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Lengthy earlier than Shohei Ohtani was getting a lot of his wage deferred with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the identical factor was taking place in Toronto.
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It simply didn’t get anyplace close to this type of consideration.
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The 12 months was 1985. The pitcher was Dave Stieb. The contract signed with the Blue Jays was the longest and one of many richest in baseball historical past. Virtually 40 years in the past, the Jays signed Stieb, their magnificent right-hander, for 11 years and greater than $16 million in complete.
That won’t seem to be such right now, however it was breathtaking cash within the first nice years of the Jays.
What makes the Stieb contract related now could be that his agent — Bob LaMonte — insisted on the time {that a} good portion of Stieb’s wage can be paid to him after his profession was over — not whereas he was taking part in. It was actually the primary time a baseball contract had been structured with deferred funds and structured to keep away from heavy tax implications.
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The Jays used the identical formulation to later signal pitcher Pat Hentgen, additionally a Lamonte shopper, to a different long-term deal.
The Ohtani deal, listed at $700 million US in so many publications, truly works out to be far lower than that by way of actual {dollars} and what the Dodgers should pay.
Two sporting accountants, one among them a baseball lifer, inform me the Dodgers’ actual cash payout on Ohtani might be lower than $500 million, which makes the deal work for each the baseball membership and the participant long-term.
Ohtani, I’m advised, can earn someplace between $30 million and $50 million a 12 months in endorsements in Japan and world wide. His take dwelling from the Dodgers this season, comparatively small at $2 million a 12 months, is pocket change within the huge image for the once-in-a-lifetime expertise.
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Whereas Stieb is lengthy gone from baseball his agent, LaMonte, stays, primarily as the one largest agent to NFL coaches and executives right now. Amongst his purchasers are NFL coaches Andy Reid, Zac Taylor, Sean McDermott, Brian Daboll and Sean McVay.
THIS AND THAT
And this from tv’s Casey Pratt on Twitter: “I heard the A’s provided Ohtani $1 per 12 months for 700 million years.” That one is value repeating … Kyle Dubas is a brilliant man and fairly hockey individual. However he’s completely clueless in relation to media relations and circumstance. Returning to Toronto, Dubas didn’t make himself out there to native media. He performed the identical hide-and-seek recreation when the Leafs performed in Pittsburgh late final month. Frankly, I don’t care if he talks to me or not. I all the time bought together with him. However I do care if he talks to you. He was the Leafs GM. He was the individual you trusted to construct your hockey group. Then he went to work for Pittsburgh after saying he wouldn’t work anyplace else. It was a giant story then. It’s a giant story now. With explanations, feelings and holes lacking from all of it. Hockey, like all sports activities, is leisure. That is the leisure enterprise. That’s the half Dubas doesn’t appear to get. He’s a part of that leisure. Pretending to be in any other case is selecting to disregard part of your corporation … Perceive this concerning the Leafs: Dubas didn’t draft Morgan Rielly. He didn’t draft William Nylander. He actually had nothing to do with the drafting of Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner. All of that he inherited. He did make the large free-agent signing of John Tavares, which financially strangled the Leafs in difficult financial occasions. And he did make a number of strong deadline offers, corresponding to bringing in Ryan O’Reilly final 12 months. However his group by no means discovered its means anyplace near the place he needed it to be … In his nineteenth season in Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby stays among the best gamers within the NHL. He’s pulling a LeBron James of his personal variety. He’s a Hart Trophy candidate. And but, the Penguins should not in a playoff place. Tells you the way skinny the Pens are, with Crosby lighting it up and a lot of the remainder of the group struggling alongside … Division of Type of Humorous: Dubas, who has by no means gained something, giving a vote of confidence to his coach, Mike Sullivan, who gained two Stanley Cups with Matt Murray in aim and one among them with a prime defence pair of Brian Dumoulin and Ron Hainsey. Shouldn’t it’s Sullivan giving Dubas a vote of confidence? … The good Oilers groups, with Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr and buddies by no means gained 9 video games in a row. The late John Muckler defined: “These ’80s groups couldn’t go 9 video games with out discovering a celebration.” They did win 5 Cups, although, 4 with Gretzky.
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HEAR AND THERE
At some point aside in 2019, the St. Louis Blues gained the Stanley Cup and the Toronto Raptors gained an NBA championship. Then Kawhi Leonard left for Los Angeles and the Raptors have by no means been shut once more. After which Doug Armstrong made his largest mistake as GM of the Blues, not signing his greatest participant, defenceman Alex Pietrangelo to a long-term deal. Like Kawhi, Pietrangelo left for Vegas in free company. Not like Kawhi, he gained one other championship. Each groups have since fired their title-winning coach … Lesson No. 1 as an NHL normal supervisor: When you’ve got an important defenceman, you retain him. It doesn’t matter what the value. You may’t afford to not … By my unofficial depend, there are about 15 A-type stud defencemen within the NHL. Pietrangelo has gained two Cups. Similar with Drew Doughty, Similar with Victor Hedman. Kris Letang has three, though was a part of solely two, actually. Cale Makar has one with extra to come back. The latest Cup-winners in reverse order had Pietrangelo, Makar, Hedman twice, Pietrangelo in St. Louis, nobody on the 2017 Penguins, and earlier than that, it was Letang, Duncan Keith, Doughty, Keith, Doughty and Zdeno Chara. Going again additional, in reverse order: Keith, Letang, Nick Lidstrom and the mixture of Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer had been all Cup champions and large difference-makers … The Maple Leafs haven’t had a type of defencemen since Borje Salming in his prime. And who’s the perfect Oilers’ defenceman right now? … As Mark Kirton lives and struggles with ALS, he by no means stops working to attempt to make life higher for individuals who have this horrible illness. The work he has put in to contain all Canadian NHL groups in elevating cash for ALS analysis is exceptional provided that you don’t know Kirton, the previous NHL participant. From his wheelchair and along with his fingers now restricted, he’s nonetheless able to nearly something. The person is an inspiration day-after-day of his life. You may assist a charity this worthy of assist at https://www.alssuperfund.ca. Please achieve this.
