Sports Obsession

ThatRobGuy · Feb 5, 2012

I felt this thread would be appropriate on SuperBowl Sunday

When there are threads on this forum pertaining to the wage gap and the unfair dichotomy in terms of salary, CEO's and wealthy business owners seem to be the main targets. I would think that professional atheletes would be bigger offenders than them.

If you take an owner of a company who makes $5 million a year and provides 300 jobs to people that pay $40k year, they get called out for being greedy and not giving themselves a smaller salary in order to give their employees a bigger one. However, you take a person who gets paid that same $5 million year to throw and catch a ball, and that doesn't seem to bother people as much.

I've heard several people that try to defend it by stating that the pro atheletes bring more business to the city and create more jobs, but the business it brings in is along the lines of hotels, restaurants, and bars (jobs that pay even less than the $40k jobs that the rich CEO is offering).

I saw it go down in Cleveland (the closest major city to where I live). They claimed that by investing money into Cavs & Browns, that would boost the city's revenue thus creating jobs. The only boosts we saw were to the salaries of the players and people involved in the sports organizations themselves. The unemployment rate and income levels of everyone else remained static.

Let's do some quick math:

NBA
Total Number of players: ~400
Median Salary: $2.4 million

MLB
Total Number of players: 750
Median Salary: $2.1 million

NFL
Total Number of players: 1,696
Median Salary: $1.4 million

$4,909,400,000 in yearly salaries that the players of the big 3 sports are making.

That's not including what other higher-ups in the sports organizations are making. That's also not including other sports like NASCAR, NHL, etc...

I would be willing to venture that the sports organizations above and the players are tying up more money than the CEO's on the Forbes 100 list.

According to another article...

Overall, CEOs of the 299 companies in the AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch database received a combined total of $3.4 billion in pay in 2010

So according to that report, the players alone make a bigger combined salary than the CEO's, and they're not in a hiring position and create almost no jobs (unless you count the supposed jobs that are created by a city having a good sports team, but as I mentioned above, those reports are a bit shady at best)

Sooooo,

If the true goal is to free up some money for the people who need it, shouldn't be be looking at pro sports before we look at CEO's?

166mm · Feb 6, 2012

Tying the money up? What, the jocks don't spend? Its entertainment, entertainers happen to be highly paid. And those teams create jobs for people other than the players.

The Paul · Feb 6, 2012

Well, a successful sports team does boost revenues from other businesses. People are motivated to blow money on stuff when the game is on. Not even just stuff related to the game.

But I think the difference who controls the money and what they use it for.

It's not even really wealthy individuals that are seen as a problem. They're often vilified, but it's usually wealthy businesses that use their money in an effort to subvert democracy.

Celebrities, sports or otherwise, just don't do that.

Autumnleaf · Feb 6, 2012

If you are mad about how much other people make then maybe you should do what they do to get what they have.

keith99 · Feb 6, 2012

Actually the OP rather understated the inconsistency involved.

Pro sports produces nothing in terms of real product. People cannot eat, drive or live in the product.

And viewing sport is readilly available for little to no cost.

I'd say the reason for the inconsistency is obvious, pro (and division 1 college) athletes have been turned into objects of adoration, almost little gods who are worshiped. If they make the cut of course. If they do not then they are used up and ready for the trash heap.

acropolis · Feb 6, 2012

A (highly) progressive income tax would neatly address that issue regardless of the nature of the job.

CounselorForChrist · Feb 6, 2012

I hate sports so much. Not only because to many Americans seem to worship it more then God himself, but also because its game of money adn greed. Why anyone looks up to this people is beyond me.

One NFL Player I read makes 42 million a year. He complained because he wanted MORE because he currently could not afford to live. Really?!? Having multiple mansions, cars, jets....etc and you need more money? I could make $42 million last through multiple life times! lol

Money is a dangerous thing. You never feel happy or satisfied when you have it so you just want more and more not realizing money and material objects will never bring you true happiness.

Not all sports are bad. I love watching the olympic games. a lot of the athletes are amazing and humble. I love Misty May and Kerry Walsh, they are amazing and very humble volleyball players. Such as people like Shaun White (snowboarding). I really love bowling even though for some reason its not considered a sport, people say it doesn't take skill but I'd like to see someone that hates it bowl a 300 (I have only once). Oh theres also Gymnastics. Such a amazing event!

lol sorry didn't mean to side track the topic. ^.^

Paradoxum · Feb 6, 2012

Many sports players get paid way too much. Stupid amounts. People care more about companies more though because they are the ones which screw with democracy, and bankers because of the economy.

