Are Athletes Overpaid?
Alec Morris
Miss Murfee
English 112 D-11
October 26, 2012
Are Players Overpaid? When sports exploded in the 1900’s athletes were paid like regular working citizens. Most athletes had to work over the summer to keep their mortgages paid. In present day, professional athletes are dished out astronomical salaries in exchange for their play. Many of these athletes have the opportunity to be set for life within the first years of their contracts. Eighteen and nineteen year olds are given multi-million dollar contracts. While these athletes are getting paid these ridiculous amounts of money, we have millions of hard working public service members that are getting the tiniest fractions of some of these contracts. In comparison, “each basket Kobe Bryant scores earns him equivalent to the average classroom teacher’s yearly salary” (Bhagat). It is clear that these players are making way too much money for their services, as it is immensely larger than the amount of money earned by the average person. Wouldn’t it be great to make over $100,000,000 a year? Michael Vick and other sports stars think so. But is that really a reasonable amount to be paying someone? These contracts are absolutely unequivocally unreasonable in comparison to the salaries of regular working people who contribute to our society more than an athlete ever will. Teachers are the most important part of our economies future as they are preparing our youth to step out and take on the world. These teachers are the backbone of our future society and yet our government does not give them enough money. Mihir Bhagat says, “the most important man in our nation, the president, who makes critical decisions that affect the entire world every day, only makes $400,000 a year. While President Obama is hard at work reviving the economy, the unproven rookie in the MLB is earning way over that figure.”
People in the military leave their families and put themselves in the line of fire for our country and they
Miss Murfee
English 112 D-11
October 26, 2012
Are Players Overpaid? When sports exploded in the 1900’s athletes were paid like regular working citizens. Most athletes had to work over the summer to keep their mortgages paid. In present day, professional athletes are dished out astronomical salaries in exchange for their play. Many of these athletes have the opportunity to be set for life within the first years of their contracts. Eighteen and nineteen year olds are given multi-million dollar contracts. While these athletes are getting paid these ridiculous amounts of money, we have millions of hard working public service members that are getting the tiniest fractions of some of these contracts. In comparison, “each basket Kobe Bryant scores earns him equivalent to the average classroom teacher’s yearly salary” (Bhagat). It is clear that these players are making way too much money for their services, as it is immensely larger than the amount of money earned by the average person. Wouldn’t it be great to make over $100,000,000 a year? Michael Vick and other sports stars think so. But is that really a reasonable amount to be paying someone? These contracts are absolutely unequivocally unreasonable in comparison to the salaries of regular working people who contribute to our society more than an athlete ever will. Teachers are the most important part of our economies future as they are preparing our youth to step out and take on the world. These teachers are the backbone of our future society and yet our government does not give them enough money. Mihir Bhagat says, “the most important man in our nation, the president, who makes critical decisions that affect the entire world every day, only makes $400,000 a year. While President Obama is hard at work reviving the economy, the unproven rookie in the MLB is earning way over that figure.”
People in the military leave their families and put themselves in the line of fire for our country and they
Cited: Bhagat, Mihir. "Oakland Raiders." Bleacher Report. N.p., 21 Mar. 2010. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/366795-do-athletes-get-paid-too-much-money>. Carew, Chrissy, and Won M. Kim. "Are Pro Athletes Paid Too Much?" Are Pro Athletes Paid Too Much? 19 Sept. 2011: n. pag. EBSCO. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. Knight, Alexander. "Athletes Make Too Much Money." The Gramblinite. N.p., 19 Mar. 2009. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://www.thegramblinite.com/sports/athletes-make-too-much-money-1.22378>. McPartland, Ben. "Ibrahimovic 's PSG Salary 'disgusts ' French Politicians." FRANCE 24. N.p., 19 July 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://www.france24.com/en/20120718-france-politicians-slam-disgusting-salary-psg-zlatan-ibrahimovic-football-tax-wages>. Scholastic. "Are Actors & Athletes Overpaid?" Scholastic Scope 15 Oct. 2007: 22-23.EBSCO. Web. 18 Oct. 2012.