If You Thought Darrelle Revis Wants Too Much Money...

... then you should check out this little gem of a story from a small town called "Bell, California."

Yes, for a massive state, that is massively in debt up to its eyeballs, they still have "public servants" in piss ant little towns gaming the system to give themselves shockingly huge salaries to run nothing more than the equivalent of a municipal lemonade stands.

Robert Rizzo (insert Jerky Boys: "Yeah.. that's right... RIZZO!" sound effect) is the city manager for Bell, and he makes $787,000 per year.

BASE... salary.

With benefits and such, his pay escalates to somewhere near $1.5 million.



When news of Rizzo's base salary of $787,000 broke, he arrogantly told a Los Angeles Times reporter: "If that's a number people choke on, maybe I'm in the wrong business. I could go into private business and make that money."

Sure you could, donkey. Go for it.

"Maybe I'm in the wrong business" he laments. Dude. You aren't even IN an actual business.

True "business" is when a company creates or provides a certain product or service. Then customers purchase said product or service of their own free economic will, providing (hopefully) a profit for the business and creating jobs along the way.

Then, the state confiscates a certain portion of that business' profits in the form of taxes - and the salaries of the employees of that business - to help PAY FOR donkeys like Robert Rizzo to be "City Manager" for sprawling Bell, California (pop. 38,000).

Ha, ha, good times, California. When people hear that I went to school at UC Santa Barbara and left the state to come back east, they often ask why.

This story, would be reason #1,089.

Not that small time government graft and corruption is eradicated in the other 49 states. It is not. But California is the worst. Followed closely by New York, Illinois and Massachusetts.

Which brings me in a roundabout way to Jets CB Darrelle Revis. As I am sure you know, he is holding out for a new contract, claiming he should be paid as the "best cover corner in football" which I think most neutral observers would agree, he is.

His current contract is a pretty good 6-year rookie deal, guaranteeing him $12 million over the life of it. He is currently (and I stress CURRENTLY) outperforming his salary.

What happens when Revis gets a new huge contract, and is then underperforming his salary? Can the Jets lock him out, and demand a reduction in his pay?

I know what you are saying: "Czabe, the Jets can always cut him if they want, and all they owe is the signing bonus portion of the deal. That's very unfair to the players!"

Yes, but CUTTING a player is a drastic "solution" to him just underperforming his deal. It denies the team the services of a player who might still be worth 60% or 70% of his current pay.

In many ways, it is not a solution at all.

It would be like Revis getting the deal he is asking for, but then being forced to retire! He'd have his money, but he couldn't play. Not much of a win-win.

I am sympathetic to guys like Revis, who are fabulous players that have extremely short earning windows during in a physically brutal and fickle sport.

Plus, Woody Johnson inherited his soap fortune from mommy, daddy, and the family tree. Screw him. Pay the guy! Especially with a new taxpayer assisted Jet/Giant Stadium that has PSL's only the City Manager from Bell, California could afford!