‘When Bruce Smith was mulling his future last January, he knew that by remaining with the Buffalo Bills, he could earn $2 million for playing in the 2000 NFL season. However, that meant Smith would have to take a salary cut from the $4 million he was scheduled to earn from the Bills. Most of us would agree that $2 million is a living wage. Smith felt it wasn’t a fair wage for a defensive end of his accomplishments and talent, but when he signed with the Washington Redskins, Smith agreed to a contract that would pay him a base salary of $500,000 for the 2000 season. Why would Smith accept even less than what he felt was an insulting offer from the Bills? The answer is a $4.25 million signing bonus.’