Loyalty lost amid free agent shuffle

BY KEVIN TRAN

When Joe Montana led the 49ers to a 20-16 victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, I couldn't help but envision the possibility of future championships. With the return of all the key players, I was confident that my team would repeat as NFL champions. Today, however, the concept of "my" team no longer exists. While loyal fans still cheer for their hometown teams, they can no longer root for their favorite players, as free agency has markedly changed team rosters, filling positions with players-turned-mercenaries (i.e. Jerry Rice) hungry for money.

GENE SMILANSKY/YH

Ironically, once athletes land multi-million dollar contracts, they are content to perform only satisfactorily until another free agency year returns. For example, Tino Martinez hit 31 homeruns and 111 RBIs in his last season with the Mariners before joining the Yankees. These stats point to a talented player, but we can't forget that Martinez never broke 20 home runs and 70 RBIs during any prior season with the Mariners. He is experiencing another incredible year, now with the Yankees; he leads the team with 34 homeruns and 111 RBIs. In his past three seasons, though, he averaged only 24 homeruns and 106 RBIs. Now, his contract expires at the end of the season, and Steinbrenner has expressed no interest in re-signing him.

Free agency has also put a strain on coaches since they are no longer given the opportunity to carefully draft and cultivate players into a unique playing system. Rather than maintain a sense of team loyalty, players tend to bolt once contracts expire, making coaches feel that both time and resources have been wasted. In order to remedy the situation, owners purchase other free agents and force coaches immediately to incorporate these players so as to churn out wins. But when a team loses, the blame often falls upon the coaching staff. Marty Schottenheimer, coach of the Washington Redskins, has received flack for releasing Jeff George, the top pick in the 1990 draft, and it's only three games into the season.

Plus, we can't forget A-Rod. Lured away from the Mariners by obscene amounts of money, Rodriguez has done very little for the Rangers. Although he broke the 50-homerun mark for a shortstop, his team is still out of playoff contention. Doubts surrounding his $252 million contract will only continue to accumulate.

Amid the flurry of changing teams, athletes have forgotten that fans are the reason behind the phenomena of professional sports. We are not forgetful. It is easy to tell when players are being transparent, extolling the virtues of their current team. Vladimir Guerrero, a consistent leader for the Expos, has led the team in home runs, hits, and RBIs for the past three seasons. Despite the potential of rallying around a player of Guerrero's caliber, fans are hesitant to attend games because they realize that he'll be leaving just as soon as his contract expires.

Among the controversies of free agency, one question will always remain: can you buy a championship? In the 2000 NFL season, Daniel Snyder bought the Redskins and stocked his team with pro-bowl free agents like Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith. Preseason forecasts pegged the Redskins as heavy favorites, but they failed to live up to expectations, finishing the season with an 8-8 record. In contrast, the Marlins bought their 1997 championship team, only to be dismantled the following season and finish with a dismal 54-108 record, the worst record in MLB in 1998.

Whatever happened to the notion that patience is a virtue? I remember a time when Bill Walsh took a scrawny quarterback from Notre Dame in the fifth round and turned him into the best quarterback in the history of football. How things have changed.

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