekend, and I never would have imagined being able to interact with so many famous people in one sitting. 

More than likely someone in your office will be talking about some spectacular shot they saw this weekend, and if you have no idea what they are talking about, you may miss out on a chance to bond.  Relationships are key elements to job success, and the more interests you have, the better your chances of getting to know someone who will support you in a bull or bear market.

Experiences trump material goods once again.  The three of us shared some unforgettable moments on Sunday.  In fact you may even see us on Sportscenter, as we stood right next to Tiger Woods pitching out from underneath the 14th hole trees to beat Y.E. Yang and clinch victory for the US!  In business, if you can experience unforgettable memories with your clients, you’ll forever be on line one.

Keigu,

Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

Follow me on Twitter @FinancialSamurai and sign up for our RSS Feed.

Related posts:

1. Revenge of The Nerds: Golf & Tennis Are #1!
2. The Mental To Physical Connection For A Healthier Lifestyle
3. Playing Until My Knees Swell And Feet Bleed

Serena Williams Angry

Apparently someone sent over last week’s article, “Revenge of The Nerds: Golf and Tennis Are #1″ to Serena Williams, and it just pissed her off!  Serena’s anger built up so much, she finally blew her top  against a lines official after calling a foot fault.  Serena screamed, “I swear to God, I’m going to take this ball and shove it down your f*cking throat!”  We then noticed her mumble something like, “Can’t believe some stupid website called me a nerd” and went after the lines judge some more!

Serena, we just wanted to make a public announcement that the staff over here at Financial Samurai didn’t mean to call you a nerd specifically.  In fact, our point of the article was to highlight you are the #1 most popular female athlete in America, and provided inspiration for all us “nerds” growing up!  With your glistening guns, aggressive baseline attacks, and $30 million a year in earnings, we were impressed!  However, after last night’s outburst, and you not willing to apologize afterwards, we’re not your fans anymore.

Every minute you wait is literally dollars out the window, Serena.  In fact, we hear Puma executives are on a conference call right now discussing the fate of your endorsement contract.  What’s compounding the problem is that Kim Clijisters is one of the most beloved players on the circuit.  She just had a baby a year and a half ago for goodness sakes, and is now the US Open champion!  Way to go Kim!  Serena, hurry up and apologize to the world!

Financial Samurai’s,  besides Ohio State University blowing their 5 point lead to USC with several minutes to go in the 4th quarter, Serena’s outburst is topic du jour!  If you haven’t hit the public courts and found a tennis partner since “Revenge of The Nerds: Golf and Tennis Are #1″ was published, make sure you have an opinion on these two events come work time tomorrow.  Seek out your sports crazed senior colleagues and banter!

Keigu,

Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

No related posts.

Roger Federer Winning Wimbledon

According to Harris Interactive,  the most popular male athlete in America is Tiger Woods, and the most popular female athlete is Serena Williams.  This got me thinking…. hmmmm, America is absolutely obsessed with football, baseball, and basketball and yet golf and tennis are #1!  Since High School, the stereotype has always been that nerds played golf and tennis, and jocks played the other sports.  So, what’s up with this latest poll?

The Financial Samurai theory:

* Whoever controls the most amount of money is the most influential, and therefore, the most popular.   The reason why Tiger Woods makes $100 million a year is because he generates billions in incremental revenue.  Since nerds by definition get better grades,  they may go to better schools  and get better paying jobs.  Therefore, their chances of making more money increases.  More nerds play golf and tennis, and therefore spend more on those sports.

* Nobody really has their own money in High School or College, so the jocks will always beat the nerds when it comes to popularity.  However, 10 years later, the trend seems to reverse unless you are that rare jock nerd such as Bill Bradley, NBAer, Rhodes scholar, and 3-term US Senator from New Jersey!

* Seattle Mariners star, Ichiro Suzuki is a good jock example, making $17 million a year.  But, $17 million pales in comparison to the man paying him, King Nerd Paul Allen, who’s worth $18 billion,  earns $720 million a year in interest income, and therefore $2 million a DAY.  Cha-ching!

* Is it a coincidence there are so many CEO golfers?  Jim Crane, Jerry Jurgensen, John Lundgren, Ed Stack, Steve Bennett, Mike Esken, David Perdue, Mayo Shattuck, Jim McNeely of Sun Microsystems, Dollar General, Intuit, EGL, Nationwide Financial, The Stanley Works, UPS, Dollar General, and Constellation Energy are all sub 10 handicap golfers. Coincidence?  Heck no.  Just look at their bio’s, and you’ll realize they were all nerds growing up.

