European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday. December 25,1989 the stars and stripes Page 25 look for $ 10 million player in 90s by John Nelson a sports writer in inc year 2000, Barry Sanders asks the Detroit Lions Tor a three year si2 million contract and gets it. To keep Sandy Alomar jr., the Cleveland indians five him $20 million Over four years. And David Rob Inson settles with the san Antonio spurs Tor $50 Mil lion Over five years. Believe it. Or not i always used to say to myself if i could negotiate a $ioo,000-a-year contract that would be something sports attorney Bob Woolf said. I did that in 1968 with Ken Harrelson. Then it was $1 million a year. Did that in 1976 with Otis Birdsong. So what s the next plateau How about a $1 billion player just kidding. But consider the following in August Woolf negotiated a contract for Larry Bird that will pay him More than $6 million in the 1990-91 season with the Boston celtics. Kareem Abdul Jabbar magic Johnson Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan All have broken the $3 million Barrier. You ask How High is up i really think that by the end of the next decade there la be a $10 million analysis player and i May be shortchanging myself Woolf said. So far six baseball players Kirby Puckett Rickey Henderson Mark Langston Mark Davis Joe Carter and Robin Yount have $3 million contracts. In 1980, Nolan Ryan became baseball s first $1 million player when he went to the Houston astros. Am i Worth it i Don t know Puckett said. But know one thing. If they did t have it to give to you you sure would t get  Warren Moon broke the $2 million Barrier in the nil this year. John Elway and Troy Aikman arc on the Cusp and just 10 years ago . Simpson was the highest paid player in the league at $600,000. Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Mike Kenn makes almost that much now. I d just like to see a Little More equitable distribution of the Money Kenn said. I mean you can have a $150.000 a year offensive lineman blocking a $1.5 million defensive lineman so he won t get to a $2 Mil lion quarterback. Docs that seem fair Wayne Grcar by and Mario  Lead the nil s March toward the 21st Century at a Little More than $2 million apiece. Ten years ago Marcel Dionn was the league s highest paid player Al $350.000. Of course we re the Little Guy on the Block nil Union chief Alan Eagleson said. Sugar Ray Leonard made an estimated $30 Mil lion in 1989 from two fights one with Thomas Carns Hal paid him about $13 million and another with Roberto Duran that will pay him $17 million to $18 million. That made him the first fighter in history to earn $100 million in lifetime purses. Muhammad Ali s big Gest payday was $8 million against Larry Holmes in 1980, and that gave him $60 million for his career. Some Day they la say. Poor sugar Ray Leonard. He came along too soon. The most he Ever made for Afi Ghl was $20 million " promoter Bob arum said. In the past decade he average salary in the nil has gone from about $80,000 to $300,000, according to the Union. Major league baseball s average salary has gone from $143,756 to $497,254, the players association  Aba average Suhich started the decade Between $170.000 and $180,000. Is at $750.000 now and will sports attorney Bob Woolf. What s the next plateau go to $1 million in 1990-91 because of a new to contract. The nil average in 1980 was about $90,000 now it s $220,000, Eagleson said. Arc front office executives worried sure. That s their Job. What you re talking about eventually is taking Al your income and paying it to the  Minnesota Vikings general manager Mike Lynn said. If we continue at the rate we be gone for the next three years Well double our salaries and that will equal or exceed our total  that assumes however that revenues stay the same and that s not been the history of team sports in Amer Ica. Major league baseball s Gross revenues went from about $350 million in 1980 to $1.1 billion last year. The nil went from $415 million to $1.1 billion. The Aba went from $110 million to $370 million and the nil went from about $ 100 million to $330 million. At the same time the value of franchises have appreciated and ticket prices have gone up. Last year Eli Jacobs bought the Baltimore Oriole for $70 million. Nine years earlier Edward Bennett Williams paid $12 million for them. At the Box office the maximum Price for a celtics ticket 10 years ago was $12. Now it s $32. The los Angeles dodgers ticket Range in 1980 was $2-$4.50now. It s $5-59. San Francisco 49crs tickets were $5 si2 in 1980. And now they re $25 for All seats. Detroit red wings hockey tickets went from $6-$l2 in 1980 81 to $9-525 this season. How much More expensive can it get at the Gate who knows baseball agent Richie Bry said. But it s not hard to conceive of a $20 baseball ticket. I mean the poor fan is paying 50 cents More for a loaf of bread a half a Buck More for a hamburger. Why should anything else be different although attendances arc up in most sports and commercialism has added millions of dollars to thepot. Television has had inc greatest influence on spiral ing salaries and revenues. As Long As television continues to devour sports and i Sec no evidence that it won t salaries will keep going up said Bry who negotiated Henderson s $3 million baseball contract. The Aba. For example just negotiated a four year $600 million contract with Abc five times the value of its old contract