I think sports players deserve their money less than businessman or bankers though.

166mm · Feb 6, 2012

xfreakazoidx said:
I hate sports so much. Not only because to many Americans seem to worship it more then God himself, but also because its game of money adn greed. Why anyone looks up to this people is beyond me.

One NFL Player I read makes 42 million a year. He complained because he wanted MORE because he currently could not afford to live. Really?!? Having multiple mansions, cars, jets....etc and you need more money? I could make $42 million last through multiple life times! lol

Money is a dangerous thing. You never feel happy or satisfied when you have it so you just want more and more not realizing money and material objects will never bring you true happiness.

Not all sports are bad. I love watching the olympic games. a lot of the athletes are amazing and humble. I love Misty May and Kerry Walsh, they are amazing and very humble volleyball players. Such as people like Shaun White (snowboarding). I really love bowling even though for some reason its not considered a sport, people say it doesn't take skill but I'd like to see someone that hates it bowl a 300 (I have only once). Oh theres also Gymnastics. Such a amazing event!

lol sorry didn't mean to side track the topic. ^.^

Highest paid NFL players for 2011:

Peyton Manning is highest paid player in NFL: report | Reuters

Gath · Feb 6, 2012

If people are willing to pay for it, they should be able to get the profits. Besides, in the case of athletes, who is the money going to go to, if not to them? Straight to the owner?

ThatRobGuy · Feb 6, 2012

Autumnleaf said:
If you are mad about how much other people make then maybe you should do what they do to get what they have.

I'm not mad at the players at all, I'm just pointing out that it seems to be a double standard when it comes to which rich people get demonized.

ThatRobGuy · Feb 6, 2012

Paradoxum said:
Many sports players get paid way too much. Stupid amounts. People care more about companies more though because they are the ones which screw with democracy, and bankers because of the economy.

I think sports players deserve their money less than businessman or bankers though.

Well....

I think pro atheletes can screw with democracy as much as a rich CEO can, just in other ways.

How many times have athletes figuratively gotten away with murder (in OJ Simpson's case, literally) just because of their money and pro sports status?

Not even at the pro level, but at the college level as well. I can't remember the guys name, but there was that football player from OSU who's coach set him up with only 3 classes (Art, AIDS awareness, and golf) just so he could maintain a C average and remain eligible to play. Granted, that's not as big of a violation as OJ's, but it still reflects how the "special treatment for athletes" stuff starts early.

ThatRobGuy · Feb 6, 2012

Gath said:
If people are willing to pay for it, they should be able to get the profits. Besides, in the case of athletes, who is the money going to go to, if not to them? Straight to the owner?

I agree. I'm just wondering why they aren't demonized and painted out to be the monsters like the CEO's are.

keith99 · Feb 6, 2012

miniverchivi said:
Well....

I think pro atheletes can screw with democracy as much as a rich CEO can, just in other ways.

How many times have athletes figuratively gotten away with murder (in OJ Simpson's case, literally) just because of their money and pro sports status?

Not even at the pro level, but at the college level as well. I can't remember the guys name, but there was that football player from OSU who's coach set him up with only 3 classes (Art, AIDS awareness, and golf) just so he could maintain a C average and remain eligible to play. Granted, that's not as big of a violation as OJ's, but it still reflects how the "special treatment for athletes" stuff starts early.

Oh the special treatment starts well before that, and to worse effect.

Try Highschool or before. Kids getting passing grades so the football (or to a lesser degree other) team won't lose a player.

That can ruin the prospect for some kids as eventually it catches up with them.

But there can be a flip side, things can be done right. The Jr High I went to actually did remarkably well in interscolastic sports, both the co-owners were sports involved and one wa flat out a sports nut. BUT they were both also teachers and took the scolastic part seriouly. Th esports nut gave one of the star players a non-passing midterm grade that made him ineligible. We beat the eventual league champs (I think with him, it was decades ago) but lost other games without him.

But he got his grades up, for real, by terms end. Sports can be used as a significant motivator when things are done right.

CounselorForChrist · Feb 6, 2012

Our relatively extreme christian friend calls things like the Superbowl "The Games of Greece". He thinks America is much like Rome in what we do and that we shall fall like Rome, who at its time thought it would also never fall.

dollarsbill · Feb 7, 2012

miniverchivi said:
I felt this thread would be appropriate on SuperBowl Sunday

When there are threads on this forum pertaining to the wage gap and the unfair dichotomy in terms of salary, CEO's and wealthy business owners seem to be the main targets. I would think that professional atheletes would be bigger offenders than them.

