Longing for the Good Old Days
A lot of us have had this longing for a while this year. We know that the good old days (whatever that phrase may mean) are gone, and if we’re honest, we know that we bear some responsibility for their departure. Honesty would also require us to admit that we only long for some of the good old days.
A couple of sports items in the news recently got me to thinking about this good old days concept. As reported in the New York Times, the New York Yankees recently signed the 6 foot, 7 inch, 311 pound, left-handed pitching ace, C. C. Sabathia, for a record seven-year, $161 million deal (not to mention signing Mark Teixeira for eight years and millions more). Sports fans may be feeling an economic pinch right now, but we’re talking the Yankees here. They’re always flush with cash, and they’re undoubtedly counting on entertainment to be the last industry impacted by the recession — even one of historic proportions.
As also reported in the Times, one of the National Football League’s greatest players, Sammy Baugh, died at age 94. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins as the Great Depression was coming to an end in 1937. He was a 6 feet, 2 inch, 180 pound, wonder. He played with a leather helmet. He joined the league when passing the football was almost unheard of. Baugh changed that, and when he retired after 16 seasons, he held all the major N.F.L. passing records. He was also an outstanding defensive safety and a spectacular punter. His single-season punting average of 51.4 yards per game in 1940 remains an N.F.L. record. Baugh was the highest paid player of his day. During his entire career, he earned a little more than $150,000.
Whatever C. C. Sabathia accomplishes during his career, he’ll never be a Sammy Baugh. In Baugh’s good old days, success — even glorious success like he experienced — wasn’t measured by money. It was measured by raw talent. Money was a byproduct, and obviously not much of one by today’s standards. In light of the financial abuses and excesses we’ve seen this year, that’s a good old days principle worth longing for.
As you go into 2009 looking for talented employees who’ll help you out of this economic crisis, try to find the Baughs — if there are any left.
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About Chris Parker
Chris Parker's practice focuses on the representation and counseling of companies in matters pertaining to the workplace and the protection of their intellectual property and trade secrets. In addition to serving as an advocate for clients, Mr. Parker is also trained as a mediator and frequently serves as a third-party neutral.
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Jimmy Daniel provides counseling to businesses of all sizes related to the employment relationship. He assists in the drafting of employment agreements, policies, and handbooks, as well as provides guidance related to compliance with federal, state, and local legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
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While serving in an Of Counsel relationship with the firm, Mr. Bridgesmith also serves as the Executive Director at the Institute for Conflict Resolution at Lipscomb University and as an officer and principal in Strategic Resolutions Group, LLC. In these roles, Mr. Bridgesmith brings over 30 years of legal experience in dispute resolution and innovative workplace strategies to clients, students and business entities alike.
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We’re looking a lot at the disparities between pay and performance these days, in light of the massive compensation packages given to those who helped create our current economic mess.
To tie it back in with baseball, I’ll remind you of Babe Ruth’s answer when he was asked if it was fair that the $80,000 a year he was demanding exceeded President Hoover’s salary of $75,000… “I had a better year than Hoover.”
Sabathia certainly had a better year than John Thain.
Frank,
No doubt about that. Thanks for the reminder about Ruth’s quote.
Happy holidays.
John
Hope your holidays are great, John… I’m sure *someone*, *somewhere*, will give you plenty to write about!