Are professional athletes.......

[mrrotten]

I've been thinking, are professional athletes overpaid? On one hand, is it really necessary for people to be paid millions and millions of dollars to play a game? But on the other hand, you can really blame a person for making as much money as they can, especially for what they're good at.

I think it's funny though when people will complain how much it's crazy how much players are making, though the same people will still go to game (which they complain is so hard to do for families due to the price for tickets, food, etc. at the stadium), get sport themed products (like shirts, hats, cards, throw blankets, etc), and watch the games on TV among other sources of revenue for the team. Which all those things lead to the teams to make more money, that leads to the teams being able to spend more money on the players, thus allowing the players to get bigger contracts.

If the people really wanted to see a change, they should find a different source for watching their favorite sport. Let's take baseball for example. Instead of using MLB for their source of baseball, people could go to the Olympics, minor league games, semi-pro league games, college games, high school games, little league games, etc. The some of the leagues might not be even remotely close to being as good as the MLB games and talent, as least the person is getting players who "want to play" the game (for the people who say MLB players are overpriced players who have no heart).

[MGH]

As far as I'm concerned if you find someone willing to pay you to play for millions, more power to ya.

Of course, some people get more money than they'll ever be worth on the field/court. Wizards giving Gilbert Arenas what they did, knowing how fragile he is, was ridiculous beyond belief.

[Thread Pirate Roberts]

Yes they are overpaid.

I don't hold it against them, I would do the same if I was in thier position.

I will just always think that 10-20 Mil a year is too much for what they do.

[strykerdarksilence]

I voted no, but it does largely depend. The wages in some sports are astronomically high at the top level, but anybody beneath that struggles to earn a pensionable wage. In cricket for example, any players who aren't having a benefit year or selected for their international team have to take a winter job to pay the bills.

[Slammywinner]

I think that athletes who are overpaid are less annoying than fans who can't stand "Manny being Manny."

[Wolfpack Bitch]

Yes, they're overpaid. They're getting paid more money in one year than the average human will make in a lifetime. They're getting paid to play a game.. a freaking GAME.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

I think the owners offer athletes too much money.

I don't believe in getting angry at the athletes for accepting the checks, though. They're only human.

[Push R Truth]

Your job is worth what somebody decides to pay you.




If you can talk somebody into giving you 120 million over three years, more power to ya.




I just don't like how people blame athletes for the money they make. They don't pay themselves, blame owners/General Managers.

[Mayonnaise]

It's tough to say. Yes the salaries are outrageous but, the number of people who can do that job at such a high level are few and far between so you have to outbid others to get the best and the salaries are a natural result.

Do I like that they get paid more than more essential people like teachers, police/fire/EMTs and others, no but, the number of people who work in those fields are nowhere near as limited as the number of great players out there.

Now rookies that have shown nothing on a professional level are easily overpaid.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

The earning time of an athlete to do what he does is brief. Its sad to hear what happened to most athletes back in the 50's and 60's. The owners get the money now from ads and other venue revenues today so the money filters back to the players and good for them.

Sure some are over paid as in they suck.

[VRM: LET'S GO BLUESHIRTS!!]

Yes......

Look at my favorite baseball team and say they're not overpaid....

[Deleted]

God yes. I know their occupation is generally not exactly a safe or repeatable (at high levels) one, but c'mon. They get millions upon millions to play a game and don't even have to do it all year round like us working stiffs. They generate a lot of money too but not enough to justify their outrageous pricetags. I just hate that even learned upscale occupations that contribute to society's salaries are dwarfed by the earnings of these eternal children.

[Cyno]

In terms of salary, yes they are. Especially when they make even more on endorsements and other things. Can't fault them for taking the money, though, as I'd do the same exact thing.

[Insomniac]

Compared to people who have more important/dangerous occupations, yes. But there's an insane amount of money out there in the sports world, so someone has to get it.

[erisi236]

Supply and demand, there's a limited number of people who can play pro sports and even fewer that can become big names.

Really, if the owner of any given club feels that "joe homerun" is worth what he pays him then by all means pay it, it's not my money.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Pro athletes aren't as overpaid as much as much as fun are overflowing with a false sense of entitlement to them.

The money comes from the owner, who makes money on hats, shirts, tickets, all the shit we buy as fans.

I don't believe they are overpaid, however, when they get locked out or go on strike, they get no sympathy from me.

Someone should have throttled Mike Modano when he said $9000 a month wasn't enough to feed his dog.

[Push R Truth]

Jan 12, 2009 14:33:12 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Pro athletes aren't as overpaid as much as much as fun are overflowing with a false sense of entitlement to them.

The money comes from the owner, who makes money on hats, shirts, tickets, all the excretory matter we buy as fans.

I don't believe they are overpaid, however, when they get locked out or go on strike, they get no sympathy from me.

Someone should have throttled Mike Modano when he said $9000 a month wasn't enough to feed his dog.

It's not his dog's fault that it would only eat Diamond Crusted Lobster Dongs.