Running head: PRO ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH

Professional Athletes Are Paid Too Much

Josh Denton
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

PRO ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH

Professional Athletes Are Paid Too Much

The average professional athlete makes more money in one game than an average
American family will make in over ten years. As much as I enjoy playing and watching sports I
do not feel that an athlete should receive excessive amounts of pay for a job that is primarily
entertainment. How would you like to take home $52,000 for one day of work? Would you and
your family live differently than you do now? If you were a professional athlete you could
possibly take home this amount of money while your friends and neighbors are struggling just to
feed their family with a small amount of income.
Each year it seems that athletes are holding out for higher paying contracts. They feel that
they are not being treated fairly. Their agent tells them to hold out for more money because he
feels that they are worth more than they are being offered. Many of the athletes dont even know
how to manage their money. They claim that they need millions of dollars to support their family
and the lifestyle they are accustomed to by spending millions on houses, cars, travels, etc. and
yet they never invest their money for retirement. A large number of athletes have had to file for
bankruptcy due to poor choices with their money. According to the Bloomberg Business Week,
some athletes such as Scottie Pippen wasted $120 million and boxer Evander Holyfield
squandered more than $200 million. It is estimated that six to eight percent of NBA players end
up broke. Many pro athletes live in the moment with no regard for the future (Rodriguez, 2011).
The problem with athletes earning millions of dollars is that the average American is
struggling to pay their mortgage, feed their family or pay off student loans. The average

PRO ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH

American employee is being overlooked for pay increases while the pro athletes cant seem to
get enough money. Teachers, doctors, police officers, firefighters, and businessmen are all
working hard every day to provide education, health, advice, protection and safety but no one
seems to really think about how much money they take home at the end of the week.
It seems that entertainment has become the focus of so many and not the hard working
American. Risking their lives every day to protect us and provide safety are the police officers
and firefighters. Still they only make a small fraction of what pro athletes make. Even the men
and women in the military will leave their families to go and defend our nation with no promise
of returning home. Yet they make very little compared to the pro athletes. Where is the logic in
this?
Instead, Americans are putting their emphasis on entertainment. They are willing to pay
enormous amounts of money for sports game tickets and therefore creating more revenue for the
owners. This in turn forces the owners to pay more money to keep the pro athlete that everyone
is coming out to see perform.
What is even more disgusting about the salary of pro athletes is that many of them are
given million dollar contracts only to be a disappointment to the sport and are benched. Yet
while they are benched they are still earning millions of dollars. Tim Tebow is an example of
this. Tebow an American football quarterback was traded by the Denver Broncos to the New
York Jets in 2012. Tebow played very little for the Jets and was released in April, 2013. He still
however earned millions under his rookie contract. If you dont perform in any other occupation
as expected you would be dismissed from employment and walk away with little or nothing.

PRO ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH

You may be thinking that athletes are being paid according to the extent of their job.
Look at the comparison in employment. Pro athletes will take home more money in a year than
many people will take home in a lifetime. One of the highest paid Cubs players in 2012 was
Alfonso Soriano. This Cubs outfielder made over 19 million dollars in one year. The average
doctor takes home about $500,000 for the year and an astronaut makes just over $170,000 for a
year. The average teacher in the US takes home on average of $40,000 for one year of work. Do
you feel that what the athletes bring to society compares to a physician, teacher, farmer or the
President?
A person should be paid according to their economic importance and value to society.
For example, teaching our youth is essential for our future economy and yet a pro athlete will
earn more in one game than the teacher will take home in a year. A teachers job is to provide the
tools for students to function in society. Yes it is true that a teacher may be limited on the
number of lives she reaches while an athlete may entertain thousands of fans however what does
society gain from the athlete. The teacher of children and youth will encourage them to be
doctors, lawyers and politicians. A doctor will provide care so that an individual can continue to
prosper in society. A farmer works hard to provide the food for society. Even the President of the
United States, who is one of the most important men in our nation making critical decisions that
affect our daily life, only makes $400,000 a year. The pro athlete just provides a couple hours of
entertainment each game (Bhagat, 2010).
Many pro athletes dont even set a good example for the fans. Yet they are treated like
some kind of god that is above reproach. Just look at Kobe Bryant, star basketball player with
the Los Angeles Lakers who in 2003 was accused of sexual assault. The charges were dropped
but he admitted to a sexual relationship. His multiple NBA championships quickly won his fans

