Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The United States of Skewed Values.

I'M SUPER PUMPED to have Cliff Lee on the Phils again. I wish the season began tomorrow.

Cliff will be a hero in Philly as he rejected an offer from elsewhere for more money - he could have earned a reported $28 million more from the Yankees. But he's still guaranteed $120 million over five years in Philly. That's more than I will see in my lifetime (unless I live to be 2,034-years old).

I bitched on facebook that Jayson Werth will earn my annual salary every 29 hours. Someone responded by saying, "If someone offered you $126 million, you'd be a liar if you said you'd turn it down."

I would turn it down. Or, rather, I would take the salary and donate $125 million of it to various places - educational institutions, mostly.

I just don't need that much money. Who does? Even if you buy the most expensive crap in the world and travel to the farthest places and eat the most expensive stuff, won't the Cliff Lee's of the world still have a shit-ton of money leftover?

I'm concerned by how much of a priority we put on money. Your high salary doesn't make you a better person. The big bucks don't prove your worth.