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SCENE AND HEARD
How skinny is the baseball free-agent market now that Ohtani has signed with the Dodgers? Effectively, the following greatest purchase on the open market, after Cody Bellinger, might be Jays third baseman Matt Chapman. And he’s not precisely an offensive pressure. The Jays, who’re in on everybody and all the things, learn the studies and take heed to the rumours, have obvious curiosity in Bellinger, J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler or, if essential, buying and selling for former star outfielder Christian Yelich. It’s trying as if the Jays should make some form of pitching-for-hitting deal within the winter in the event that they’re to improve offensively in any possible way … Apparently, there’s a home on the market in your avenue and Mark Shapiro is bidding on it. And another person will definitely purchase it, however know this, he’ll be shut. So there’s that … Saturday night time ought to have been Basketball Evening in Canada. In a single nook, Oke Metropolis Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada’s 2023 athlete of the 12 months. Within the different nook, Jamal Murray, NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets. This must be — or ought to have been — must-see TV … SGA was a terrific selection as athlete of the 12 months over Connor McDavid, golfer Nick Taylor and swimmer Summer season McIntosh. My guess: McIntosh would be the Canadian star on the Summer season Olympics in Paris and win the Northern Star (previously the Lou Marsh) Award subsequent 12 months … Stuart Skinner bought blasted in aim the opposite night time and in his post-game interview defined relatively calmly how effectively his group performed and the way badly he did for the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Samsonov bought blasted in aim in opposition to the relatively hapless Columbus Blue Jackets, the worst group within the Japanese Convention. He stated nothing post-game. He’s deliberately hidden from the media. By no means thought a Brendan Shanahan group would try this. No participant was ever extra out there post-game, pre-game, in between video games than Shanahan … Beneath the Division of Actually Dumb: Shifting the Washington Capitals and NBA Wizards to Virginia. Washington is a good metropolis with an important downtown. Years in the past, the Caps performed in suburban Maryland. That didn’t work effectively, both … One other distinction between Canadians and People: We are saying offside. They are saying offsides … Fred VanVleet leads the NBA in time on the court docket in his first season at Houston … Marvel no extra concerning the 21-year-old Quinton Byfield. He’s effectively on his means, with 22 factors this season for the very sturdy Los Angeles Kings.
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AND ANOTHER THING
So, I’m just a little extra confused than regular. Is Easton Stick the brand new beginning quarterback with the Los Angeles Chargers, or is it in my storage, beside my frozen hockey bag? … Doesn’t it make sense for Invoice Belichick to be the following coach of the Chargers? Apparently, he gained’t be in New England subsequent season … Tyler Bertuzzi had 10 factors in Spherical 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs with Boston final April. Taking part in first or second line with the Maple Leafs this season, he has simply 9 factors and just one prior to now 11 video games. However not all is misplaced, Leafs followers: His analytics inform you he’s having season … Vladimir Guerrero Jr., is a 22-1 decide to win the MVP award within the American League subsequent season. The favorite is Aaron Choose at 11-2 … Has the vacation season turned everybody loopy? Or, how else to elucidate how the calmest, best, most rational athletes on the market — Patrick Mahomes, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry to call three — have all thrown relatively public tantrums of late? … We perceive Draymond Inexperienced doing silly stuff. That’s what he does. That’s what he’s all the time finished. He wants assist from time to time, and now once more … However Mahomes, Giannis, Curry? They’re those you wish to develop as much as be like … By my calculations, Kadarius Toney has price the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs two video games this NFL season. If Mahomes goes to be annoyed with anyone, he must be annoyed with Toney … Hockey Canada has its a few of its big-name advertisers again, and nonetheless we don’t know exactly what it has finished to deliver credibility again to the group? And we nonetheless await solutions on the 2018 sexual assault story? … Was Darko Rajakovic a foul hiring as coach of the Raptors? A coach must put his stamp on a group, give them an identification and a approach to play. The Raptors drift from night time to nighttime, hardly ever trying like the identical group two video games in a row? It’s his first season and his first shot as an NBA head coach, however it’s hardly spectacular thus far. The second recreation in opposition to Atlanta at dwelling on Friday, with an opportunity to place distance between the 2 groups, was nearly embarrassing … Additionally unimpressive: The Raptors farm group is 2-12 within the G League… Isn’t D.J. Smith beginning to seem like a useless coach strolling as of late with the Ottawa Senators? … In the event you look shut sufficient on the image of Toronto FC celebrating Main League Soccer’s greatest file in 2017, you will notice Brandon Aubrey not in uniform, however proper beside captain Michael Bradley. Aubrey was the first-round decide of TFC that 12 months, however by no means fairly discovered his means in professional soccer. He now kicks for the Dallas Cowboys, with 30 discipline objectives tried and 30 made in his first NFL season. He’s hit one from 60 yards, one other from 59. The child is principally unimaginable … Pleased birthday to Donovan Bailey (56), Ken Hitchcock (72), Dave Poulin (65), Manny Pacquiao (45), Vincent Damphousse (56), Craig Berube (58), Paul Tracy (55), Chase Utley (45), Stone Chilly Steve Austin (59), Orlando Franklin (36), Mo Elewonibi (58), Jerome Pathon (48), William (The Fridge) Perry (61) and Eugene Levy (77) … And hey, no matter grew to become of Garret Sparks?
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