9.06.2011

Greenspan's Body Count: Cy Young award winning pitcher Mike Flanagan

Greenspan's Body Count hits even famous people with good jobs. Sports Illustrated:
Former Cy Young award winner Mike Flanagan died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head, the Maryland medical examiner ruled Thursday.

A police investigation revealed the 59-year-old pitcher was upset about financial issues. He left no note.

Flanagan's body was found Wednesday afternoon about 250 feet behind his home. An investigation showed he was home alone when he took his life.

Flanagan earned a good chunk of change as a baseball player even though he played before the multi-million-dollar roid-rage days. And he still had a good job as a broadcaster. So to have had financial troubles, he must have been enticed, in Greenspan's easy money party, to take on enormous debt either for conspicuous consumption or for silly business propositions.

Somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
But in his final words I found
An ace that I could keep

The lessons to us from the tragic tale of Mike Flanagan are clear: when you're making good money, save a good chunk aside for a rainy day. And never, ever, take on recourse debt for conspicuous consumption or risky business ideas. Donald Trump, George Soros, Warren Buffett, and Hank Paulson never take on recourse debt. They gamble with other people's money. If you're gambling with recourse debt, you're gambling with your life.

Greenspan's Body Count stands at 186.

HT: IPFreely

2 comments:

Doo Doo Econ said...

Since the Carson City shooter filed bankruptcy in January 2009, he and his victims may belong on your list.

kliguy38 said...

Tough game we are in now WC.....guess Flanagan couldn't see a way out....

Nailed it!

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