Professional Sports Player And Their Salaries Essay, Research Paper

How does someone become a millionaire these days? What about going on a television show and answering fifteen questions correctly? Maybe you can get all seven numbers right on that lottery ticket you bought at the store last night. What about being lucky enough to make the right investment decisions with your broker? For some this might be true, but for others it is as simple as going to work and doing what they do best. The everyday man goes to work on a daily basis, does his best, and sometimes even achieves more than what is expected, and still does not become a millionaire. The reason for this is that I am not talking about the everyday man. I am talking about the professional athletes in the sports world. There is so much controversy as to whether these competitors really get the wages they are worthy of. These expert athletes work hard, bring excitement to our lives and deserve every penny they earn.

The team owners are paying their players more than they deserve. The professional athletes are being paid exactly what they deserve, and we, the fans, are the ones paying them what we want them to earn. We are the ones going to the games, buying the pro-athletic gear and souvenirs, and we are the ones who make it a point to watch those football games on Sunday afternoons. Do not forget about the Super Bowl games every year when they raise the ticket prices. If we did not want them to make this kind of money then we would not participate in the entertainment.

The athletes do not ‘work’ for their salaries, they are being paid to ‘play’ a game. This may be partially true. They are playing a game, but their ‘play’ is work. You cannot just get on the field and become the Most Valuable Player. It takes an enormous amount of time, constant training, commitment, discipline, will power, and determination to do what they do. Many of us go to school to learn or train for our job. The athletes do too. They just train and learn differently than we do. This does not mean they should be paid any less than someone who spent four or even eight years at a college getting a degree.

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Athletes play despite the pain they may be enduring at the time. Once time a New York Giant’s player fouled a ball right into his foot causing his foot to break. This did not stop the player from continuing with the play. The player ran to first base and relentlessly despite the pain continued. He then went on to steal second base. Eventually when the pain became overwhelming, he called it quits and got a replacement. These players put their lives on the line everyday, and still do not seem to get enough pay for what they go through. There are times that an athlete has to play despite an injury. When the average person gets surgery and has to rest for four weeks or so, we still have to take it easy for a while after so as not to re-injure ourselves again. An athlete cannot always do this. As soon as they are off doctor’s care, they are back on the field. Usually with some extra padding and bandages. No rest time for these folks. They have a job to do. Yes, a job.

The professional sports teams provide the average individual with hours of entertainment and excitement. Virtually everyone who is the best in the world at a specific job pockets the big bucks. If you were not then you need to be asking for a raise. If you are the best surgeon or the best lawyer, you will make the most money. If you are the best ball player or hockey player, it is only right that you make wages comparable to your talent. That is exactly what these players are doing. They are making the best money for being the best.