Does anyone think that some of the salaries of major sports figures are a little outrageous?

Yup.

And yet, to quote Dennis Miller, “We have to stop paying teachers like the kid who delivers grit!”. And police, and firemen.

To be honest, I would be happy with just NCAA teams in the US, no Pro anything. Would put more money in our schools, but at the same time would force athletes to learn a little bit at the same time, instead of putting all their hopes into going pro.

But I’m from Buckeye Country, so college sports basically are pro.

Go Browns!

@ Trumi – excellent point. I can barely watch pro-b-ball.

I still love Pro Football but I am a Packer fan so it feels like college. (badger fan btw)

I agree, it is ridiculous. Tennis players are another great example. They get paid millions for hitting a ball back and forth over a net, and then, and this part really irks me, people pay to see it!!

Hmm.. I don’t know, I’m more upset about the compensation executives receive. At least the basketball player goes home after workouts, practices, or games in pain. A CEO sits at a desk and has a lobster lunch.

And the average athlete has a very short career. They might only make millions for a few years and then their career is over. It is pretty easy to land wrong and screw up your knee.

The owners and tournament organizers who pay them those salaries have decided that it is in general profitable to do so. In other words, they get paid that much because they’re bringing in even more money for the people who are paying them. Perhaps the question you really want to be asking is why the public will pay exorbitant amounts of money to watch Roger Federer play tennis but not to watch a superlative high school teacher teach class ;).

colin has said it all perfectly! To stop it, simply stop going to the games and/or start a grass roots movement to stop going to the games. Oh, and don’t buy any gear or equipment or products endorsed by athletes. Because for the big stars, their salaries are only the beginning.

In one word yes. You look at what teachers make, doctors, dentist, and other services that help people and compare the wages and then ask that question again…they are playing sports. Don’t get me wrong I love sports but I won’t pay there out rageous salaries by seeing them live.

jean – this is how they earn a living, so they pay taxes just like the rest of us, they just earn a whole lot more than most of us ever will.

I like to see major sports leagues as the revival of the Roman coliseum. Back then, the Romans had the concept of “bread and circus.” It meant that if you kept the masses fed and happy, you have absolute control over them.

Just as the romans watched slaves slay each other in vast arenas, we too have such pacifying events. It’s interesting how we pay individuals heaps of money to run up and down a field, chasing a ball. In between quarters, we’re flashed ads about fattening foods and drinks. When boiled down to this level, its easy to see how the powers at be are trying to keep us entertained and under control. They have our eyes glued to screens.

That all being said, there is definite value in athleticism. For some people, there is an unquenchable passion for the game. I’m sure you’d find some individuals who would play just out of love. It’s not the sports themselves that are bad. The problem lies with the organizations behind the scenes who are trying to keep us dumb and numb.