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Pay To Play In Nashville
by Paul on 06/09/09 at 09:14 AM ET
Comments (7)
from Chris Echegaray and John Glennon of the Tennessean,
Every athlete who plays the Predators in Nashville would get slapped with a $2,500 “jock tax” for the privilege under a proposal a Tennessee Senate committee may take up today.
The Preds’ active roster would pay, too, but with a three-game cap of $7,500 a season. For team captain Jason Arnott, it’s just one more state getting its piece of his five-year, $22.5 million contract.
“We’re kind of used to it anyway,” he said. “They’re doing the same thing when we go into other states. So I guess why not pick up on that and make some money for Tennessee?”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Nashville Predators, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
I generally have a tough time feeling sorry for highly paid athletes as well, but this does seem rather ridiculous. In a worst case situation, if every city did this, it could cost a player 110000 in after tax salary right off the bat. Not much for the Ovechkins of the world, but quite a bit for your Darren Helm.
Posted by Chris Pronger Rosetta Stone on 06/09/09 at 11:18 AM ET
This is just another case of local governments being a) stupid and b) greedy without ever trying to be c) frugal.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 06/09/09 at 11:25 AM ET
This is just another case of local governments being a) stupid and b) greedy without ever trying to be c) frugal.
Along those same lines, I was just thinking “Wait ‘til the Detroit City Council gets a hold of this!”
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 06/09/09 at 12:31 PM ET
If the state is so inept at budgeting that it needs to slap a tax on sports professionals, why stop at athletes? If your in Nashville to do a sales pitch, that’ll be $200 please. If your in Knoxville looking at a possible plant location, hit em with a tax. Hell, why not put a toll booth on all roads leading tinto tennessee and charge out of state people a fee to visit? I mean, if your going to do it, you might as well go all the way. Its the only fair way to do it.
Posted by UMFan from Colorado on 06/09/09 at 12:47 PM ET
If Tennessee passes its proposal, 21 of 24 states with major-league professional sports franchises will charge jock taxes.
UMFan,
This isn’t a Tennessee issue, it’s almost half of the US. Come off your soapbox just a tad.
Posted by Mike @ MHH from Oklahoma City, OK on 06/09/09 at 05:09 PM ET
This isn’t a Tennessee issue, it’s almost half of the US.
Yes, I know. My apologies about the soapbox statements. Governmental “reasoning” in order to disguise governmental greed ticks me off at times. Not that I’m being affected as I’m a little past my prime to try out for the pros. Oh, and I like that the NFL is exempted. Must have had better lawyers.
Posted by UMFan from Colorado on 06/09/09 at 05:54 PM ET
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Posted by kushiro on 06/09/09 at 10:33 AM ET