Athletes spend their whole lives working out and trying to make it to the big leagues; what happens when they do? Over 78% of NFL players are bankrupt two years after leaving the NFL. Furthermore, having spent their whole lives having things handed to them on a silver plate they're unprepared to work in other careers. How do they go bankrupt? Bill Simmons knows, in my favorite column that he wrote.

"Wait, how can a dude making $8-10 million a year live paycheck to paycheck?" Easy. First, he's only banking 40 percent once the IRS and agents are done with him. Second, he's probably overpaying for multiple houses and luxury cars just to keep up with everyone else. Third, he's buying expensive clothes and dinners, chartering planes, buying expensive TVs, going to casinos, and paying for friends and family at every turn. Fourth, there's a decent chance he's supporting a bunch of people back home -- family and extended family -- and not just that, but he might have gotten roped into funding at least one dumb "investment" by a loser family member. ("Uncle Lenny, I thought you told me this nightclub couldn't miss?") Fifth, he is, um, "dating" frequently -- even if he's married -- and if you "date" frequently, mistakes might happen that lead to hospital bills and child support payments. (If you catch my drift.) And sixth, he's not adding these numbers up in his head because he's thinking, "I don't need to worry about money, I'm making $10 mil a year!" I know it sounds farfetched, but I've heard the Inexplicable Tale Of Financial Woe with NBA stars too many times to count … and that doesn't include stars such as Scottie Pippen who were screwed by their financial advisers.

The flipside is that thousands of people cheer for you, and you have had everything handed to you up until the point you leave the league. After that, good luck with the concussions, lack of education and financial troubles. Hope you don't end up like Lenny Dykstra.

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