Commentary: 'Hero' should be used sparingly

By Devin Fisher, Fort Carson MountaineerJuly 16, 2010

Commentary: 'Hero' should be used sparingly
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

I don't know about you, but I am beyond tired of hearing all these big-name professional athletes holding out for more money. How many millions of dollars a year do you have to be paid to be able to live your childhood dream'

Someone please help me understand the disparity in pay between professional athletes, who are fortunate enough to be able to call a game work, and servicemembers, who fight on the battlefields to protect the many freedoms all Americans enjoy.

According to Sports Illustrated's "The Fortunate 50," that lists the top 50 athletes based on their earnings, golfer Tiger Woods was the top breadwinner for 2009. He raked in a combined $99,737,626 -$7,737,626 in earnings and a whopping $92 million in endorsements, according to the article available at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/2009. We all can agree the biggest threat to his career is his soon-to-be-ex-wife.

LeBron James of the NBA is number three on the list at a combined $42,410,581, $28 million from endorsements; MLB's Alex Rodriguez came in fourth at $39 million, $33 million in salary; while the NFL's Peyton Manning ranked 10th at $27 million, with $14.5 million in salary, to lead their respective leagues in earnings. Whatever happened to playing for the love of the game'

When it comes to people joining the military today knowing they will make about $30,000 the first year and odds are good they will see action in Iraq or Afghanistan, it's safe to say that they are doing it for the love of their country.

Sure athletes have to be in top physical shape to build strength and stamina to compete at the highest levels (OK, maybe not all golfers) and ensure their spot on the team, but servicemembers have to rely on their conditioning - both physical and mental - to keep them alive on the front lines. To be more precise, an NFL running back fresh out of college receives a contract worth millions of dollars to run behind nine of his teammates trying to avoid the opposing 11 defenders. Yet, a private in the Army fresh out of Basic and Advanced Individual Training making about $30,000 a year finds himself walking down the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan where anyone, from a small child to an elderly person, or anything could be a threat to his life.

And yes, a 162-game MLB season can put a strain on family life. But I'm confident very few professional athletes (other than former NFL player Pat Tillman, who was killed in 2004 while deployed to Afghanistan) would choose a yearlong deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan over a weeklong road trip to New York, Boston and Tampa Bay, Fla.

Every sports offseason is filled with players refusing to report to team activities because they are being underpaid. Somehow they hold the upper hand and threaten to sit out the season, despite being under contract, because they now are worth more money than what they are scheduled to be paid. We all know that Soldiers have to honor their service contracts or face absent without leave charges, regardless of the number of deployments.

Everyone knows you don't join the military to get rich, but this is ridiculous. Top draft picks today receive signing bonuses - just for agreeing to a multiyear deal that they won't honor in a few years - that put the combined salary throughout a 20-year military career to shame.

The next time your favorite player makes a huge play to bring home a championship, enjoy the triumph, but please don't confuse the excitement of the moment, and call him a hero. But don't take it from me, Webster's Dictionary defines a hero as "any person ... admired for courage, nobility, or exploits, especially in war."

Let's spare the term hero for those that are truly deserving - those willing to put their life on the line so we can continue to cherish the many freedoms we have as Americans.