Money, Power, Respect!

"Come on! I got you!"

So many times in sports we hear people talking about being a team player but we rarely get to see it in action. We've been taught since we were kids that it's not about YOU it's about the team and it's success. You're only as strong as the weakest link etc but who really lives by that standard in professional sports.

Well on Sunday we saw that concept play out with the Indianapolis Colts and it's leader Peyton Manning when he signed a new 5 year deal worth $90 million which was much less than he could have negotiated for. Manning had the opportunity to become the highest paid player in the league on Sunday but opted out of taking all of the money and running. He decided to take less so that the team could have room to sign other key players like Joseph Addai, Melvin Bullitt and Adam Vinatieri.

"You take a look at things and what's potentially going to happen, and I realized that I've got to have these guys around me," Manning said. "I've had that title, if you will, for the past seven years and I appreciate Bill (Polian) and Jim (Irsay) doing that seven years ago. I did everything I could to play like it, and I think there is an extra responsibility that comes with it. If they're going to pay you like the highest-paid player, you better play like it."

And play like it he has...since signing his last contract in 2004, the Colts have not missed the playoffs. Manning has won three MVP awards and led the Colts to two AFC titles and one Super Bowl crown. He now holds NFL records for most MVP Awards (four) and most regular-season wins in a decade (115).

If anybody deserved the money it would have been Peyton Manning. So I applaud him for looking out for his teammates and essentially getting them their money too. That was a real player move right there! Now I hope people don't try to use Peyton as the baseline for all professional athletes because his circumstances were completely different than most players that compete on that level.

Peyton's been rich his entire life so his outlook on money and finances is going to be a lot different than most guys playing in the NFL or NBA for that matter. The average life span for a guy in the NFL is three and a half years combined with the fact that most guys grew up dirt poor. That is going to have an affect on the way they view potential contracts.


Peyton's also been in the league since 1997 not to mention all of the endorsement deals he already has. Reminds me of Jordan in his prime with the Bulls when he only made $3 million a year so that he could win because he was making enough in endorsements. Quite frankly, Manning won't need to cash these new checks. Those circumstances make it much easier to settle for less so I don't want to hear guys saying that another player is being selfish because he decided to hold out for a larger contract.

With all variables held constant this is what we'd like to see throughout the league and all of professional sports. It's refreshing to see a guy wanting to win so bad that he's willing to take one for the team. Big props to Peyton Manning for being a true leader in an organization that simply knows how to take care of business.

I wish that we could see this example more often and hopefully we will as more guys begin to have longer careers etc. Guy’s who’s dads played in the league or were financially well off should have a similar approach as Peyton. That’s the same way it should work in real world as well. The more we as parents teach our children about being financially responsible combined with them seeing us living it, they’ll grow up making better decisions when it comes to money!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press used in this report.