An unusually candid piece emerging from, of all place, MSN News and their Sports Division:
What set off a round of similar grousing in the pro sports world this week was the election of Barack Obama, and with it the likelihood of a hike in both the top tax rate – from 35 per cent to 39.6 per cent – and Social Security taxes.
“It’s a sad day for me,” said Minnesota defensive lineman Jared Allen, who supported John McCain. “There is nothing I can do about it now. Our paycheques will be cut in half.”
Woe is him. Allen joined the Vikings from the Kansas City Chiefs for three draft picks just before the season started, signing a record six-year contract for a defensive player. He got $31 million in guaranteed money and can make as much as $74 million. That’s on top of the extra $69 he insisted on to match his jersey number.
Who else is sweating every nickel and dime?
Boo (Hoo) Weekley, for one.
The PGA golfer was preparing for the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at Disney tournament Wednesday morning when he felt a stabbing pain in his back only to discover it was his wallet. Weekley would rather be hunting and fishing than playing golf, so he’s talked often of retiring. Once he banked $8 million, Weekley vowed, he would call it quits.
“That number went up, as of last night,” he said.
Don’t know if Boo’s heard this, but retirement just got pushed back for anyone with a 401(k) plan, and the rest of us won’t have courtesy cars, lavish buffets and the easy money of lucrative sponsor outings to soften the blow.
