Eng II Comm. Per 2
Ms. Taylor Johnston
13 November 2012
Professional Athlete Salary
Professional athletes today are being paid big bucks, and many of the athletes are being reckless with that money. Athletes should be getting a lower salary because that money could be helping so many people and causes. Soon, some natural disaster will happen in your area and there won’t be enough money due to the fact that athletes are taking it all. Athletes should be paid less because colleges are going bankrupt, it is affecting fans, and the increasing salary is starting to hurt other players.
The fans of all the sports teams are being impacted. According to Ron Scherer, many problems are rising due to the rising salary for athletes. Labor …show more content…
strikes and problems such as the fans paying for the athlete 's payroll have risen (Scherer 1). Fans should not be impacted because they are already paying to see them play at their best by watching TV. Another group, mentioned by Scherer, being affected are children. Children 's futures are being twisted and fantasized. Kids hear the salaries, and that 's all they want to become - professional athletes that may go down in history. Before long, your children could be having only one dream – to be an athlete, and that could impact many parents as well (Scherer 1-2). Children should have a broader job choice and should be warned of the dangers of that much money. Not only are fans being impacted, but also many other players.
The increasing salary for professional athletes is affecting many minor players. According to Albert Spalding who was quoted by Stefan Fatsis, in this economy, "’bankruptcy stares every team in the face,’" but the salaries are still ridiculous. The Knicks pay Stephen Marbury $21 million to be a benchwarmer, and the giants kept Plaxico Burres on the $35 million contract even after he recklessly shot himself in the leg (Fatsis 1). Many teams have many benchwarmers, and a few star athletes. Many benchwarmers don 't even get playing time. According to the article, “At Issue: Athletes’ Pay,” Opposers say that athletes earn the money they make for all the injuries and sweat they go through (“At” 1). A lot of money could be saved. Salaries are also impacting players in this reason. "Non-elite players" are bound to see lower paychecks, says Stefan Fatsis. He says that since non-elite players have no guaranteed contracts, many of them will be receiving fewer years on contracts and may be forced to settle for the minimum salary for an athlete (Fatsis 2). These high salaries are affecting those who wants to play, not those who are paid to play. The increasing salary is also affecting many colleges.
Many colleges today are going bankrupt due to the increasing number of players.
According to Al Dunning in "Christian Science Monitor New Service", many good colleges are starting to lose a lot of money. "Most colleges and universities simply cannot afford it" (Dunning 1). Making scholarships means needing more workers, which means money is going and soon to be gone (Dunning 2). Scholarships should be rewarded to those who truly deserve it and are very talented. Many colleges well known for their athletic department may not be available to the younger generations due to all the money being spent earlier in the years. What if one of those people was you? I love to play soccer, and I plan on playing in college. But if many of the colleges are not available anymore, I have one less thing that I would love to be doing. I could have the possibility of doing what I hate for the rest of my life. Another reason, mentioned by Al Dunning as well, colleges are going broke is due to a notion proposed during the NCAA convention. The notion says to pay the athletes so that they would "suit up" and be suitable for more stuff (Dunning 1). If only the students that showed great potential were paid, much money would be saved. Clearly, increasing salaries are affecting many
people. The increasing salary is impacting many people, such as college students, fans, future generations, and other players for professional athletes. These are just several reasons athlete salary should be reduced. Athletes everywhere are indirectly hurting many people, and can even be hurting you.
Works Cited “At Issue: Athletes’ Pay.” ProQuest LLC. (2012); n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.
Dunning, Al. “Paying Athletes Would Bankrupt Most Colleges.” Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN). (09 Jan 1995): p. D.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Oct 2012.
Fatsis, Stefan. “What Recession? We’re Ballplayers.” New York Times (New York, NY). (07 Dec 2008): WK. 5. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 05 Nov 2012.
Scherer, Ron. “Sports Salaries Soar, Impact on Fans Grows.” Christian Science Monitor. (13 Nov 1998): n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Oct 2012.