They could play with a team and not get picked up again after even one or two years.
I agree that when they're young it could seem like a lot of $$ but they'll find out that it's not really that much when they're traveling around the world and maybe trying to support a small family.
With Mika, it seemed to make a little more sense to me because he speaks Italian, that would make a difference. He and his wife could blend into the Euro way of life.
For the others, it would be much harder. Sometimes they won't even understand what a coach is saying.