YCS Flawed Stats/Info Analysis: Part 2135143463463434

SI.com seems surprised that LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is nowhere near the list of the highest-paid players in the game today. Beckham's salary ranked 44th in the world, at a little over $7 million per year. The defending World Player of the Year, Brazil's Kaka earns twice as much plying his trade at AC Milan.

However, there is a key difference. Beckham's salary is only the tip of the iceberg. Part of Beckham's contract with MLS was that he would control his image rights, enabling him to keep his endorsement revenue, and earn a percentage of sales of LA Galaxy #23 jerseys. Those shirts are among the highest-selling in the world.

Under many European contracts,* these image rights and jersey sales go to the club, not to the player. So while Becks may make less than Kaka, his contract situation is MUCH better, and Becks is not going to the poorhouse any time soon.

* I cannot confirm if this is the case with Kaka's contract, but it would not surprise me.

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Cuban Losing It

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would be suing former Mavs coach and current Golden Warriors head man Don Nelson for using "confidential information" in the Warriors stunning upset over the heavily favored Mavs in this year's NBA playoffs. In this demand, Cuban also wants Nelson to be prevented from coaching against the Mavs in future games. I'm guessing Cuban must have had a recent run-in with Roy Pearson of $54 million pants lawsuit infamy. Not wanting to finish runner-up in the court of public ridicule, Cuban has decided to play a game of top-this.

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