Mark Cuban To USA: Drop Dead!
Mark Cuban owns Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzke, and Jerry Stackhouse. Or so Cuban assumes.
Kidd, Nowitzke, and Stackhouse play for the Dallas Mavericks, an NBA franchise owned by Cuban. I don't know if the aforementioned players have skin tags assigning Cuban ownership. I hope not.
Cuban believes he has paid enough to "own" these men, and thus that they should not be allowed to play in the upcoming Olympic games.
"It's not that I don't like the idea of them representing their countries," Cuban told The Dallas Morning News. "What I don't like is that we lie to ourselves and pretend that Olympians represent our country. They don't. It's about money."
Yep. Cuban got it right—sports, including Olympic sports, is about money. But what isn't about money?
Cuban doesn't want the players he "owns" to risk injury by playing for the U.S.A. in the Olympic games.
Cuban pays point guard Jason Kidd about $20 million a year. In 2006, the Mavericks' total player salaries was about $91 million.
When Cuban points out the Olympics are a big lie and we pretend the Olympians represent our country, he fails to stress the fact the Dallas Mavericks are a big lie and they pretend to represent Dallas.
Applauding Cuban for his frank views on the Olympics would be easy if he also marketed his NBA team the same way: a bunch of guys Cuban "owns" who play for the money. The Dallas Mavericks do not represent Dallas. The Dallas Mavericks are about the money.
Cuban fails to mention the Dallas Mavericks do represent taxpayers pouring in money for a playground for the men Cuban owns.
The American Airlines Center, the Maverick's arena, was built with $125 million from the city of Dallas, in the form of various sales taxes. (Can you imagine what $125 million could have done for education or infrastructure in the city?).
Ross Perot, Jr., and various other owners persuaded Dallas city officials to pay 50 percent of the arena. Cuban reaps the benefits.
The United States is in a crisis of spirit, confidence, and finance unparalleled in the last 70 years. Billionaire Cuban probably can't understand the angst the average U.S. citizen is experiencing about gas and food prices.
Billionaire Cuban made his money in the U.S. Yes, he believes he owns his players. He believes his players are an investment, a dollar figure, an asset. He is correct.
Give Mark Cuban credit. Even though this country, which spawned such luxuries like the Dallas Mavericks, the American Airlines Center, $20 million in annual wages for one man who puts a ball into a basket, and NBA millionaire after millionaire, is down and out, Cuban is sticking to his guns.
Cuban refuses to believe he should risk the men he owns for a few games in the upcoming Olympics. Cuban probably was once a sports fan and, maybe, he once loved his country. His country, which is on the down and outs, could use a morale boost. Especially if that boost comes in the land of the other superpower.
Cuban is just adding and subtracting his assets. He believes his business cannot risk allowing one, or more, of the men he owns to play Olympic basketball.
Cuban doesn't believe in the hope or fun or sheer idiotic joy of rooting for a sports team. He only cares that his slaves come back to Dallas to say they are playing for Dallas and for the Dallas fans, not for the money. Oh, and by the way, buy a jersey for $160 and a hot dog and soda for $8.
