Imagine for a moment that you are 6'5", 278 pounds. You are one of the best people in the world at your craft and widely respected for your passion, determination, and your leadership skills. The organization you are a member of is one of the premier organizations in your industry and as one of its leaders, you hold an envied position among your peers. Your status as all of the above would have you making in excess of three million dollars and the fact that your contract had come up for renegotiation would have you positioned to make three to four times that amount. If all of this were true, you would be Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants and last summer your entire world would have been dramatically altered in less than 30 seconds.

Jason Pierre-Paul plays defensive end for the National Football League's New York Giants. Twice in the last five years, he has recorded double-digit sacks, which is a mark of excellence for those that play his position. His status as a run stopper in addition to his ability to rush the quarterback set him apart from his peers as one of the rare defensive linemen that could play three downs and not have to be removed from the field depending on the situation on the field. All of these facts would equate to an extremely highly paid individual, as evidenced by the fact that the average of the top 5 players in the league at the position stand to earn roughly 14.78 million dollars per season. Jason's status as one of the premier players at his position would certainly place him near that level, if not in it meaning that he was in line to sign a contract worth somewhere in the neighborhood of that 12 to 14 million per season range. All of that changed one Summer afternoon when a celebration gone wrong had horrific consequences for Jason Pierre-Paul.

While gathering with friends and associates to celebrate Independence Day in 2015, Jason Pierre-Paul lit a firecracker and made the mistake of holding onto it as it exploded. The resulting explosion did horrific damage to his hand, and sent his professional career into chaos. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the news and subsequently tweeted a photo of Jason's hand that showed the world just how much damage had been done to the star defensive end's hand. The Giants almost immediately pulled the offer they had for a contract for Jason off the table that had been reported to be in excess of 60 million dollars. To his credit, Jason worked hard to get himself into shape and worked with doctors and trainers to work up a glove that allowed him to play and still earn money playing the sport he has known all his life. That Jason was able to play at all was a minor miracle, it is a credit to him that he was able to do so with what amounted to a club for a hand that impeded his ability to shake free of blockers that once feared lining up across from him. It is here, at this point, that the story takes a turn into becoming truly noteworthy.

Last week, it was revealed that Jason Pierre-Paul had filed a lawsuit in a Florida court against ESPN and Adam Schefter, citing that Adam Schefter had violated his right to privacy by tweeting out details found in his medical records. The lawsuit is important not because of the $15,000 or so in damages that Jason Pierre-Paul is seeking. In truth, that is pocket change for the involved parties. The lawsuit is important because the legal battle could end up setting a legal standard for just how much of a right to privacy a professional athlete can expect to possess in regards to their health and well-being. Considering that an athlete's health and well-being are of paramount importance to said athlete getting paid, the ramifications of the case may very well affect how contracts are negotiated in professional sports for years to come.