I think so. Nobody should be paid millions of dollars to swing a bat at a ball. That's just crazy. Athletes make more money in a year than the mayor of a city does.
My health teacher explained on class how Michael Jordan made more money in advertisements than he did actually playing basketball. I believe he was paid $100,000,000 to wear Nike shoes.
No because there are so many out there and they have a very tough time, and even if someone comes along and breaks an amazing record or something they still might not be any better off.
Hard to say since I don't even know the approximation of how much they're getting paid. They represent their whole country/state (somehow) so maybe they don't? Good athletes get paid in millions though, that's a lot of money for a single person alone. So too much?
Here's the issue, personally, and morally, I believe that yes they are far over-paid. But we live in a capitalist society, and based on capitalist ideals, they earn what they deserve. Based on the income they produce for owners and the league, be it in tickets, TV sponsorships, or something else, they are paid the amount they are due. Such is the dilemma presented by reality.
No. Athletes work hard almost everyday training and they earn their pay. A lot of them have skills that few people have. It isn't really any of our business how much they make anyways.
Oh, you mean popular sports... um, yeah they get paid a lot, like unbelievable amounts, but if they fill stadiums and attract mad sponsors, it's no surprise they become rich.
No, you only see the top of the top mentioned. I would say most professional athletes don't get paid that much. Look at special teams in the NFL, those guys get base salaries and how about practice squad guys. Professional minor league baseball players don't get paid that much. Professional athletes cover a wide spectrum from minor league hockey, arena football and minor league Soccer leagues. When you look at the top guys, that's like looking at nothing but CEOs and their underlings of companies.
Maybe not football players because they are damaging their bodies incredibly by doing what they do, but pretty much every other entertainer is overpaid. That's just how first world countries are these days. They spend way too much money on entertainment. I'm guilty of this myself. Imagine if the money that would go into movies, music, and sports went to any single third world country for a whole year. that country certainly wouldn't be third-world anymore.
Nope. The skills they need are not only hard to master, but in high demand. Why should they be paid less when there is a market willing to consume their service?
Some professional athletes are unbelievably overpaid, some that have almost no publicity don't get paid the amount that they should. And I guess the amount that some get paid is fine, because professional athletes have to give their life to such sport, and only select few will ever get to the level that they play at. So yeah, some deserve the money they get.
They get paid millions because sports teams bring in billions. People like Tiger woods and Michael Jordan make all that money because they're better than almost everyone on the planet at what they do, that means that their skills are in high demand. If you want to hire one of the top tier people in the world then you're going to have to pay top tier prices.
They perform in front of a paying audience, which makes them entertainers. In the entertainment business you are paid based on your ability to generate revenue and a winning team does that a lot better than a losing one. And, as will all entertainment, if there is a lot of money floating around I would rather see it go to the talent I pay to see than to the pencil pushers.
Think about it like this: Who would you rather see get rich off of Brutal Legend, Tim Schaffer or John Riccitiello? (BTW I have nothing against Riccitiello, it is just an example)
"you measure the value of a ballplayer by how many fannies he puts in the seats." - George Steinbrenner
Players sign contracts with sports teams for an amount of money that both parties can agree on. Therefore, they are not overpaid because someone is willing to hire them for that amount!
They're the best at what they do. They're paid for their talent. Their skills are in high demand, and consumers are willing to pay to watch them.
Professional athletes are entertainers just as musicians, actors, etc. Do you think <Band>'s guitarist is overpaid? All he does is pluck a few strings. How about <actor>? I can go find someone on the street to read the same lines.
Entertainers are paid what they're paid because they're the best.
They are steps above all other aspiring athletes, they obviously put in something that your average person doesn't. I respect their salary, even if they blow it on stupid shit.
