...since Chad is lacking in time to post.
What I am about to write is controversial (and stirred quite the heated debate with my boss the other day) and will hopefully not compel Chad to ban me as a future guest blogger. As I went to buy my little brother tickets to Bruins game for Christmas, I was reminded of something that always irritated me when reading through the program before a Redsox game: massive sports salaries. I tend to look at salary worthiness in terms of job importance. The President of the United States earns an annual salary of $400,000 while Pedro Martinez earns ~12 million each year. Indisputably, the POTUS has one of the most important jobs in the world, while Pedro's job is dispensable. I understand that the salary of the President is paid by taxpayers while the salaries of sports stars are paid by GMs, making rational choices, and advertising revenue. I also acknowledge that players earning these astronomical salaries are "superhuman" beings of athletic superiority. I still think that paying players millions is unnecessary and, in some ways, takes some of the fun out of the game (as does trading players just to have the best team). I try to look at this issue from a logic and facts-based position but I always hark back to principled benevolence. It would be nice if some of the benefits came back to the average families trying to take their kids to see their sports idols. I think I would be satisfied if kids ate for free at games…or if there were games where children (<12) could attend for free. Bureaucrats and polititians still aspire to the Presidency regardless of the salary. Would sports players be less motivated to excel in their field if they knew the max salary would be capped at, say, $1 million?
What happens in Washington, goes global
Welcome to America...err...Switzerland, now speak english
When he’s made of plaster…
13 years ago
1 comment:
Thanks for filling in Jacqui!
I have always said that the President's salary is an acceptable measure for other high 'performance' individuals. I would actually allow up to $500,000-$1 million/year.
Something along these lines that I often consider is that the whole scheme of sports is completely backwards to the rest of society. Instead of being about getting an education and a graduate degree, instead it is about physical ability (and accordingly decreased concerned about education). At one point will there be a fork in the road where are youth will have to choose between an education or their physical abilities? With athletic performance constantly increasing, a delicate balance of the two will be less possible.
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