derailleur said:Contador voted twice. For Lance.
But seriously, do you think anyone would give any credibility at all to the possibility of AC getting $12M if he hadn't got so much press over the summer? And would he have gotten nearly as much press if LA hadn't been there to create interest in Astana and the infighting?
And, here's the kicker: without that conflict, would next year's conflict be half as interesting and marketable? Half as valuable as a marketing vehicle for the sponsors of the team AC lands on?
Wherever Berto goes, he's going to get a truckload more money than if LA had been around his neck in 2009. Which means LA is the MVP of 2009, to Berto.
I hope all I'm doing here is engaging the "yup" responses of people who've grown up with pro sports and know that value and talent are very different things.
Without Tiger, Phil Mickelson wins 5X more tournaments and makes 80% less money. Without Lance, Berto wins just as many races and makes 60% less money.
This entire thread has me thinking that some people need to be told the harsh truth. LEAVE THE NUMBERS TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE ADVANCED NUMERICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SKILLS and have experience with the theoretical and practical applications of market appraisal and worth.
"Mickelson winning 5X more tournaments and earning 80% less money". Think about this derailleur. Most or almost all of the tournaments Tiger wins pay several million for the win. Golf tournaments have enormous prize pools and would have irrespective of Tiger Woods presence. Tiger makes most his money from endorsements. Tiger has 97 (give or take a few) tournament wins in his career. Mickelson increasing his wins five fold? Not a chance if Tiger weren't competing. He'd have more wins, but not even twice as many, let alone five fold. Logically he would win more tournaments, not by a multiple of X, but an amount X (add not multiply). Phil woulds also earn more in endorsements if one assumes he fills a void created in Woods absence.
Contadors assumed maximum salary this year has been rumoured at Euro $4 million, more than any other pro cyclist. Who is next? At best, the second on the list is Valverde and I don't see him earning much more than Euro $1.5 to $2 million. Wishing to be realistic whilst considering other sports I figure at most Contador was paid Euro $3 million. Low and behold everyone bought this absolute garbage of Euro $8 millon. Denied by his brother. I mean, 2.5 times higher than what I think is his maximum take home salary and nobody bothered to sound the BS alarm? Anyone care to take a stab at how much more that is than what would be generous for the second highest paid Pro Tour cyclist? Quadruple. Markets don't operate in such a fashion. Contador is good, but not that good.
Can we all keep it real in future? This isn't the clinic. Euro $8 million would sink any team. One season and it would be over. Perspective; 8 million is more than some teams entire budgets. F1 drivers don't make that coin! Jensen Button got $4 million this season. Plus he took a paycut! Coming from someone whose background deals heavily in numbers and market value, some posters here need to exercise some common sense in future. Part of me wonders if this BS rumour wasn't thrown out in the media to make AC look like a douchebag. Until I see such a contract I won't believe a word of it. Not in this sport, in the current market, in this season. Contador's brother Fran said the offers so far are not even half the 8 million amount. $3 million Euros max guys and girls. $3 million!
derailleur don't take offense. I'm not singling you out, just the ideas raised in the thread which hold not basis in reality. Don't even get me started on the notion of LA raising Contador's market value. Mostly BS as well. Value is based on performance, perceived and actual. Contador already had this without Lance. Lance inflates Lance's value and perhaps Bruyneel's. Nothing else.