Anyone who discounts the idea of athletes using businesses to inflate their wallets should see this. While walking through Oakridge Mall in San Jose today, I passed a sports merchandise store. You know, one of those t-shirt shops that sells jerseys and jackets of the local team. Here was the sign outside
APPEARANCE BY SHARKS PLAYER DANY HEATLEY
6-7:30 pm Monday
BUY $100 IN SAN JOSE SHARKS MERCHANDISE AND RECEIVE A FREE TICKET GOOD FOR AN AUTOGRAPH
Let's see now. Have I got that right? I have to spend 100 bucks to get a "free" autograph for a player who has been with the Sharks for a whole 2 months. I'm guessing that instead of straight out charging for his autograph, Heatley is getting an appeara nce fee & the store will get their money back & a very nice profit by making fans spend a lot of dough on jackets and jerseys. I suspect Heatley also gets a cut of any merchandise with his name on it.
Here's the thing. San Jose hosts a huge autograph show every year the week of the Super Bowl, so I know what currently active players get. HOFers like Joe Montana & Jerry Rice get around 200 to 300 bucks depending on whether its a flat or say a ball or jersey. But say rookies or well known players in, not just the NFL, but all sports, say baseball, basketball & hockey players around 50-75 bucks, unless they're a superstar. Maybe Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin gets 100 bucks, I suspect Heatley doesn't. So this jacks up his price artificially. Nice.
And you wonder why athletes have this attitude of entitlement. I live 5 minutes from this mall, but I won't be going over there to waste money on a player who will probably ask to be traded within the next 2 years.
Damaris Lewis
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