Yeah, as great as a more true to life setup for my player would be, a lot of things won't make it, because the leagues and unions would never allow a game to make light of a players off field failings. Look at how quickly the NCAA Football games removed player behavior. It was in one year, I believe, before it was removed. I didn't follow the scene as closely as I do now, but I have to imagine the NCAA didn't like a game where your star player could be in trouble for taking improper benefits and you had to suspend him, no matter how realistic it is.
The closest thing I've seen for a career based game (and I know this isn't technically a sport) is Grey Dog Software's Wrestling Spirit. It's not perfect, but like KM said, the ability to form relationships that last in the games AI would be a huge step forward.