Would you rather Win a Major Sports Championship or be a Hall of Famer?

Example Dan Marino or Trent Dilfer? Ted Williams or Paul O’Neil? Patrick Ewing or Ed Curry?

Financially speaking, I would choose: Hall of Fame.

If you’re elected to the Hall of Fame you get pension checks. Some OLD timers need those checks to live and some younger guys need those checks too, as we see a lot of former millionaires go bankrupt from bad investments, poor decision making or terrible lifestyle choices.  Sure, championship is a GOAL and an HONOR, but most of these major sports are TEAM SPORTS, and you’re only as good as your team.

Major Championship is why: “You PLAY to WIN the Game” – a la Sherm Edwards – but players cannot control championships (hence “team” sports). Players can control the quality & commitment of their own play and aim towards the Hall of Fame. This is a BUSINESS, not bragging rights… Rings are really only bragging rights and ego strokers…

Showing your championship RING to a restaurant owner can give you free meal or drink for life, and you maybe able to sell your championship ring for $85,000 (like Lawrence Taylor’s son did).
…so I’d stick with Hall of Fame goal (and the $200,000 per year pension checks – pretty nice for a retiree for an average of 8 to 13 years).