with lbs. Baseball is getting $1.1 billion Over four years from lbs and the nil is inthe process of negotiating a contract to replace its $1.3 billion three year Deal. The nil made a $51 million three year Deal with spor Tschannel America More than doubling its old esp Deal. We went from $24 million to $51 million and if anyone had told us 10 years ago that hockey would be commanding that Type of Money we d have said wonderful Eagleson said. But the truth of the matter is if you compare us with other sports it s minis ulc. The Yankees will earn More in local television Rcv Nues in one year than All of hockey will earn in  by 1995, arum predicts pay per View television will be in 100 million Homes worldwide charging custom ers to View specific events. Boxing will be one of the big draws and that arum says will Lead to the first $100 million fight. Picture this. Mike Tyson still undefeated meets the soviet heavyweight Champion in 1996. It s Rocky  it s for real. Russia s new capitalists pack Lenin Grad stadium and 10 million pay per View to sets tune in at $40 apiece. That s $400 million. Tyson s Cut at least $100 million. 11 could happen. Just consider that Leonard s first fight with Duran in 1980 made $21.7 million from closed circuit television. Promoters expect Leonard Duran Iii to Gross $60 million from closed circuit and pay per View. When pay per View comes in the sky s the limit Woolf said. Barcelona will be the first olympics with som events on pay per View. Baseball basketball hockey and football will surely follow to some extent. The world series or super bowl on pay per View not right away hut maybe some Day. Keep in mind the Law of Supply and  economist Louis Gulf said. Worth that s an abstract concept. That s something Thomas Aquinas contemplates. In terms of Supply and demand there arc athletes easily Worth $3 million. Why because people Are will ing to put up the Money for tickets or Cable subscriptions or products they be  the Bottom line seems to be if owners can pay they will if they can to they won t. The whole thing is incredible Woolf said. "when1 did Larry Bird s original contract. 1 asked fur $6 million for six years and everybody thought i was crazy like this was the most outrageous suggestion in the world. Ten years later we re talking about $6 Mil lion in one  so in t that pretty crazy Loo hey nobody seems to complain when Jack Nichol son gels $25 million for making a  Woolf said. I represent this group of youngsters from Bosto called new kids on the Block they re the hottest act in America and we re making $1.5 million a week. Well probably be making $3 million a week by the end of the  move Over for another new kid on the Block and this is outrageous Jennifer Capriati. 13-year-old Tennis Prodigy from Lauderhill fin., won t make her pro debut until March but she s already signed endorse ment contracts Worth about $1 million a year. Believe it. Or not Aloha bowl matches spartan heft Hawaii Speed Honolulu a Michigan state s strength and Hawaii s Speed make the Aloha bowl a toss up spartan coach George Perles says. No. 22 Michigan state 7-4 plays no.25 Hawaii 9-2-1 Christmas Day in a game that pits a big ten conference Power against the wide open offence and tenacious defense of a Western athletic conference contender an 9 . We re a Little bit bigger on the line than some of their people not All of them Perles said. They re a Little quicker. So it s a  that s Why they re calling it an intriguing matchup Hawaii coach Bob Wagner said. The spartans arc seven Point favourites but Perles said his team is not paying Atten Tion to Odd makers. If we Don l win the football game it s not going to be because of the weather it s not going be because of the time zone it s not going to be because of distractions Perles said. It s going to be because Hawaii is a better football  Michigan state making its fifth bowl appearance in six years brings a sea soned team with four losses to nationally ranked notre Dame Miami Flamich Igan and ii Nois. It lost those games by a total of 21 Points. All american linebacker Percy Snow Winner of the Lombard and bulks awards anchors the Michigan state defense. The spartans allowed just 13.6 Points a game least in the big ten and sixth est in the nation. They ranked Lith in the nation in total defense allowing 285.2 Yards a game and 11th against the Rush with 100.8 Yards a game. The spartans Are intimidating on of sense As Well with All american left tackle Bob Kula leading a line averaging 281 pounds. Behind them tailback Blake Ezor averaged 124 Yards per game seventh Best in the nation. Hawaii s spread offence a run and shoot passing attack and option running game should keep the rainbows from having to run into the full Force of Michi Gan state s stunt 4-3  think Well do All right because Overall they re probably a bit larger than us. But i Don t think they have the Tea Speed or quickness we  Slot Back Dane Mcarthur  rainbows making their first bowl appearance were fifth in the nation in scoring offence with 38 Points a game. Garret Gabriel ranked 11 the in the nation in passing efficiency. Running Back Jamal Farmer who won wac newcomer and freshman of the year honors set an inca record for most touchdowns by a freshman with 18. He gained 986 Yards 242 in Hawaii s season finale against air Force. It s like playing two  Perl Essaid. Normally a team that plays the option does t throw the Ball Well and vice versa. They do