Dear Ernie,
STFU, kindly. Here in the fraser valley (no names needed), we have a handful of NHL stars and their parents. People work with them and chat. Sure they spent all their life fighting to get to be a star in a sport. However what the puck do you know about anyone's life, their struggles and wher they came from or how hard they fought to get where they are. Your sycophantic take that NO ONE "Unless you're like a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist or something, sit down, your daily existence is no comparison" leads me to think you know nothing of real life. Saying "I'm sure Pettersson busted his ass for 20 years to be the athlete he is, just to cash in and kick up his legs as soon as he signed this contract." is nothing but your cock sure opinion which I say you don't know nor do I so stop pretedning you do.
To the topic at hand, sports is sports. You get paid large amounts of money time and time again if you perform or out perform. I do happen to remember another swedish player (and god forbid this even unfold in any manner), a cetain name loui eriksson that perhaps did the above. Again I don't know for sure. Go ahed and talk the talk about your daily existence being no comparison, I got my own life and toughts on that mate.