Our economy is centered around screwing people. I don't mean the fun kind of screwing- although that figures in mightily. I'm talking about simple capitalism.
Burger King has meat, bread, cheese, grills, condiments and packaging material. They have people to make burgers for you. They handle pretty much everything. If you deal in the volume BK does, it ends up costing them about 20 cents per burger (that might be wrong...I made it up....blogging rules).
You have 30 minutes to get and eat lunch. This isn't enough time to get down to Argentina, kill a bull, prepare and cook it, eat it, and get back to work on time. So you go to BK and get a Big Mac, or whatever other filth they are pushing at the time. You pay two dollars for a twenty cent burger. That's how Burger King makes money.
Sure, you just got robbed...but the alternative costs you a lot of time and effort. So, you are actually happy to do it...assuming you like Big Macs.
Basically, it works out for both of you. They're willing to do, and you're willing to pay. That is how our economy works. It's the free exchange system...and even if you don't like the burger, you're only out a couple of bucks.
American sports works on more of a barter system. I have a young third baseman with a lot of potential. Texas has a veteran relief pitcher with an expiring contract. We each have what the other team needs, and we each covet what the other team has. So, some calls are made, some red tape is unspooled, and I send Jeff Bagwell to Texas for Larry Anderson.
Those of you who follow baseball know how that one worked out. We essentially bought a 356098879485 dollar Whopper. It happens to the best and worst of us.
Here's a few trades I can come up with. In each case, someone ended up looking mightyyyyy bad. Jobs were lost, dynasties crumbled, stars were born, and fan bases were alienated.
- Babe Ruth for $100,000 and the rights to a play called No No Nanette.
- Don Ford for Cleveland's #1, which became James Worthy.
- Shaquille O'Neal for Brian Grant, Lamar Odom and Carom Butler.
- Charlie Scott for the Lakers #1 pick, which became Larry Bird.
- Joe Barry Carroll and Ricky Brown for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.
- Moses Malone for Caldwell Jones.
- Herschel Walker for Minnesota's 1987(?)draft.
- Vlade Divac for Kobe Bryant
- They don't really count as robbery, but Danny Ainge managed to trade 2 players who still somehow continue playing for the Celtics.
- Sammy Sosa for George Bell
- Bronson Arroyo's hair......ooops, thought it said "worst braid"
- Tebucky Jones for Corey Dillon, once the dust settled.
- Pete Harnisch, Steve Finley, and one Curt Schilling to Houston for Glen Davis
- Tractor Traylor for Dirk Nowitzki
- Grant Hill for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins
- Eric Lindros to Philadelphia for Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Ron Hextall, $15 million, and two first round draft picks. NHL fans call this the Hockey Herschel.
- Vancouver trades Cam Neely and a draft pick that would go onto be Glen Wesley to Boston for Barry Peterson.
- Patrick Roy and Keane for Thibault, Rucinsky, and Koval
- Glen Rice for Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell
- Charles Barkley for Andrew Lang, Tim Perry and Jeff Hornacek (who they traded a year later for Jeff Malone, who soon retired).
- Brad Daugherty for Roy Hinson
- Mitch Richmond for Billy Owens
- Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, Brandon Armstrong to the Nets for the rights to Eddie Griffin.
- Jermaine O'neal and Joe Kleine to the Pacers for Dale Davis
- Ozzie Newsome for Mike Phipps
- Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio (I got them scrawny legs, but I move just like Lou Brock)
- Raphael Palmeiro AND Jamie Moyer to the Rangers for Mitch Williams
- Hack Wilson for Burleigh Grimes (this forum was long overdue for some good Hack Wilson talk)
- Rip Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse
- Dominique Wilkins for 22 games of Danny Manning
- Christy Mathewson for Amos Rusie
- Keith Hernandez to the Mets for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey (No play for Mr. Grey)
- Delino Deshields for Pedro Martinez
- Ron Harper for Danny Ferry
- Wilt Chamberlain to Philadelphia 76ers for Connie Dierking, Paul Nuemann, Lee Shaffer and cash
- Wilt Chamberlain to L.A. for Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark, and Darrall Imhoff
- Mark McGwire to Cardinals for pitchers T.J. Mathews, Eric Ludwick and Blake Stein
- John Smoltz to Braves for Doyle Alexander
- Jay Buhner to Seattle for Ken Phelps....Costanza's dad is still pissed over that one.
- Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe for Heathcliff Slocumb
- David Cone to Yankees for pitchers Marty Janzsen, Jason Jarvis and Mike Gordon
- The pick that became Magic Johnson for Gail Goodrich........LA capitalized on the then-current NBA trend of trying to get a lot of white guys, essentially getting Magic and Worthy for Goodrich and Ford.
- David Justice to Yankees for Ricky Ledee
15 comments:
Only 3 more months until the start of the Pre-season.... Woo hoo! Go Broncos! (please?)
the only one I knew about was Babe Ruth. Guess I need to read up more next time ;-)
~ www.jerseygirljournal.com
Although smoltz has gone on to a possible hall of fame career, he was a aa pitcher at the time. Alexander came to the tigers and went 9-0 down the stretch to help win the american league east. I hardly consider that one of the worst trades of all time. Short sighted, yes, but who knew that smoltz would turn out as he has? Many pitchers with huge potential at that level never become more than a footnote in mlb history due to a number of factors. This happens every season at that time of the year. In a buyers market, sometimes you pay a price. No telling if smoltz could have had that type of success in detroit. all things considered, i'll take the playoffs.
Chilly
Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio, Doug Clemens, and a bag of balls.
Hey Stace,
How could you forget Joe Juneau for Al "The f*cking Planet" Iafrate??..lol
A painful day in Bruins history..
What did we get?? 5 full games out of Iafrate??..Dont you hate Harry Sinden?
What about what the Saints gave away for Rickey Williams? I believe they traded their whole draft plus extra picks the next year.
hello?? anybody home? :-) hope all is well stacy.
I refused to sit in the loge seats until they got rid of Iafrate and that unaimed 120mph slapper he used to set off. I like to eat, and don't need my teeth in the back of my throat.
I did forget the Rickey Dub trade with the whole N.O. draft...my bad.
Don't forget the 06 first rounder the Lakers also got for Shaquille O'Neal, that adds some credibility to Mitch - Not!
you're slacking girl! chop chop and write about the yankees or something I can relate to, LOL ;-) hope all is well with you and the family
Well, it must be that Stacey went back to France to lobby for the olympic games cause, either that or she and the family are on vacation ;>)
We're moving, and everything we own- including the PC- is in boxes. I shall return.
Thats the only time when those "obstructed view" seats came in handy..LOL I felt so safe behind that steel girder....Good luck with the move.
Heard you were a celtics fan, so I figure this has some relavance.
You talk about trades but in light of these NBA finals it might be time to talk about one of my favorite GM's for his sheer entertainment value. Coach Rick Pitino.
To my knoweldge none of these players are either currently in the NBA finals or on the celtics. None were traded for each other and none would make it so it was unlikely to get anyone else in the future.
Starting 5:
C: Ben Wallace
PF: Antione Walker
SF: Bruce Bowen
SG: Paul Pierce
PG: Chauncey Billups
That would arguably be the best starting backourt in the league and would have two of arguably the best three defenders in the frontcourt.
THANKS RICK PITINO!!
YCSJ
HA! Whoops. That was meant to be, All of these players are either in the finals or starting on the celtics. None to my knowledge were traded for each other or would have hindered the addition of any of whom came later.
YCS
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