It’s a funny thing how perception works. Jalen Brunson’s approval ratings soared for an entire day after he agreed to a contract extension that left him with $113 million left (at least for now).
(Not 100%, but about 98.5%, because some (fairly) point out that Branson does not donate the entire $39 million he receives each year to UNICEF.)
The problem is, Brunson’s approval rating was already hovering around 95 percent, especially among Knicks fans. Not only is he a great player, he’s always come across as an all-around good guy. He wants to motivate his teammates, often gives too much praise, is always accountable, and is always available.
“Have you not heard,” Josh Hart said last winter, “Jalen is the perfect guy.”
He said this with a cold smile, but there was an element of truth to it.
So maybe Brunson’s naturally likable nature is why his contract decision was met with more enthusiasm than expected. We want to like the players we root for. We want to feel that our investment in them is worth it. Tom Brady is inevitably implicated in all of this, having invested so much money into them over the years. He may not have always been as choirboy as Brunson, but it’s hard to take a strong dislike for Tom Brady the person (as opposed to Tom Brady the football assassin).
And here’s the funny thing…
Because there was a time when Alex Rodriguez was on the cusp of doing exactly what Brunson did on that Friday afternoon. That part is rarely mentioned in conversations about Rodriguez, and when it is, it’s not as much covered as his incredible skill, talent, numbers, dramatic decline, reliance on Page Six and, of course, the more than $441 million he made as a player.
That’s probably down to the $252 million he agreed to in 2000, a bizarre figure that was settled on at the top of the public auction because either Rodriguez or his agent Scott Boras thought it important to double what had been the largest salary expenditure in North American sports up to that point: the $126 million the Timberwolves paid Kevin Garnett. It was unpleasant at the time, but it quickly got worse and worse.
And then there was the fact that Rodriguez had asked for a pay cut (a real one) in the 2003-04 offseason to enter the Yankees-Red Sox feud as the Fool’s side, not the Emperor’s. Texas was eager to get rid of his contract; A-Rod was dying to play some value baseball again, and the Yankees already had third baseman Aaron Boone. So the Red Sox ran a series of trade proposals, the centerpiece of which was to move Rodriguez to the Red Sox in exchange for Manny Ramirez and Jon Lester. (Boston was also prepared to move Nomar Garciaparra to the White Sox for Magglio Ordóñez, so Rodriguez would have stayed at shortstop.)
But there was one important part to the deal.
The Red Sox had to get A-Rod to take a $4 million pay cut.
And the most important thing is that he was willing to do it.
Now, he wouldn’t have had to simply give up all his money: The Red Sox allowed A-Rod to retain his image rights, and he could have opted out of his contract after the 2005 season (just as Brunson has a good chance of regaining many of his lost rights, so long as he stays healthy).
It was a surprising choice nonetheless.
It reverberated throughout the baseball world.
And in the end, it didn’t happen.
The MLB Players Association stepped in and rejected the deal, saying it would set a terrible precedent. Baseball’s union is one of the strongest in history.
Then Boone plays in an unlucky basketball game. Brian Cashman gets in touch with the Rangers. And A-Rod ends up with the Yankees, where he writes his famous chapter and his own legend (for better or worse)… and he almost never comes across to us as anything other than a good player with a deep bank account and a few steroid secrets hanging in his closet. It’s a funny way perception works.
Vax Wax
This season is the best season of Hard Knocks ever, 2 episodes in, I watched the whole thing. I could have watched the combine meeting for 3 hours. Apparently you have to be Will Hunting to understand how to play quarterback in the NFL.
I still enjoy Presumed Innocent very much, but I’m not sure that director David E. Kelley’s intention was for me to root for Jake Gyllenhaal’s Rusty Sabich to receive a life sentence, unless he was aiming for the “most unpleasant guy you should root for” in this movie.
If the Mets or Yankees are looking for reinforcements at the trade deadline… the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association needed an emergency starting pitcher last week and used J.D. Scholten, a 44-year-old former minor leaguer who is now a member of the Iowa State Legislature. Scholten allowed one run over six innings in his first start and one run over seven innings in his second start.
A Carlos Alcaraz win on Sunday morning would be great for tennis.
Counterattack against Vac
Bill FindlayI keep telling myself to stay calm. I keep asking myself if I’m looking at this all rationally. And I continue to have a strong sense of destiny regarding the Knicks, no matter what. I haven’t been this excited since their heyday. I can’t wait!
Vac: And let’s be honest, even if it doesn’t work out, wouldn’t it be fun to get excited about it again?
Joe Nicoletti: I don’t know any Yankees fan, whether it be Alex Cora, Kevin Cash or Rich Kotite in the opposing team’s dugout, who believes Aaron Boone has the upside as manager.
Vac: At the very least, I’d pick Booney over the Jets’ version of Kotite, though Philadelphia’s version might not be the best.
@Yoplin: Maybe it’s time to overcome the fear of the jinx and get yourself a Brunson jersey.
Mike Vack: Unfortunately, local discounts are not available.
Bert Delgado: The left side of the Tampa Bay Rays infield is dominated by a wall of shortstop Taylor Walls and third baseman Isaac Paredes, whose last name means “wall” in Spanish.
Vac: Further proof that every week on WhackBacks, in addition to (hopefully) a laugh, you’ll also get a smattering of knowledge.
