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The Market

You can beat the market, nor always, but often enough. Many smart, rich people do just that. But you can't FIGHT the market. You get trampled.

Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli have beaten the NFL flesh market more than any of their 31 competitors. This offseason (anything before opening day is offseason) is the first time I'm wondering if they got a bit greedy.

The burden of proof is on me, big time. They have three Lombardi Trophies and I have a blog. Not a fair fight.

Faint heart ne'er won fair maiden. The Deion Branch affair leaves me as concerned about the judgment of the Pats' brain trust as did the departure of Adam Vinatieri. In brief, I am worried Belichick has violated one of the principles he taught me when I covered his team-don't borrow trouble.

On balance, I just don't see how spending an extra couple of million a year is worth losing a guy whose kicks were the margin of victory in three Super Bowls. On balance, I think it's nuts to go to the mattresses to fight over a Super Bowl MVP's contract.

These arguments are much different from losing folks like Willie McGinest. The older an NFL player gets, the more money he wants up front. It's only logicaL Imagine retiring at 35, dear reader.

Driving a hard bargain is good business. Thinking every bargain must be a hard one is the worst business imaginable.

posted by Michael Gee @ 4:46 PM