and sports memorabilia, and the love of the game was coupled with a love of the fans who made it possible.
II. Free Agency & The Erosion of Morality
The advent of free agency emphasized the economic aspect of sports which eventually evolved as the primary emphasis of players. Unlike traditional athletes who were loyal to their teams, today’s athletes like Deion Sanders, Kevin Greene, and countless others change teams every time their agent receives a better offer. Free agency has not only served to reduce player loyalty to their team, but the enormous salaries paid to top athletes encouraged a lifestyle of reckless and criminal behavior in many of them. Enormous salaries are now made possible through athlete endorsement, multi-million dollar media contracts, merchandise royalties and a host of other revenue generating opportunities. Unfortunately, the focus on endorsements, self-interest, and economics has eroded the morality and ethics of professional athletes. Players routinely show up for a game without being prepared. They give a lack-luster performance as long as their contract is not due for renewal that season. Players like Deion Sanders are media darlings who must be the center of attention often instead of and at the expense of the team. Further, violent behavior continues to increase between teammates and even coaches, the media, and fans. Few forget Dennis Rodman violently kicking a cameraman who happened to get in his way on an out-of-bounds ball retrieval attempt. Worse yet was the videotaped replaying on the national media of Latrell Sprewell choking his coach P. J. Carlisimo. As Peter Jennings stated on NBC’s World News Tonight after reaction to the episode from the NBA “Yesterday, one of the most expensive athletes in the country was fired by his professional basketball team and today suspended by the NBA because he physically attacked his coach, not once, but twice. Latrell Sprewell has become,...