Many people grew up in an archaic era where team and sacrifice came before personal goals.
A very difficult concept for the younger generation to grasp.
Doing what’s in your best interest does not apply to team sports...when it occurs the team suffers
Zap you know how changes in rules might change how players will use it to their personal advantage .
As you know from when your father first signed with the Yankees and you with the Pirates
At one time the reserve rule made some MLB players look like the most loyal teammates possible with long careers with one team.
Then Curt Flood fought that system and lost his fight but caused that restrictive clause to end and free agency came around , a lot of times that loyalty to team and teammates was set aside for personal financial gain with players moving to another team on their own leaving teammates behind
May comparison is an apple to that orange, but only trying to show how a change of a rule can effect perceived loyalty.
The old days of team comes first also had team controls everything , now players have choices and it's a brand new ballgame.
But I must add, deciding not to play after the seasons has started so you can save your eligibility can't be defended unless your coach was in on the decision and had time to have his game play exclude the player who decided to sit out rest of season.
I agree "team and sacrifice came before personal goals"has been lost and that's a part of any game that needs to be understood by today's players. Instead of the me first attitude some seem to have now.
Once the season starts, team goals come before personal ones , excerpt in the case of the players health and sometimes gutting it out is part of being a good teammate if playing will help your team and not cause unnecessary damage that will make the injury worse.