Are people paid FAIRLY?

Are people paid FAIRLY?

-ONITORß9OUR #OMPREHENSION 3%4ß!ß0520/3%ß &/2ß2%!$).' 2EADß±0ROß!THLETES ß 3ALARIESß!REN Tß/VERLYß %XORBITANT²ßTOßLEARNßHOWß THEßAUTHORßSUPPORTSßHISß OPINION A ß ß!2'5-%.4 4HEßWRITER SßCLAIMßISßSTATEDßINß THEßTITLE ß2ESTATEßTHEßCLAIMßINß YOURßOWNßWORDS ß A ß Based on the editorial by MARK SINGLETARY Bß ß %6!,5!4%ß 2%!3/.).' 2EREADßLINESß ß4HEN ß UNDERLINEßTHEßSTEREOTYPEßTHEß WRITERßUSES ß7ITHßAßPARTNER ß DISCUSSßWHETHERßYOUßTHINKß THISßUSEßOFßAßSTEREOTYPEß WEAKENSßTHEßWRITER Sß ARGUMENT ß?>@HDOLRKAß 0ROFESSIONALßATHLETESßINßTHEß5 3 ßAREßOFTENß PAIDßMUCHßMOREßTHANßOTHERßPROFESSIONALS ßINCLUDINGß DOCTORSßANDßLAWYERS ß4HEßWRITERßOFßTHISßARTICLEßSUPPORTSß THEßLARGEßSALARIESßOFßPROßATHLETES ß(EßTHINKSßTHATßTHEIRßHIGHß SALARIESßAREßNOTßSUCHßAßBADßTHING These days, I m seeing the salaries of professional athletes in a more positive light. I think pro athletes are selfish. And because of their huge salaries, in time professional sports will have to be reorganized. Bß EXORBITANTß IGß:/2 BIHßTUHNT ßMUCHßGREATERßTHANßISßUSUAL %,,!$!04%$ ).4%2!#4)6% 2%!$%2

But the players are no more selfish than the owners who pay the salaries. And the owners are no more selfish than the television and radio stations that pay so much for the rights to broadcast games. Still, pro sports work best when what people will pay to view or hear games matches the value of what athletes and owners have to sell. It would be awesome to train and play on a major league team. But at some point the fun might turn into work. I d probably think that I deserved the same pay as my teammates. And if I was a star player, I might end up asking for a little more than the average player. After all, I might think that fans were coming mainly to see me play. Also, I would notice that television stations pay huge amounts to show my games. And I would see that companies want to spend money advertising where my team plays. One argument for paying huge salaries to athletes is the brevity, or shortness, of their careers. One injury could end an athlete s career.

Fans are important to the success of the ball club. My teammates and I are responsible for winning fans. If I am a star, I can assume the fans come to see me play. When the fans come to see the stars perform, the team s value increases. I also know how much I make and how that relates to others that play my game. So, even though I may love the game, and playing the game is huge compensation, I want things to be fair. Being fair means that the athletes deserve what the fans are willing to pay. The owners probably don t care what the athletes make. They usually pass the cost on to ticket buyers and businesses that sponsor teams.

It seems fair to pass along as much money as possible to the players who make the games entertaining. The smartest people in pro sports are those earning as much and passing along as much money as possible. They also are looking toward the future. So, everyone benefits.

DO PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH? YES. For nearly a hundred years, pro athletes have demanded and received larger salaries than most other people of their time. What s disturbing and wrong today is that even average players make huge amounts of money. In 1979, baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan was the first athlete to get a $1-million-a-year contract. And now, just 25 years later, a $1-million contract offer is an insult. Professional athletes have made too much money for too long now. Today, pro athletes are among the wealthiest people in America.

Sports are entertainment. It s sad that pro athletes can make over a million dollars a year while teachers, police officers, and fire fighters make much, much less. Entertainment is a necessary thing, but it is not as important as many other jobs. What kind of message are we sending our children with these backward values? For young people, sports seem like the better and easier career path. Would a child rather play basketball and make millions or go to school for years and end up making $50,000 a year? Those who disagree say that it is not that simple. Becoming a pro athlete is very difficult. But fewer and fewer kids realize this. The NBA draft 1 is proof of this. Ten years ago, a high school player rarely skipped college. Now, lots of high schoolers try to be drafted. These players lose the chance to go to college. They struggle for years to get on a professional team. After that, without a college education, they struggle to find decent jobs.

Also troubling are the egos 2 of the athletes who get these giant paychecks. Kenny Anderson, who once played for the Boston Celtics, complained that he could not afford the insurance on his eight cars. This attitude is appalling. Athletes are paid far too much, but I believe it s our fault. We put too much importance on entertainment. Salaries in the sporting world were once carefully controlled. Today, greed and our thirst for entertainment are the main reasons pro athletes are paid too much.

Are people paid FAIRLY?