And now, the real secret-y truth about Pablo Sandoval, from Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes:
“To anyone that works with athletes and their money, the Boston deal is a no-brainer. Exact contract details have yet to be released, but reports claim the deal is five years for about $100 million, or $20 million per year.
“Massachusetts has a flat personal income tax rate of 5.2%. California uses a progressive rate topping out at 13.3% at and above $1 million of income. In other words, 95% of Sandoval’s income would be taxed at this 13.3% rate if he re-signed with the Giants.
“The Giants play in the National League West, which boasts three teams from California, including the Giants. This means that in addition to the Giants’ 81 home games, the team plays another 18 road games in California. The Giants also play three road games against their cross-bay rival A’s, bringing their total California games to 103. While Boston has to play ten games next year at the New York Yankees, it also has division opponents in Florida and Canada, where the players will pay no state income taxes (and no federal taxes in Canada).”
Bored yet? No?
“For the sake of discussion, let us assume that Sandoval resides in a tax-free state. When this is the case, a player looking at identical contract offers between teams would need to consider both the team’s location and the team’s schedule. If Sandoval lives in a tax-free state, he will save about $747,000 in state taxes per year by signing with Boston. This adds up to $3.735 million over the five year contract.
But what if Sandoval decides to live in the town where his team plays next year? If he signs with San Francisco, he will pay roughly $2.71 million per year in total state and local (road games) taxes. If he signs with Boston, he will pay about $1.19 million in state and local taxes. That is a difference of $1.52 million per year or $7.6 million over the life of the contract.”
I always knew his real passion wasn’t food, but debentures.
[RELATED: Evans: Giants offered Sandoval sixth year]
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Tonight in wince-able Twitter: First, Louisville coach Rick Pitino after the Cardinals beat Savannah State, 87-26, on trying to keep the score down: “I tried everything. We played four white guys and an Egyptian.”
Second, Peter King of Sports Illustrated, on the night that the Ferguson (MO) grand jury chose not to indict the policeman who shot Michael Brown: “This is the biggest indictment of all: The Jets’ special teams are worse than the offense.”
King apologized shortly thereafter, for all the good that’ll do his critics.
And finally, Adrian Peterson:
“The GRAND JURY DECIDED NOT TO INDICT ME TOO! But that changed a week LATER! MAYBE, BUT NOT LIKELY N THIS CASE.”
Ick.
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Now, back to money: Badenhausen’s colleague Mike Ozanian tells us Canadian hockey teams are getting hosed.
“Bets on the U.S. dollar getting stronger have been rising and one of the consequences is that the dollar has strengthened to a five-year high against the Canadian loonie. A falling Canadian dollar has a direct negative impact on every NHL team’s revenues, the salary cap and player salaries, it can be particularly harsh on Canadian teams.
"Take the new $5.23 (Canadian dollars) media deal the league has with Rogers Communications that begins this season. When that 12-year deal was signed a year ago, the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar was 95 U.S. cents per Canadian dollar. But since the deal was announced the loonie has dropped by 7% against the U.S. dollar.”
Well, there’s your problem right there. The NHL should have insisted on six bucks for its TV rights.
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Now, human decency. The Spanish soccer club Rayo Vallecano, which has a rich socialist tradition (they do that in Europe, you know) has stepped in to pay the rent of a local 85-year-old resident who was evicted from her home of the last 50 years by Spanish authorities.
Carmen Martinez Ayuso, who lives in the Vallecas district near Madrid, lost her apartment near Rayo’s stadium after her son used it as collateral on a loan he was subsequently unable to pay back. Her eviction struck protests on the streets of Vallecas, and Rayo coach Paco Jemez announced that the club will cover her rent as and when she finds new accommodation.
“Of course it touches us. The worst thing that could happen to a family is getting thrown out of your home, especially when you consider she had been living there for 50 years. We won’t stand idly by, of course we are going to do something to help. We are going to help this woman, not just me, but the coaching staff, the players, the club. We are going to search for a place where she can live with dignity.”
Rayo is currently mid-table in La Liga, so you now have a rooting interest. No thanks needed.
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And finally, if you’re a hockey fan (and why wouldn’t you be, you fraud?), a moment for former Russian hockey coach Viktor Tikhonov and Canadian player and coach Pat Quinn. They mattered, and there is no higher compliment.
