Posted Thursday/November 16, 2000; 3:56 p.m. PST

$200 million man

One, two, three strikes you're out! Sounds good during the 7th Inning Stretch, but not when it comes to determining how many Superstars you're gonna have on your team. For the Seattle Mariners, strike one was Randy Johnson. Strike two was Ken Griffey, Jr. Strike three could be Alex Rodriguez. In fact, strike three SHOULD be Alex Rodriguez!

$100 million man

When Kevin Garnett signed an unprecedented $137 million dollar contract a couple of years ago, a MAJOR alarm sounded signaling the impending doom of the NBA. The disaster was averted by the lockout and the dust settled. Now, sports agent Scott Boras is sounding an alarm in a MAJOR, MAJOR way by lobbying for an unprecedented, unheard of, unbelievable, unnecessary, un-Fan-friendly $200 million contract for Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod's position may change from "shortstop" to "long-green-stop."

The debate has been raging in Seattle since last season. Is he worth it? Isn't he worth it? Should the Mariners hold 'em? Should they fold 'em? Should they walk away? Should they run? Are they are counting their money AT the table? When's the dealing gonna be done?

Well, if any MLB franchise pays Alex Rodriguez $200 million, the dealing may not be done until the 2001 season when the league runs in the brick wall of some sort of work stoppage. And where will the Fans be then? On the sideline like they are now.

How does a $50 million contract get paid? How does a $100 million contract get paid? How would a $200 million get paid? By the Fans, that's how! Seems like with all the free agent negotiating going on, there SHOULD be a "Fan Agent" involved. The Fans pay the money, but the Fans NEVER get any say in these matters. We just pay the piper, season in and season out.

A year after the WTO disaster, why aren't there protestors in the streets decrying the GREED of sports? Where are the picketers that should be in front of Scott Boras' house? Why aren't people making a "human chain" around Safeco Field? In actuality, there's not much difference from what the protests a year ago were about and what's happening in Seattle this year. Greed IS greed. Egos ARE egos. $200 million IS tear gas!

Money vs. Power