Athletic Salaries
$33,000,000. That’s more money than the majority of people in the United States will make during their entire life. $33,000,000 just happens to be the 2008 salary of, New York superstar, Alex Rodriguez. After 30 years in the Navy my father isn’t even close to that number.
Athletic salaries need to be regulated because of what it takes away from the sport and the fans. In this current economy all prices are on the rise and outrageously priced at sporting events. Food, gear, and tickets are all so expensive now because of these huge salaries that have to be paid. Why not go to a high school game instead and get the same enjoyment for five bucks.
Some players use the excuse that they are at risk to career ending injury so they need the money. I answer that question with another, why aren’t members of the armed service paid in the millions. They put their lives at risk every day to keep every American citizen safe.
In another way salaries take away from sports. For example Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs was let go because they couldn’t afford to pay his high salary. That disappointed many baseball fans including myself. It showed how greedy athletes can actually be and it takes away from the game.
I love playing baseball and basketball. If I ever got the chance to play professionally I wouldn’t ask for so much money. Sports are fun and we are paying these big athletes monstrous sums to have fun every day. It just doesn’t seem fair to me.
pen name: Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
3 comments:
First off, I'd just like to say, I absolutely agree that a professional sports player's salary does not accurately correlate to his contribution to society. And it would be very nice if we could afford to give members of the armed services, or policemen, or fire fighters, or any other job where one risks their lives daily to protect the common good seven figure salaries.
However, I do not believe government regulation is the answer at all to this issue. Professional football players enjoy a very double-edged sword by virtue of being in the entertainment business. When an entertainer, be it comedian, actor, or sports player, is on the lower echelons of their career path, they are some of the worst paid people in the United States. It is when they become famous and nationally recognized when they start rolling in the 30 million dollars a year deals.
Before you say that it is unfair, consider the odds: Out of all the high school football players today, about one in one hundred will get to play in the NCAA. And from there, only about one in a hundred will ever get to the NFL. So many people fail to achieve what players like Rodriguez do that it, in reality, evens itself out.
The best way to resolve the issue is simple. If you TRULY find it unethical that players like Rodriguez make eight-figure salaries, make baseball unprofitable. Stop watching it on TV. Stop going to the games. Stop buying the ten dollar hot dogs. Stop buying the forty dollar t-shirts. The only way to ensure that the only players in the MLB are ones that are dedicated to the game and to the team and not money is to make it so unprofitable that the only people who would play baseball for a living are those who truly LOVE it.
To do the alternative, to regulate, would potentially destroy the entertainment industry as we know it. If a comedian knows that he would make just as much money behind a desk as standing up in front of a crowd and being judged every day, why would he continue to make jokes? If an actor knew that he could make as much money behind a desk, why would he fly halfway across the world on a moments notice to do thirty takes of the same scene?
To put a limit on an entertainer's value would potentially destroy all entertainment, all art, all culture. As much as we'd like to complain and say that its unfair that a baseball player makes more then most of us will in our life, we've all contributed to that baseball player's salary by the very act of watching his games. Its only fair that they get to keep what we give them.
I totally agree with this! People who play sports are great but really they don't do near as much for America and the American people as our armed services. I strongly agree that we should cut funding of sports. Athletes can strike like the NHL did but, if they are only playing sports for the money there playing for the wrong reason. The reason to play sports isn't to get paid and be rich, its to do something you love to do and make friends and teammates. Also entertainment sports are a huge part of the nations entertainment. So are people involved in the performing arts. People on Broadway work just as hard or harder to entertain people and they get paid millions less even though they are doing the same thing as the athletes. We should cut athletic salaries because its getting ridiculous how much we spend when we could be using all that money elsewhere.
We have the power to stop the salaries. If we all stopped going to the games and buying the team gear they would not have the money for the salaries.
WE HAVE THE POWER. I have not gone to a profession sports game in years.
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