I just can’t believe Howard Schultz’s latest attempt this Monday to badmouth Gary Payton and align himself with the common man.

Howard's 2001 salary was only $2.2 million, BUT he exercised options worth $22.6 million! This has become a common form of remuneration amongst corporate officers much the same as signing bonuses are with athletes, because it makes it look like they aren't making as much upon initial inspection. But notice how much more BLATANT this is than typical signing bonuses, because it isn't limited to being a 'once-a-contract' happening. He can do this every year if he wants to.

Remember the uproar over Walter Jones' & Rashard's expected signing bonuses? This from a guy who essentially got $22.6 million in options as a little bonus for next to, if not NOTHING?

Schultz currently holds 8,097,050 options with an "in the money" value of $56,684,000; & we all know how depressed the stock market is right now. So when the stock market rebounds, these values could easily double. This doesn't even take into account the huge number of shares Howie owns outright.

So Howard bemoaning how much Gary makes & suggesting that he should be happy with what he makes & report to work on time is pure HOGWASH! Here's a guy with a net worth many times Gary's trying to make it sound like he has to work for a living like all the rest of us, & he bloody well knows how "WE" all have to follow the rules -- BUT NOT GARY!

And before some knucklehead trips in here & says something like, "Howard came by his money honestly through hard work & vision," again, GIVE ME A BREAK! They sell over-roasted coffee for God's sake,& pay their baristas a scant $8 something/hour, I believe. Schultz recognized a societal need in our fast paced lives to sell legalized uppers at exorbitant prices & he went with it. Gary just happens to be one of the best point guards on the planet, so why shouldn't he be able to posture as much as Howard does?

As has been said before, Howard Schultz is a slick, educated snake oil salesman. And he's only gonna get better at pulling the wool over our eyes once he understands he has to play by a slightly different set of rules here than he does in the corporate world. So the next time you're feeling a little sympathetic towards the man,& developing a bit of camaraderie with the guy; remember it's all an act from a sharpie that's out to lift your wallet any way he damn well can.

The legendary and infamous David Kronfield has been a SonicsCentral.com columnist since day one. David can be reached at heavyd@sonicscentral.com. All opinions expressed in this column are solely the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other columnists or the SonicsCentral.com staff.

Got an opinion on this column? Discuss it in the SonicsCentral message boards.

The Curmudgeon's Corner Archive