Maybe it is my Scottish heritage, but I and many people from the UK like Rory McIlroy and his parents were brought up to work hard, save our pennies so we'd have enough to enjoy our retirement when we turned 65 with enough money to be comfortable....
I have argued on air so often I've lost count, on hearing today's pro athletes who are already set for life financially at 29 years of age and are being paid millions of dollars to play in a city that adores them, who say they will test free agency to see who wants to pay them even more !!
When you already have $20 million stashed away, why do you need even more ? It is at the heart of what turns hard working fans off more than anything else.
Colleagues of mine from a different ilk, have a different view. They just can't get enough. Dollar signs replace their eyeballs, why stop at $20 million when you can have $40 million.
In an interview this weekend 25 year old Rory McIlroy when asked if he was motivated to get the $10 million dollar bonus, said "Not really, the money doesn't mean that much to me anymore,, that's not what excites me. Playing good golf, winning tournaments, adding the FedEx Cup to my CV is what excites me, not getting a cheque.."
Commissioner Tim Finchem I'm sure must have cringed when he heard those words. Did you ever hear Tiger or Jack or Arnie say that. For them winning a $10 million dollar cheque was nothing more than very important.
How do you think the folks at FedEx felt when they heard Rory. The whole premise of these playoffs was to offer all the final 30 millionaires who make it to the Tour Championship so much money as a bonus they'd get excited, unbelievably motivated..
Here was Rory, who is at the top of the food chain admittedly, casually dismissing the money, reducing it to " it would be nice, if I wanted to buy something nice I could, but that's not what motivates me"
There are those in Player Association offices for all sports who insist that their stars go out and demand the most they can get to drive the money bar higher and higher for their team mates who are not as talented. They remember the old timers who were nothing more than chattels to the billionaire owners. Remember the Black Sox scandal they say.
Those days are long gone and are never coming back. More and more money for players has a knock on effect that ultimately means more and more money for tickets for the fans, who actually need all the money they can get just to survive.
Good for you Rory, you were honest and truthful in what you said as much as many including some of your peers wished you hadn't.
In general pro athletes including golfers are incredibly talented, the very best and do get fabulously rewarded, but we reached the point in my opinion a long time ago when enough is enough.
It was refreshing to hear just that from one of the faces of, and future of, the game of golf this weekend.
Well done Rory..
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