Adam Jones and Winky Wright count your blessings

I am not a great athlete. I enjoy sports, love baseball and have encouraged my children in all their athletic endeavors. When we hear about the wealthiest Americans asking for tax breaks and complaining about taxes we often, at least I often, feel like they have no desire to give back and thus to me no appreciation for what they have.

There but for the Grace of God go I is an expression we have all heard. For whatever reason rare is the person who has success who dos not forget this message.

I receive ESPN the Magazine. I am not a big fan of the magazine, I do not think the writing is very good and it might be just a little too hip for my taste. I purchased the magazine as they do offer a good program where funds from suscriptions go to support a high school athletic program which I felt was a good program to endorse.

A question asked some random athletes was how bad do you feel when you pay your tax bill every April. Some of the atletes such as Zach Randolph a baskeball player with the Memphis Grizzlies said " I feel up and down about it but ultimately it feels good to give back to the country." This is a young African American man who is making 20 million dollars a year and knows that he is fortunate.

However an athlete such as Adam Jones, outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles needs to be examined. He said " If it went to a good cause I would be happy but our tax money goes to lazy people who don't want to work." I do not know anything of Adam Jones life experience. I do not know if he was raised in affluence, a middle class household or something different. What I do know is I have read articls where he speaks about growing up with the benefit of programs such as Boys Club and the YMCA. Certainly there is no doubt that he has worked hard to become a professional ballplayer. It is also certain that he has been blessed with physical skills most do not have. It is even more true that being a baseball player dos not make you an expert on economic policy.

Adam Jones has the right to his opinion. We all do. In the past I have heard and that if Roger Clemens was not pitching fastballs he would be asking you if he could check your oil. Now this is no disrespect to those who do check my oil. They work hard and do what they have to do. What it does mean is that be it sports or business or anything else people that gain success from a specific skill set should be thankful and not become so self possessed that they make statments such as Adam Jones does.

Winky Wright a professional boxer answered the same question by saying " It breaks my heart. I give all that money and Uncle Sam doesn't do anything for me?" Winky Wright just became Adam Jones new best friend. He makes Jones look positively patriotic. This statement is about as stupid as one could hear. None of us like to pay our taxes but it only takes a modicum of intelligence to have some sense of what Uncle Sam does for you.

Schools for your children, roads for you to drive on, clean food, parks and services, and the military that protects you. These are just a small percentage of what Uncle Sam does for you Winky Wright. Again you are to be commended for the incredble amounts of work it takes to become a star athlete. Making 10 million for a boxing match however should not preclude your understanding of your good fortune.

Athletes have the right to thier opinions. I tell my children over and over very rarely is an athlete a role model. A few are. Bill Russell, Ted Williams, Pat Tillman, Bob Feller, these men were heroes. I suspect they did not like paying taxes either.

Maybe its my middle aged Irishness but this attitude from these atheltes in a sports magazine aimed at young people makes me angry.