PRO ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH

over again. Mike Tyson a retired heavyweight boxing champion was accused of rape in 1991. He
was convicted but only served three years of a six year sentence. He made it back into the boxing
ring and won the hearts of his fans. There have been so many other scandals involving pro
athletes and yet they always seem to come out on top. Even the fine that may be imposed on
them is nothing in comparison to the huge salaries that they make. It would be like a person
making $40,000 a year and being fined $5.00 (Mike Tyson, 1970).
To make it into the professional sports arena is not an easy accomplishment. It takes huge
amount of hard work and dedication. Many pro athletes have been training for their career choice
since youth using their God given talent for this prestigious reward. They must prove that they
can run a little faster or move quicker than their opponent or even sink a three pointer from mid
court. And yet other professions also require hard work and dedication. A doctor must attend
four years of college and then four more years of medical school. He or she must then apply to
different hospitals and hope to get accepted. They will start out at the minimum salary and work
several more years just to reach a decent pay. They will put in long hours working nights and
weekends just to become established in their profession. And yet the salary for a doctor will
never reach the equivalent pay of a pro athlete. I also realize that the athletes health risks
involved in their profession is very high compared to other occupations. Many of their injuries
can result in a lifetime of pain but so can the risks for firefighters who enter burning buildings
and are exposed to the extreme heat and smoke inhalation.
Pro athletes bring in the money for the owners and teams. High paying contracts for
exceptional players will attract the fan which in turn keeps them interested and guarantees
continued attendance to the games. The fans will not only spend money for the ticket to the event
but will also spend money for food, drinks and souvenirs.

PRO ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH

Not all of the high salaried athletes are irresponsible. Many of them use their money to
help benefit others. Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints quarterback and his wife founded the
Brees Dream Foundation. This very successful foundation is working on the fight against cancer
and is also providing education and care for children in need. Jay Cutler, the Chicago Bears
quarterback founded the Jay Cutler Foundation. Cutler who has diabetes focuses his attention on
diabetes awareness and help for those suffering from diabetes. Greg Biffle a Nascar driver
started the Greg Biffle Foundation. Biffle along with his wife are advocates aimed at improving
the well being of animals. Ben Roethlisbergers Foundation supports K9 units for police and fire
departments. Roethlisberger the Pittsburg Steelers quarterback also helps with the Make-a-Wish
Foundation (Vossekuil, 2013).
Too much emphasis is being placed on entertainment today than on the hard working
individual. If you were to have a medical need or an emergency you would not call the pro
athlete for help. You would reach out to the nearest doctor or police. And yet Americans are
investing hundreds and even thousands of dollars to be entertained each week. Its time for the
fans to stand up and say no to the huge cost of ticket prices and souvenirs. Families should be
able to attend a sporting event without it costing them a weeks pay. We need to get the attention
of the owners and make them realize that paying these athletes enormous amounts of money is
not helping the economy. They will have more fans attend the games if the ticket prices were
lower, the food and drink prices were more economical and the souvenirs were available at a
much more affordable price. This in turn would bring in more money while helping the average
American and giving them the opportunity for great entertainment. We also need to stress to the
owners that we do not approve of giving huge paychecks to athletes who display inappropriate

PRO ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH

behavior. If athletes are going to entertain the family they need to be setting a much better
example.
As stated earlier the average professional athlete makes more money in one game than
an average American family will make in over ten years. The emphasis on pro athletes and their
salary is making it harder for the average person to make a decent living in society. It is time for
a change in the pay of pro athletes. Instead of rewarding them for weekly entertaining Americans
they should be emphasizing the importance of their career choice. Owners need to make them
aware that it is not always about them but what they can give back to society. There should be
limits to the amount of money that a pro athlete can make in a year and give the money that is
saved to many individuals in need. This would spark an improvement into the economy and
everyone would be rewarded. Athletes should also be held more accountable for their actions.
They need to be a more positive role model for youth on and off the field. If they are convicted
of a crime they should be punished accordingly and their fame and fortune should not control the
outcome of their punishment.
Americans need to realize the importance of the average working individual and their
role in society. They need to focus more on what is important in life and not just on being
entertained. The athletes need to focus on what they can do for society and not so much about
themselves and what they can obtain. If we became a less self-centered nation and a more giving
and caring nation we would see changes in all areas of life including our income.

PRO ATHLETES GET PAID TOO MUCH

References
Are They Worth the Big Bucks?. (2013). Scholastic Action, 36(12), 18, Retrieved November 2,
2014, from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.rccc.edu/eds/detail
Bhagat, M. (2010, March 21). Do Professional Athletes Get Paid Too Much Money? Retrieved
November 1, 2014, from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/366795-do-athletes-get-paid
too-much-money
Garratt, A. (Ed.). (2011, September 23). Are athletes paid too much? - The Gazette. Retrieved
November 2, 2014, from http://www.westerngazette.ca/2011/09/23/are-athletes-paid-too
much
Kim, M. W., & Carew, C. (2011). Are pro athletes paid too much? Hardly a day goes by that you
don't hear about a new multimillion-dollar pay package for a superstar athlete (or a pop
singer or Hollywood star, for that matter). Retrieved November 1,2014, from
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.rccc.edu/eds/detail
Mike Tyson Fast Facts. (1970, January 1). Retrieved November 2, 2014, from
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/03/us/mike-tyson-fast-facts/
Rodriguez. S. (2011, September 12). Kid Reporter Blogs. Retrieved November 1, 2014, from
http://www.sikids.com/kid-reporter-blogs/2011/09/12/do-athletes-deserve-millions
Vossekuil, E. (2013, January 8). 10 Charities Started by Athletes. Retrieved November 1, 2014,
from http://sports.yahoo.com/news/10-charities-started-athletes-182300443--nfl.htm