Don't know exact numbers but hundreds of swedes and finns have played professional Ice hockey in the NHL and I haven't heard of anyone of them going broke... ;-)

right, there's probably a lot of demographic comparisons you could do.

I take it most NFL players do not invest in car dealerships when they retire from the NFL like John Elway did.

kurt, you're joking right? one of the examples in the article is about an investment in a car dealership gone wrong....

The NFL, or players' agents, should require that a substantial sum of players' incomes be set aside in retirement funds or other kinds of trusts.

The NFL, or players' agents, should require that a substantial sum of players' incomes be set aside in retirement funds or other kinds of trusts.

ok cass....:-)

Don't know exact numbers but hundreds of swedes and finns have played professional Ice hockey in the NHL and I haven't heard of anyone of them going broke... ;-)

The phenomenon of prodigal athletes that end up selling their olympic medals in desperation is well known here, but not so much with ice hockey players. Most of the rich ones seem to invest their money well.

I think there's some sort of selection going on with that. For one thing, ice hockey isn't a cheap hobby at all, especially not for a kid that needs a new set of gear every year. If your parents can't or won't support that, you don't play and you don't practice. Thus ice hockey players tend to come from the more financially stable families.

of possible interest re: long term financial solvency: long distance runners vs. sprinters?

How to limit paternity obligations is a challenge for pro athletes.

Is it really a mystery to them?


Reform of the no-fault divorce laws would go a lot further than just prenups. If legislation were passed to stop making it profitable to break up your marriage and family then maybe the women would think twice about getting married or at least not be able to take the guy to the cleaners when they change their mind about him.

These cases are not so much financial irresponsibility on the part of the man but rather infatuation intoxication, especially for those over 45 or so. They grew up when America had a low divorce rate, how could they have anticipated the cultural tsunami that would leave a 60% divorce rate?

In the interests of the current racial fantasy I doubt that anyone would be allowed to study this subject seriously.

of possible interest re: long term financial solvency: long distance runners vs. sprinters?

My guess is that there wouldn't be much of a correlation. I think that the main difference between the two runners is body type. Sprinters tend to be muscular since it takes a lot of power to get limbs moving quickly, and long-distance runners tend to be thin, so they use less energy per stride and are less likely to overheat. Still, it's an interesting idea. I think it would be neat if there was a correlation.

My guess is that there wouldn't be much of a correlation. I think that the main difference between the two runners is body type. Sprinters tend to be muscular since it takes a lot of power to get limbs moving quickly, and long-distance runners tend to be thin, so they use less energy per stride and are less likely to overheat. Still, it's an interesting idea. I think it would be neat if there was a correlation.

long distance runners train a lot more.

[sprinters vs. long distance runners]

Not many of either type make significant amounts of money, so it's probably not meaningful to make comparisons.

The Dikembe Mutombo prenup story was made into a funny episode of the old HBO comedy about a sports agent, Arliss.

I think that the main difference between the two runners is body type. Sprinters tend to be muscular since it takes a lot of power to get limbs moving quickly, and long-distance runners tend to be thin, so they use less energy per stride and are less likely to overheat. Still, it's an interesting idea. I think it would be neat if there was a correlation.

My unscientific observations: long distance runners seem to have a more "humble" termperament. When was the last time you've seen a Kenyan, Ethiopian, Moroccan, or even American marathon runner engaging in "trash talk" or braggadocio? (Come to think of it, how often do you even see marathon runners on TV, other than NYC and Boston marathons?)

As for sprinters, we have Michael Johnson and his "gold shoes", Florence Griffith Joyner and her long nails. Edwin Moses, gold medal hurdler, said about Carl Lewis: "A little humility is in order. That's what Carl lacks."

Yes, these are three selective anecdotes, just food for thought.

long distance runners train a lot more.

Indeed! I have enough trouble following a marathon training program that builds up to a peak of 40 miles a week. I can't believe that the pro runners do 80+ miles a week, that's insane!

I can't believe that the pro runners do 80+ miles a week, that's insane!

It can be worse! :-)