* People like dominant competitors who are able to control their own destinies. Although we are taught teamwork at a very early age, it’s just you and your club, or you and your racquet in golf and tennis.  There’s nobody to rely on or blame when things get difficult.  All the glory and all the failure is yours.

* Due to the lack of physical contact, there are less injuries in tennis and golf, and therefore more people can play for longer periods of time.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

If you want to increase your chances of making money, be a nerd and play golf and tennis, but also have intimate knowledge of football, basketball, and baseball like John Clayton from ESPN.

John "The Stud" Clayton

John Clayton may not fit the image of a sportscaster, but he is gainfully employed and listened to by millions because of his deep knowledge of football.

So much of worldwide business revolves around golf and tennis.  Deals are made on the 19th hole all the time.  What better way to bond with your client than on a beautiful summer day, hacking a ball into a hole with beers in hand?  Bonds are created over hardship, and striving to sink a ball into a tiny hole for 5 hours is deemed incredible hardship by many!  If it helps motivate you to play, studies say that golfers live on average 7-8 years longer than non-golfers!

The tennis league I’m on also has its fair share of impressive resumes.  One person is a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, another is a Managing Director at a major investment bank, and yet another is a multi-millionaire internet entrepreneur who lives at the 4 Seasons among several other places.  Compare their resumes to my teammates on my basketball league, and it’s night and day.

CONCLUSION

So how about it folks?  Go to the driving range this weekend, or to your nearest public courts and whack some balls.   Afterwards, watch 30 minutes of ESPN and then let it all sink in.  Your popularity and speaking points with clients and colleagues will grow.   Once you get in the routine, get as good as possible.

I see it all the time at my tennis club.  That senior partner might not have a second to waste with a spittoon carrier right out of school, but if you so happen to play tennis well, she’ll giddily want to get to know you and hit for hours.   On the court, you are both equals! Sports is a language that brings people from all socioeconomic backgrounds together.

Opportunities are created through relationships.  Play golf and tennis and you’ll have more opportunities for a promotion and a raise than ever before.  With the fantastic longevity of both sports, it’s never too late to start!

Goals for Financial Samurai’s: 1) Recognize the names of the top 25 in NCAA football, 2) Know who are legit contenders for the national championship (USC, Florida, Texas, Penn State, Alabama are a few), 3) Get to know at least two people to play tennis with and aim for a 3.0 rating within 1 year, 4) Take some tennis lessons, 5)Watch 30 minutes of golf this weekend and go to the driving range and see if the golf bug bites.  6) Enroll your kids into tennis and golf camp early.  Thanks dad!

Related Post: “Serena Williams is NOT A Nerd!  We’re Sorry!”

Keigu,

Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”

PS Don’t forget to watch the US Open going on now!

Related posts:

1. The Mental To Physical Connection For A Healthier Lifestyle
2. Slapping Hands With Famous People, Saving Money At Events & Priceless Moments
3. Playing Until My Knees Swell And Feet Bleed

Given it’s the weekend, I’m not going to write too much, but two things worth highlighting given it relates to some of our previous posts.

1) Sam Bradford of Oklahoma got injured and his then #3 Oklahoma Sooner’s LOST to BYU (#20).  What does this mean?  He may never play up to his potential again, thereby losing $20,000,000 in guaranteed money by not going to the NFL last year.  Perhaps just as painful, Oklahoma will not be considered to play in the national championships again this year.

Sam Bradford From OU Injured

Oh well, that’s life.  Who needs the money anyway when you can have so much fun in college and get your degree?  However, all you prospective pro athletes, please feel free to shoot us an e-mail for advice.  We’ll look out for you, even if the Sooner faithful won’t look out for Sam by telling him to stay!

Related Post: “Forgoing $50 Million For The Love Of Football”

2) The September/October issue of Washington Monthly come out with a new type of college ranking.  I thought it was intriguing because they basically bash US News & World Report’s methodology, due to the blatant cheating by some faculty at Clemson and University of Florida to manipulate the results.

Washington Monthly’s believes that “America’s colleges are those that work hardest to help economically disadvantaged students earn the credentials that the job market demands.  They contribute new scientific discoveries, and they emphasize the obligations students have to serve their communities and the nation at large.” Hence, they offer three broad rating categories: Social Mobility, Research, and Service.  See the full report here.