If you take an owner of a company who makes $5 million a year and provides 300 jobs to people that pay $40k year, they get called out for being greedy and not giving themselves a smaller salary in order to give their employees a bigger one. However, you take a person who gets paid that same $5 million year to throw and catch a ball, and that doesn't seem to bother people as much.

I've heard several people that try to defend it by stating that the pro atheletes bring more business to the city and create more jobs, but the business it brings in is along the lines of hotels, restaurants, and bars (jobs that pay even less than the $40k jobs that the rich CEO is offering).

I saw it go down in Cleveland (the closest major city to where I live). They claimed that by investing money into Cavs & Browns, that would boost the city's revenue thus creating jobs. The only boosts we saw were to the salaries of the players and people involved in the sports organizations themselves. The unemployment rate and income levels of everyone else remained static.

Let's do some quick math:

NBA
Total Number of players: ~400
Median Salary: $2.4 million

MLB
Total Number of players: 750
Median Salary: $2.1 million

NFL
Total Number of players: 1,696
Median Salary: $1.4 million

$4,909,400,000 in yearly salaries that the players of the big 3 sports are making.

That's not including what other higher-ups in the sports organizations are making. That's also not including other sports like NASCAR, NHL, etc...

I would be willing to venture that the sports organizations above and the players are tying up more money than the CEO's on the Forbes 100 list.

According to another article...

So according to that report, the players alone make a bigger combined salary than the CEO's, and they're not in a hiring position and create almost no jobs (unless you count the supposed jobs that are created by a city having a good sports team, but as I mentioned above, those reports are a bit shady at best)

Sooooo,

If the true goal is to free up some money for the people who need it, shouldn't be be looking at pro sports before we look at CEO's?

It's almost like godly worship. Sin? How could it not be?

The Paul · Feb 7, 2012

miniverchivi said:
Well....

I think pro atheletes can screw with democracy as much as a rich CEO can, just in other ways.

How many times have athletes figuratively gotten away with murder (in OJ Simpson's case, literally) just because of their money and pro sports status?

Not even at the pro level, but at the college level as well. I can't remember the guys name, but there was that football player from OSU who's coach set him up with only 3 classes (Art, AIDS awareness, and golf) just so he could maintain a C average and remain eligible to play. Granted, that's not as big of a violation as OJ's, but it still reflects how the "special treatment for athletes" stuff starts early.

Yeah, but he didn't try to lobby for any laws stifling freedom of speech or making competing with him illegal.

166mm · Feb 7, 2012

miniverchivi said:
I agree. I'm just wondering why they aren't demonized and painted out to be the monsters like the CEO's are.

Because they're not demons and monsters.

Gath · Feb 7, 2012

dollarsbill said:
It's almost like godly worship. Sin? How could it not be?

I don't think it's godly worship. No one's praying to Eli Manning or Tom Brady. They cheer for them and have respect for them-but it's not Godly worship.

That card seems to be pulled a bit too often by people who dislike celebrities...

Farinata · Feb 8, 2012

xfreakazoidx said:
I hate sports so much. Not only because to many Americans seem to worship it more then God himself, but also because its game of money adn greed. Why anyone looks up to this people is beyond me.

One NFL Player I read makes 42 million a year. He complained because he wanted MORE because he currently could not afford to live. Really?!? Having multiple mansions, cars, jets....etc and you need more money? I could make $42 million last through multiple life times! lol

Money is a dangerous thing. You never feel happy or satisfied when you have it so you just want more and more not realizing money and material objects will never bring you true happiness.

Not all sports are bad. I love watching the olympic games. a lot of the athletes are amazing and humble. I love Misty May and Kerry Walsh, they are amazing and very humble volleyball players. Such as people like Shaun White (snowboarding). I really love bowling even though for some reason its not considered a sport, people say it doesn't take skill but I'd like to see someone that hates it bowl a 300 (I have only once). Oh theres also Gymnastics. Such a amazing event!

lol sorry didn't mean to side track the topic. ^.^

I actually agree with the sentiment behind this. There is such a thing as using your attention, life, and resources in a meaningful way. Recreating crass competition using ignorant brutes doesn't qualify. I don't mean to sound high and mighty, but the fact that millions of Americans waste their time following their team, sports statistics, ESPN, and wasting heaps of money in the process, when they could be doing something much better, annoys me more than a little. And if there's anyone who deserves fame, societal privilege, and mountains of money, it sure isn't professional athletes.

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