Join the Discussion "fined $50,000 and placed on team probation for the remainder of the 2002 season by The Home Depot. The money will go to the Indiana United Way." Wallbanger43

Related Resources • Sponsor Morality • Sponsors / Jobs

Dateline: August 28, 2002

Here we are again on the eve of yet another baseball strike. Honestly, I'm not one of those who will mourn the loss of another playoff season. I stopped caring about baseball two or three walkouts, lockouts and strikes ago.

I have the solution.

Regardless of what the players and owners say, it's about the money. It's always about the money. For as big as NASCAR has become we have never had a strike. NASCAR drivers have rarely had the off-track legal and substance abuse problems that seem to plague other sports.

So what is it that keeps NASCAR drivers on the straight and narrow? The sponsors! The sponsors pay the driver's salaries and keeping the sponsor happy keeps the drivers on their best behavior on and off the track. The sponsors also make sure that their drivers are out meeting with the fans, signing autographs and going the extra mile to represent themselves, the sponsor and the sport in the best possible light.

Sponsors are good for the drivers and good for the sport.

So lets pay the players a bare minimum and let them go out and sell sponsorship spots on their uniforms. Basic economic theory would ensure that the best players would get the most money and lesser players would get less.

Can you imagine what Albert Belle might be like if he had to answer to WalMart executives for throwing a ball at a fan? Would that have ever happened? Would Darryl Strawberry have had more incentive to get help for his substance abuse problems?

NASCAR drivers understand that there are consequences to their actions, baseball players could use that same attitude adjustment.