The 10 Best Universities in America

1. UC Berkeley (#21 in US News)

2. UC San diego (35)

3. UC Los Angeles (25)

4. Stanford University (4)

5. Texas A&M College Station (64)

6. South Carolina State University (NR)

7. Penn State (470

8. The College of William & Mary (32)

9. University of Texas – Austin (47)

10. UC Davis (44)

Several observations: 1) California schools dominate.  2) There’s only one private school in the Top 10.  3) The traditionally perceived elite schools are not there except for Stanford.  Is spending $50,000/year to go to private school in the east coast worth it?  Hard to say after reading the report!

Related post: “Survey Says: Get 1,300 On Your SATs & A 3.9 GPA And You’re Set for Life!”

Hope everybody is having a great weekend!  Upcoming posts will be about Net Worth, The Right Sports, and How Everything Is Relative.

Keiju,

Financial Samurai

Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries

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So today’s the day!  For the first time since December, 2006, Michael Vick suits up in an Eagles uniform to take on the Jaguars tonight at 7am EST.  Chances are, this will be the most watched pre-season NFL game in history, which means a likely flood of money going the NFL’s way.  Michael Vick actually attended bankruptcy court this morning before flying back to Philly.

Below is an earlier post on Michael Vick that I bring over from RB30RB40.  Rgds, RB

“Michael Vick – A Second Chance Or No?”

When Michael Vick was convicted of animal cruelty a couple years ago, he lost everything. Particularly painful was his $135 million multi-year guarantee contract from the Atlanta Falcons. Probably even more painful was the shame he felt and the 18 month experience in the slammer. He’s now free and signed with the Eagles for $1.6 million this season, with a potential to make $5mil next year if the Eagles choose to keep him. The question on many sports fans and animal lovers minds is: Should Michael Vick be given a second chance?
The question really has two parts. Should Michael Vick be given a second chance in the NFL? And should Michael Vick be given a second chance at life? After some thought, and seeing his latest appearance on 60 Minutes, I’m leaning towards acceptance and forgiveness.

LIFE
At 29, Michael Vick is still quite young, but has already gone through a great deal. He could of easily retired young and wealthy but he screwed it up. Critics of his say he knowingly allowed the killing of innocent animals for entertainment. Vick doesn’t deny any of this and repents. If we are to believe in the legal system, then Vick has paid for his sins through an 18 month prison term. If we are to punish him more, then we are saying the legal system did not exact a punishment fitting the crime.

Vick is actively working for the Humane Society to teach children and adults around the nation to “love their animals.” It may seem like a joke, but according to the Humane Society, there are over 40,000 illegal dog fighting rings in the United States! This underground activity is largely unknown to the public, until Vick’s indictment. Hence, if Vick can actively denounce dogfighting and animal cruelty, perhaps he can help make a difference. And if Vick was never indicted in the first place, this entire underground activity would probably continue unnoticed. It is better to use Vick’s infamy to combat an evil, than just throw him away.

NFL
From the NFL’s perspective, they are rolling the dice on Vick’s reinstatement. What if he relapses and does something illegal again? Vick, after all was considered a leading thugin a cast of thuggish characters pervading the NFL. However, I would ascribe a minimal chance at that happening. In fact, Vick is probably the LEAST likely NFL player to get in trouble after what has happened. The NFL can be seen as a forgiving organization which gives people like Vick and others who’ve come from his background a 2nd chance to succeed.

From the Eagles point of view, they’ve made a solid business decision. The median salary for all NFL quarterbacks is $5 million. They are paying $3.4 million under the median by signing Vick, who likely still possesses skills much higher than the median quarterback. Good publicity or bad, the Eagles will benefit.

New York Times best seller, “Picking Cotton” discusses an even more traumatic story where a man was wrongly accused of rape, and sentenced to “life plus 54 years” in prison. After spending 19 years in jail, Ronald Cotton was acquitted due to DNA evidence. Ronald proceed to FORGIVE Jennifer Thompson- Cannino, his accuser. They are now friends, and their families spend time together. If Ronald Cotton can forgive, shouldn’t we?

Regards,

RB

Related posts:

1. Staying Calm Under Pressure
2. Go To Grad School, Get Rich Or Die Trying

For a guy who doesn’t work anymore, my favorite part of the year begins soon.  In just a few moments, college football starts and many a Saturday will be wasted with guys and some girls zoned in front of their TVs or at their favorite bars rooting like crazies!

Surprise, surprise, the Florida Gators are the most favored #1 pre-season pick in history due to the return of Tim Tebow and an enormous core of returning starters.  You’d think that winning the Heisman and two National Championships are good enough, not to mention the millions waiting, but not for Timmy. Rounding out the Top 10 include:  #2 Texas, #3 Oklahoma, #4 Southern California, #5 Alabama, #6 Ohio State, #7 Virginia Tech,  Mississippi, #9 Penn State and Oklahoma State also tied at #9.

