Today is Sergei Federov's birfday. Happy birfday, former Red Winger!
Back in his heyday with the Red Wings, I once read a sports writer's analysis of the value Federov brought to the team, and what stuck out most in the article and in my mind was that this writer noted that, due to his *monster* sized contract, it worked out that Sergei Federov was being paid USD$666 per minute that he was on the ice.
Per. Minute.
Hot damn, you don't even what to know how many hours it would take me to gross that amount, and I'm pretty well paid. I'm called upon to make decisions that will impact on the lives and livelihoods of Canadians, a responsibility I take very seriously, and it works out to roughly just short of three days at my current salary to earn what he did in a minute of ice time, playing a game. I can only gasp in despair to think of how many weeks it would have taken me to earn $666 when I worked for just above minimum wage and struggled through university on three jobs so I could attain the education I would need to go on to the life I lead now.
I don't begrudge him his good fortune, he worked hard to get to the top of the league, but when I think of how much we as a society not only condone the outrageous salaries of professional athletes, but further compensate them with adoration and adulation, I just know that there's something really f'ing wonky about that situation.
Priorities...
...Wish you were here.
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