Henry Roldán
Taking advantage of Kyler Murray’s new contract with the Arizona Cardinals, which includes one of the strangest contract clauses in the history of sports – eventually eliminated after the controversy it generated in social networks – hereat JefeBet we bring you a list of the weirdest and most extravagant clauses seen in professional athlete contracts.
Let’s remember that the quarterback has just signed for five seasons and $230.5 million with the organization, the same one that will force him to study independently, at least four hours a week, about the opponents he will face. It sounds like they trust him a lot, right?
Craziest Contract Clauses in Sports
Rick Mirer and the end of the world?
Despite having a successful 12-season NFL career, Rick Mirer remains widely known for one of the contract clauses his deal with the Seattle Seahawks had during his time in the organization. The quarterback’s agent, Don Yee, made sure to include a clause that Mirer would be paid on all terms, “up to and including the end of the world.”
So, if there had been an apocalypse during Mirer’s contract, the organization would have had to pay him every penny, even though the money would have been pretty useless in such a situation, right? Still, both sides did a good job of ensuring that everything was secure.
Rougned Odor’s Two Horses
The Rangers signed Venezuelan second baseman Rougned Odor to a five-year, $49.5 million contract agreement in March 2017. But that wasn’t the only thing they offered him. After a season in which he connected 33 home runs and also the face of Jose Bautista, Texas wanted to make sure the batter stayed in the organization, so they included two horses as a bonus.
The infielder is a horse lover and confessed that being around animals relaxes him and offers him an escape from baseball. The Rangers did not let this go unnoticed, and so sent him two more equines to add to the six that his family already possesses in Venezuela. No doubt a rather extravagant clause.
Mario Balotelli and His Good Behavior
Mario Balotelli is known not only for his ability to score goals, but also for his indiscipline both on and off the field. So, in order to possibly motivate Balotelli to play in a more controlled style, AC Milan included a “good behavior” clause when the striker was loaned from Liverpool.
Within the clause, several somewhat bizarre aspects could be seen as the provisions included a ban on “alien” haircuts, smoking, nightclubbing and controversial posts on social media.
Michael Jordan’s “Love of the Game”.
If you had the best player in the world on your team, would you hesitate to accommodate him in any way he wanted? Well, the Chicago Bulls wanted Michael Jordan to feel as comfortable and special as possible within the organization and did everything possible to please their franchise player.
An example of this was the “Love of the Game” clause, which allowed Jordan to play basketball whenever and wherever he wanted. Outside of the NBA, the stellar player could see action at a local gym, playground or exhibition anywhere in the world. All for the love of the game and the love of basketball.
Manny Ramirez and His Sushi Craze
Manny Ramirez is not just one of baseball’s best home run hitters, but also a somewhat impulsive and unpredictable guy, which coined the phrase “Manny, being Manny.” That unpredictability was present in 2017 when Ramirez signed a contract to play professional baseball in Japan, with the Kochi Fighting Dogs.
Some of the oddest and craziest contract clauses on record were included in his agreement, such as receiving a personal car, his own private room for playing while being at away games, and the right to choose whether or not he wanted to train. But it doesn’t stop there, as Ramirez made sure to have unlimited sushi, so he could eat as much as he wanted without paying for anything and without being stopped by the team.
Zero nightlife, Dez!
When the Dallas Cowboys offered a contract extension to catcher Dez Bryantthey released a good amount of money and also a big number of clauses to cover their backs from the large amount of trouble the player used to get into because of his night outings. Since 2012, the organization restricted Bryant from consuming alcohol, in addition to providing twice-weekly counseling and a curfew after midnight.
But that wasn’t all. As if the contract clauses were not strict enough, Bryant was banned from visiting any and all strip clubs and nightclubs that were not approved by the Dallas Cowboys. And if approved, Bryant was also to be escorted by team security members.
