Gone are the days when a player would start his athletic career with one sports organization and end his career with the same organization. Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson were wonderful examples of allegiance and dedication to one team for an entire sports lifespan.

Many excuses erupt from the lips of departing players:

1) "I want to be close to my home to go to my kids' soccer games."

2) "These fans do not understand me!"

3) "Management did not give me everything I demanded."

4) "That other town looks like more fun and has a better night life."

5) "I do what is good for me and nobody else!"

6) "I don't owe anybody, nothing (sic)!"

Some glaring examples of this negative conduct are as follows:

Roger Clemens has, in his own mind, been a tower of virtue. Personally I was always neutral about him until he attempted to rearrange Mike Piazza's face. His ego is bolstered by deluded fans who replace humanity and civility with on the field accomplishments (strikeouts and wins, etc.). No amount of strikeouts can erase boorishness. All that fuss and tears about leaving the New York Yankee fans, whom he loved and adored was just a bold-faced lie from an uncaring and selfish person.

Bill Parcells - How many times should a coach retire and then un-retire? When you un-retire shouldn't you go back to the team you retired from?

Latrell Sprewell - He came to New York from San Francisco with the dark cloud of violence hanging over his head. The New York Knicks fans absolved him of his prior sins and took him to their hearts. Slowly his poor behavior patterns emerged. Lateness, not going to team functions and arriving at training camp with a broken hand were just some examples of this selfishness. After being traded, on his return to Madison Square Garden he scored 30 points. That did not justify or ameliorate his bad manners.

Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) left the Seattle Mariners for the Texas Rangers for $250 million and a 10-year contract. The Seattle fans were devastated. The following year, after Alex left they won more games than when he was their shortstop. Texas did poorly even though A-Rod was voted MVP. He has now left Texas and you can now find him on third base for the New York Yankees.

To be fair, one must state that sometimes the team owners are ungrateful to players. After a long career they trade old veteran mainstays away for no apparent reason.

Some examples:

Babe Ruth was discarded to the Boston Braves after he practically built Yankee Stadium.

Patrick Ewing did not finish his career as a Knick.

Andy Pettite was not treated with the respect he deserved after winning 21 games for the Yankees.

Other sports indignities:

USA tennis players will not play for their country when it interferes with their making money on the Pro Tour.

Recently Kim Clijsters, who is sponsored by Nike, opted not to play in a tournament of another sneaker manufacturer. There was more loyalty to a sponsor than to the tennis fans.

All these examples of disloyalty are disheartening to those of us who follow and are loyal to our teams and their players.