It’s good to see the Pac 10 get SOME love, with California coming in at #12, Oregon at #16, and Oregon State scratching in at #25 or #26.  After all, the Pac 10 conference is the only one to boast an undefeated 5-0 bowl record in 2008-09.  This compares favorably with the ACC’s record of 4-6, MAC at 0-5, and The Big 10 at 1-7!  But none of the experts care. The Pac 10 will always be underrated because the weather is too nice out here.

Let’s forget the ranking injustices for now, and focus on the monetary aspect at hand!

MONEY MONEY MONAY, MONAAAY!

College football is big business, and individual stars entering the NFL means financial security for life.  When both Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Tim Tebow of Florida decided to forgo the NFL to play another year of college football, what did they forgo financially?  My estimate is roughly $12 million a year for 5 years!  The New York Jets signed USC’s Mark Sanchez to a $28 million gaurantee and up to $60 million with incentives for 5 years.  Meanwhile, the #1 overall pick from Georgia, Matthew Stafford signed a 6-year contract worth up to $78 million, with $41.7 million in guarantees!

Despite USC’s head coach being infuriated for Mark leaving after his sophomore year, Mark seized an opportunity due to low QB draft competition and took it.  Bravo Mark because if Tim and Sam were in it, you’d be making at least 20% less!  On the flip side, what are you thinking Tim Tebow?!  You’ve already got two national championships, and a Heisman, why on earth would you risk $30-50 million over the next 5 years by playing one more year of college football?  One wrong pivot, or one head first bull rush into your knee and SNAP, your career is over and off to being Florida’s QB coach you go.

WHY STAY TIM?

The easiest theory I have for Tim staying is that Florida brainwashed him. “Stay in school Timmy.  We love you.  A degree is important, and you can’t go through life without one.  We are family Timmy.  We need you.  If you come back, we will dominate again.  Do it for honor, and for the love of the game Timmy.  If you stay, you’ll make much more money!” If Urban Meyers (coach) and the Florida community really loved him, they would tell it to him straight and let him go.  Yes, we all know that alumni donations and booster support is vital to maintaining a top college sports program, but come on guys, it’s not like there aren’t thousands of other kids dying to play for Florida or Oklahoma!  In this case, Florida and Oklahoma wins, and USC loses.

Imagine this scenario. North Korean Dictator Kim Jung Il says you can have a guaranteed $50 million if you leave his country now and never show the world the pictures you took of his impoverished country.  “Gimme those negatives boy!” Kim Jung Il also says you can have $60 million and a chance to get your name in the local newspaper for being only the 2nd American to get out of North Korea alive, if you are willing to see if you can last in the jungles for a year!  Which option do you choose?

What about this scenario. Do you cash in your $50 million winning lottery ticket today, or do you rip it up, and pay another dollar to see if you can win $60 million with a 90% probability according to your state lottery official?  Even though the math says to gamble again because 90% X $60 million = $54 million…. the answer is HELL NO!

Seriously Tim, why stay?

Tim had the golden opportunity to lock in at least $20 million over the next 5 years and he blew it.  If Timmy blows out his knee this year all the football pundits are going to then say he should have left.  Some rich Florida alumni isn’t going to suddenly feel sorry for Timmy and give him $50 million.  Florida is a football factory, and once Timmy is no longer productive, another Timmy will come along.

You might think secretly I’m some bitter Ohio State, Oklahoma, or Texas fan vying for the National Title, but I’m not.  I’m just a partial observer who is thinking rationally.  Timmy can always go back to school, or study part-time if he wants his 4-year college degree.  College is a means to an end, and you know he’s had more fun than most anybody who’s ever gone to college has ever had.  To Timmy, and all those who could have gone to the NFL but didn’t, good luck to you this season.  For those of you who are thinking rationally, shoot me an e-mail and let me represent you in your negotiation talks!

Changing jobs or careers is a lot like entering the NFL. The most important thing to realize is that we are all replaceable, and that if you don’t take the opportunities, or at least thoroughly think things through, you may NEVER have that opportunity again.  There will always be some hotshot nipping at your heels, and you only have a limited time to build your NUT before some bigger squirrel takes it away.

College football fans, what are your thoughts?  Should guys like Timmy have left to the NFL or stayed?  Do the coaches and fans really have their best interests at heart?

Highlight From Archives: “Be Your Own Venture Capitalist”

Keigu,

Shogun

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