Prima donna athletes annoy me...

It's football season so there will probably be regular sports stories that I cover here, in addition to the political and current affair stuff. Most often they will have to do with issues peripherally associated with an athletic program, ridiculing my Auburn friends(I'm a UGA fan), or deriding an unproven player who thinks he's worth more than he is...like prima donna Matt Leinart...

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - Even though Matt Leinart may have lost millions when he returned to Southern California for his senior season a year ago, he's still plenty rich now.
He also has some serious catching up to do with the Arizona Cardinals.
The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner ended a two-week holdout late Monday night and signed a six-year contract that guarantees him $14 million. It could also bring the rookie quarterback up to $51 million.
He was the last of this year's first-round picks to sign.

Pretty boy got his butt handed to him by Texas and Vince Young for the national championship and he goes 10th in the NFL draft and was the third QB taken behind Young and Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt...that's right, a guy at Vandy was better than him. On what basis do he and Lee Steinberg figure Leinart can hold out for more money, the recommendation of whatever Hollywood starlet he dated last? It's incredible the arrogance of these athletes! They've been told since they were 5 that they are God's gift to football(and in Leinart's case, God's gift to women too). It makes being a fan not that much fun anymore. What if Matty-boy falls on his face as a pro like so many other wonder-kids have done? Does he have to pay some of his money back? How does he figure he's worth 14million guaranteed? He hasn't even taken a snap. If he's a terrible QB, does his salary go down accordingly?

I hope he fails miserably as I hope all rookie hold-outs do every year. Prove your worth to the team and then negotiate for millions more.

Look, there's no bigger proponent of the free labor market than me. I am in favor of negotiating the highest salary you can, but when the employer has no proof of your worth to him, how can you dare not show up for work and demand more money? My problem with Matt Leinart is not economic-based, it is principle-based. If he's as good as he thinks he is, why not show up for work at the league minimum, with the agreement that if he performs on the field, he may then renegotiate for whatever salary he wants at the end of the season? That seems like the most reasonable system of management/labor negotiation for rookies I can think of.

Anybody got a better plan? Let's hear it.