Antonio Cromartie Spent $5 Million In His First 2 Seasons In The NFL
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - By his own count — and he admits he might be underestimating just how bad it really was — Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie went through $5 million in his first two seasons in the NFL. Poof. Just like that . . . all that cash — which was almost all of the guaranteed money from his rookie contract with the San Diego Chargers — and. . . “Gone. Just gone,” Cromartie said the other day during a conversation in the Jets’ locker room. The spending was non-stop: There were nine cars, two expensive homes, piles of jewelry, extravagant gifts and cash — lots of cash — to friends and family members who would simply ask, and shopping sprees that ran into the tens of thousands of dollars. Cromartie spent so much on so many things and so many people he can’t even remember where it all went. Take his automobile collection: “I had two Dodge Chargers, probably spent $100,000 just fixing them up,” he said. “I had a ’65 Caprice, which I spent $100,000 on. I had two BMWs, two Escalades.” Cromartie doesn’t remember the other two cars. And he said he came close to buying a Lamborghini, a car that can cost $500,000 or more. “I was out of control,” Cromartie said. “I remember [former Chargers teammate] Quentin Jammer used to tell me to slow down, but I couldn’t do it. I just loved spending money.” But these days, Cromartie’s favorite car is a Toyota Prius, a hybrid sedan that many middle class Americans drive. He brags about how little he spends on gas. “I’ll fill it up every 2 1/2 weeks or so, and I’m only spending 33 bucks, while everybody else is spending 80 or 90 bucks a tank,” he said. “Right now, I’m all about saving money.” Can this really be the same guy, even after agreeing to a four-year, $32 million contract with the Jets in 2011? Is he really pinching pennies and watching every dollar? Has he truly matured as a person? Cromartie insists he has, as evidenced by his financial turnaround. “Right now, I try to put away as much money as I possibly can and live on a budget,” Cromartie said. “I learned the hard way.”
Is it crazy that I expected more than that? $5 mil from a guy like Cro doesn’t even seem that bad to me. I expected like 5 million in child support alone. But I guess when you realize it was all of his guaranteed money from the Chargers it puts it in perspective. Like if he made 50 million in his first 2 seasons he woulda spent all 50.
More importantly though, I am not excited for this new version of Cro. As a blogger, losing Cromartie material would make my job infinitely harder. You know what doesn’t put asses in the blogging seats, Antonio? Writing about you driving a fucking Prius because its economically efficient. I mean whats next? Gonna start wearing a condom? Fucking chicks on birth control? When you talk shit this year are you gonna be reasonable and say you’re like the 3rd best corner in the league? Fuck all that noise. I want you spending money, talking shit and procreating. Thats what Cro does best. Tiger can’t change its stripes.