Are Professional Athletes Overpaid?

Are Professional Athletes Overpaid?

In recent years, the salaries of many professional athletes have soared, allowing them to collect millions every year for merely being on a team. Worshipped by their talent and the appeal of extreme wealth, many of these athletes do not see themselves as role models, which, in turn, affects society’s younger generation. Although many of these athletes are perhaps the world’s most talented in their fields, their significantly high salaries are unjustifiable when compared to the salaries of those involved in more dangerous, even life-threatening occupations. These athletes should not receive millions of dollars a year when representatives of the law and instructors to the youth do not even make half of
In Douglas Looney’s article, “Overpaid Athletes? It’s Fans That Make Them So” he declares that “[athletes] [are] obscenely and grossly overpaid.” In today’s society, one will be paid more if their occupation is more significant to society’s well-being. However, teaching is one of the most important professions because our future economy relies on the education of its adolescence, yet teachers are paid a fraction of the average professional athlete. The U.S. President makes choices that affect our economy and country yet according to the author of the article, “How Much Does the President Make Each Year,” the U.S. President makes only “400,000” dollars per year. Professional athletes do not play nearly as vital role in the economy as the president, but their salaries reveal otherwise. In Matt Bracken’s article, “Are Pro Athletes Really Overpaid,” he depicts that “the average MLB salary…was recently reported to be 3.34 million dollars.” These sports are theoretically supposed to be played for fun, not for millions of dollars. Athletes say they risk their well-being every game and every training session, but fire fighters, police officers, and military personnel have the same risks yet are not being paid millions of dollars. According to the author of “Police and Detectives” the author claims that police officers make an average of “55,000” dollars per year and firefighters make “47,000” dollars per year. Also according to the author of “Assessing Pay and Benefits for Military Personnel” military personnel make an average of”29,000-89,000” dollars per year. Their jobs are more significant to the economy and society yet are extremely underpaid. Doctors are well paid, but some doctors go through procedures that can change a person’s life. For example a surgeon can perform a transplant and save another human being’s life yet is still being paid less than the average