It’s Now Time to Take Stock in Future of Sports Salaries

According to the New York Times, some professional athletes are exploring the possibility of becoming tradable securities. Specifically mentioned was Frank Thomas, who is associated with SPP Hambro Securities in a plan to offer investors a stake in his future earnings. That means you could call your broker and buy stock in the Chicago White Sox first baseman.

What a concept.

Imagine if a dozen years ago you had bought shares in Michael Jordan. Fortune magazine recently estimated Michael Inc., has had a $10-billion impact on the economy. While Jordan himself is not worth that much money, he is worth a lot. You too would be if you owned part of him.

It would give a whole new meaning to the term Bull market.

Of course, not every stock performs like Jordan.

Perhaps you would have invested in Anfernee Hardaway only to discover later he was a penny stock.

It would be more fun and potentially more profitable than rotisserie leagues. It also would change public opinion about highly paid ballplayers. We would want them to be more highly paid.

If you had stock in Mike Piazza, would you have booed him for asking for $100 million?

No, you would have booed the Dodgers for not giving him $200 million.

I can hear the CNN business reporter now: “In today’s trading, Karl Malone is down three points.”

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I wish I could buy 100 shares today in Ronaldo. . . .

With Jordan possibly retiring, the best Brazilian soccer player since Pele is on the verge of being the world’s most famous athlete. . . .

For the third consecutive World Cup, UCLA produced more players for the U.S. national team than any other school. . . .

Former Bruins on this year’s team are Cobi Jones, Brad Friedel, Frankie Hejduk and Joe-Max Moore. . . .

Also, Coach Steve Sampson is a former UCLA assistant coach. . . .

The Temple athletic director who agreed Monday to send his basketball team to meet Stanford in December’s Pete Newell Challenge in Oakland is Dave O’Brien, who formerly held the same position at Long Beach State. . . .

The game might bring back bad memories for Temple Coach John Chaney. . . .

A loss to Stanford in 1982 not only was Chaney’s first as Temple’s coach, he practically came to blows with then-Cardinal coach Tom Davis. . . .

Even before the NBA draft, the Clippers are being second-guessed. . . .

Some scouts say they’ll make a huge--7 feet to be exact--mistake by not using the first pick for University of Pacific’s Michael Olowokandi. . . .

Everyone agrees, however, that Olowokandi is a fixer-upper. Denver General Manager Dan Issel worked out with him last week and blocked his first two shots. . . .

Vancouver, which drafts second, probably will trade down a notch or two to a team desperate for Olowokandi and still get its favorite player, Paul Pierce. . . .

Utah Coach Rick Majerus believes Mike Bibby would be the right choice for the Clippers. . . .

Majerus says Bibby reminds him of John Stockton. . . .

Magic Johnson, whose debut of the “Magic Hour” late-night talk show was Monday, says, “Of course, we all know Jay Leno is No. 1. If I can be No. 2, I’ll be happy.” . . .

Remember when he used to say the same thing about Norm Nixon and the job as the Laker point guard?. . . .

If you prefer to see Johnson play basketball, Game 4 of the 1987 NBA finals between the Lakers and Boston Celtics is on ESPN Classic Sports tonight at 9 p.m. . . .

The only person on television more than Johnson is Dwight Stones. . . .

Thanks to the miracle of tape delay, the Olympic high jumper was commenting on a high school meet, a college meet and the Prefontaine meet at the same time on three different channels on a recent Sunday. . . .

Long Beach Poly juniors Darrell Rideaux and Kareem Kelly, who won the 100 and 200 respectively in last week’s state meet, are both expected to play football in college. . . .

Kelly, a wide receiver who reminds scouts of R. Jay Soward, might follow him to USC. . . .

Rideaux, a 5-foot-8 cornerback in the mold of Daylon McCutcheon, is a Notre Dame fan but also has mentioned USC and UCLA among his preferences. . . .

Poly quarterback Chris Lewis is believed to be leaning toward Stanford. His sister plays volleyball for the Cardinal. . . .

The Sporting News lists Lewis as one of the nation’s two best prep quarterbacks. . . .

The other is Chris Simms of Franklin Lakes, N.J. He’s Phil Simms’ son. . . .

Rising fast in the estimation of scouts is Venice High quarterback J.P. Losman. . . .

Who will be the king of the World Cup?. . . .

That could be Italy’s 23-year-old forward, Alessandro Del Piero. . . .

In a recent poll conducted by an Italian magazine, 20,000 teenage girls said they’d rather go on a date with Del Piero than Leonardo DiCaprio.

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While wondering if the Utah Jazz can persuade Jerry Reinsdorf to break up the Chicago Bulls before Wednesday, I was thinking: Al Davis might finally meet his match in Mayor Moonbeam, the world would be a better place without titanium clubs and aluminum bats, the Capitals in seven.