Athlete - Plays the actual sport 2/3 days a week Me:- works 5 days a week
Athlete :-Trains and goes to the gym every day Me:- Trains and goes to the gym 4 days a week - would do more if he had the chance, and would love a super expensive personal trainer to take me to the dizzy heights that stars have - but has to work as well
Athlete :- earns more in a week than i do in a decade - and is frequently shown in the media spending more than i'd earn in a year- in one night Me :- Is broke pretty much after payday occurs due to unfair taxes and bills that leave with about a quarter of my paycheck
Hell yeah they are over paid - they are entertainment, nothing more - and the fact that they are on more money than any one of us is going to see in a lifetime, sheerly because they had a bit more time on their hands is ludicrous - however it is entirely socities fault, only humans could claim to be as advanced and intelligent as we are, and then submit our race to such inequality - its sad to think that there are people who ill live their whole damn live working in some damn shoe factory - just 45 hours a week. every week, just to make sure these faceless co-corporations will still be turning a profit after they are dead - so that a few assholes with all the time in the world sit and use the profits created by that person, to fuel their own bliss.
Teachers... teachers don't have to drill all day and all night for months. Teachers don't have to eat a strict diet. Teachers don't get slammed by 300 pound man wearing body armor, Teachers don't pop knees when they jump 6 feet in the air. Teachers don't suffer life long physical afflictions from preforming their jobs. Teachers don't have to preform in front of millions and be expected to win ever time.
Athletes absolutely deserve their pay. If you preformed in a coliseum and the team owners made millions from your performance on the field. You'd want a cut. You'd deserve a cut. Period.
I say that most people who voted yes. Have either never played a real sport or were very bad at it.
I played Football on a collage level. I am 28. I graduated after 5 years, at the age of 22. I played defensive tackle(DT). I still, as a young man in great health, suffer from shoulder pain, lower back spasms, dizzy spells, and migraine head aches. I took some heavy hits and dealt out just as many. But I can't imagine how much pain real NFL players go through everyday.
Have you ever been slammed by 2 250to300 pound men, flung head first backwards into the ground, hit from the side and spun into a flip? When I played ball and lined up for scrimmage. I only ever, thought one thing. Kill him before he kills me.
Now, with that said. I also don't think it's fair to compare Athletes with people in careers like Teachers. Which of overseen by elected officials. Teachers are underpaid, but schools in general are underfunded and poorly maintained. IMO, sports get the money that they do, because that's what the majority want. It would be nice to see teachers be more respected, but lets be real.
In the end. If you respect your teacher, the way I respect guys like Joe Montana. Then they will know it, they will feel it and be grateful for it. Teachers and like positions for intellectuals, aren't the types of careers that desire money. Generally they do it for the more personal reasons. Like furthering man kind.
It's funny how many American's are anti-communist but at the same time will say, "they get paid too much, it's not fair." Do they know that it is the capitalist society that they live in which allows these sportsmen to be paid such disproportionate amounts? It is communist/socialist regimes which seek to rectify this imbalance, making sure that nobody gets more or less than their fair share, and as a result that there is no class separation. It's great to see that the urge to communism is alive in America.
Nope, because it's not exactly the athletes fault they can get paid so much. I would put the blame on the owners of the teams, who become more and more willing to pay them more money in order to secure them as a player in their team, so that they can get more fans through the gates and more people supporting them. And when more than one owner becomes interested in a player they end up bumping up the prices they are willing to pay.
People love sports, and if athletes get paid a ridiculous amount of money it's only because the fans' interest allows this to be so. Sports team owners have to be getting this money from somewhere. It's a vicious cycle - fans love sports, support them with their interest, and only a select few actually get to be the pros these fans admire and watch. One day you realize you'll never be a professional athlete, but you support the sports nonetheless.
Yes, to see them get paid millions to play games many of us played as a child is rather sad, even more so when we realize an NFL quarterback makes more in one quarter then a soldier does in a year.
"No. Athletes work hard almost everyday training and they earn their pay. A lot of them have skills that few people have. It isn't really any of our business how much they make anyways. "
I agree. These people are on the same level as musicians, they're going out there every night for your entertainment. It isn't as simple as "being paid to swing a bat", because if it was I would've gone pro by second grade. I sense the bitterness of nerds and jocks here, and it's understandable, but as nerds we gotta remember the chances of getting into the major leagues is very slim. MOST of your high school enemies will end up boozebags stuck back in their hometown.....Hopefully anyway.
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