Is proving yourself too much to ask?

Can someone answer this question for me? Is a man worth more for his potential or his proven track record? Can you go to into Mr. Warren Buffet’s office on your first interview and demand top pay because you attended Harvard and graduated top in your class? Some may say yes if you have the stones, but what can you tell the richest person on earth that he does not already has knowledge of about making money? This leads to the question of Mr. Michael (people said i was the best, now pay me more) Crabtree.

Michael Crabtree is the player from Texas tech who made the highlight reel by scoring the last second TD that beat Texas last year. He was said to be the best receiver in the draft,  predicted to go high in the draft, destined to make big time money for doing so. Here is the catch…he did not get picked high in the draft; instead, he was the second receiver chosen behind Darrius Heyward-Bey  who was picked by my beloved Oakland Raiders.

 It’s like this in the NFL (NOT FOR LONG )–the higher you are drafted, the more money you get paid. I know a few people, including NFL veterans, think that the unproven potential of college players should not get the big money so soon. Crabtree is trying to put a whole new spin on the potential scenario.

In the NFL draft, being picked early is better than being picked later, and the  the big money contract comes along with it. Darrius Heyward-Bey was drafted 7th overall by the Raiders, and Crabtree was  drafted three picks later by San Francisco in the 10th spot. When you look at those standings Heyward-Bey should get a bigger contract than Crabtree just based on picking order. Crabtree wants a bigger contract than the $23 million guaranteed to Heyward-bey because scouts said that he is the best of the lot. Yep, I know what you are saying, give me a million and you would be happy, or just let me play on T.V. every Sunday. O.K. this is the big league and big paper is thrown in this arena.

Once again, 7 is better than 10 in the draft. It’s understood that higher picks get paid more money, not the lower ones.  Another thing, scout rankings and people polls don’t mean a damn thing when the pads pop on a NFL football field. What did the scouts say about Kurt Warner and Tom Brady? Not much, but look at the records they hold, and do not forget the “rings,  my precious, ohh the rings.”

Potential is so much different from proven. It’s like fantasy football and the the real thing.  In fantasy you get pleasure from anothers’ actions; the real gets you product from proving what you can do. We can’t knock the guy for trying, but lets keep it real here. Prove what you can do this season and get more money showing proven skills. That’s something to say about that.

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