Do they suffer from too much money?

With all the super-wealthy professional athletes taking "mental health" breaks these days, I began to wonder what the problem was.  And then it hit me, it must be caused by the one thing they have in common:  Lots and lots of money!  If that's the case, they might try giving a bunch of it away, no?

The latest to suffer from this affliction is Bianca Andreescu, who just announced she was withdrawing from the Australian Open to, "reflect".  On what?  What to do with all that dough?  After winning the US Open, she bounded into the Australian last year full of vim and vigour, only to get clocked by an unknown in the second round.  Was she spooked by that?  What if it were to happen again?  So, she punted the tournament and will be reflecting for the foreseeable future.

Then there was Naomi Osaka, who needed a mental-health break and pulled out of the French Open, after losing the US, because of all those annoying pressers professional athletes are required to give after a match.  Hey, them's the rules, if you play professional anything, you are required to face the annoying media and answer bothersome and pesky questions.  When asked what happened today?  A simple, "I lost, or she played better than I today," would have covered it.  Unlike Pete Sampras, who used to say he had stomach troubles, or wasn't up to his normal game, whenever he lost.  The words, "He was the better player today," never left his lips.  Never.  In any case, it all proved too much for Naomi, so she too bolted.

Now, Robin Leher, goalie for the Las Vegas Golden Knights, has announced he can't face playing in the Olympics and won't be going.  Apparently, his psychiatrist recommended he take a pass.

Sticking with sports, the Vancouver Canucks just fired the GM, assistant GM, head coach and assistant coach in one fell swoop.  Boom, just like that.  Well, I guess if your team has been skunked in the last 15 games and sits in last place, any owner would have done the same.  Me?  I would have simply traded the goalie because he's the one on the ice not stopping the pucks.  Apparently however, according to B, it's more complicated than that.  He says it's the defence's problem because they aren't stopping pucks from getting to the net, where the goalie still can't seem to stop them getting in.

What about the players' jobs here?  Aren't they supposed to play their best for all the money they're paid?  Apparently not.  One was quoted as saying, "We were waiting for something to happen in the locker room and it didn't, so the coach had to go."  Waiting for something to happen in the locker room?!  The only thing that should be happening in the locker room is a shower.  The rest needs to happen on the ice.  

I'd still get a new goalie.  But now a veteran of the game over many years, Bruce Boudreau, will run the bench.  His ultimate stated goal?  "We just want to get into the division finals."  He actually said that his goal was not to win the Stanley Cup, just to get into the division finals.

Hard to believe, but there you are.  No Canadian team now expects -- or even aspires -- to win the cup.  Jean Beliveau and his ilk are spinning in their graves.

Note:  In case you think I am hard and unsympathetic, you're right. In many cases I can be.