I wouldn't go so far as to say I dislike sports, even when I'm not
participating in any way. I'm pretty faithful with the big events, your
Olympics and World Cups and the like, and I've practically been to every home
USC home game during my lifetime. Still, as someone who has never been anything
resembling an avid fan, I'm as baffled as anyone when it comes to the huge
amount of money that flows endlessly into the sporting world. Assuming they
haven't cured cancer or solved world hunger, does a football or basketball
player really deserve $30 million? Is that even remotely fair?
Well, maybe
not. Then again, look how much money we as a society have given to the
Kardashians or Justin Bieber or the people on Jersey Shore. Or Stephanie Meyers—objectively,
I think it's hard to argue that writing four lowbrow vampire novels should earn
someone upwards of $100 million. But hey, if you the consumers are willing to
spend that much on these things, more power to you. That's capitalism! The
power to make wholly unremarkable people appallingly wealthy in return for whatever
inane entertainment they (or the corporate puppetmasters being them) are
peddling. Making millions upon millions to participate in a seemingly fun
pastime may appear unfair to those who have to show up to work every day—to
those in the military or civil service, to scientists or teachers—but a point
Jack noted should be some consolation: their careers will be over soon and
they'll have blown through all their money in a flash.
Really though,
it's not like we've ever striven for complete fairness in the way we compensate
people. Supply and demand can look illogical. You don't get paid based on how
kind you are or how intelligent you are, or even by how much good you do for others.
There's definitely no perfect correlation between salary and level of effort
put in.
If we're going
to go back to the sports topic, just look at college athletes. A star college
football player has to put in as much work as an NFL player and can generate
just as much revenue and excitement from fans. This on top of having to keep up
the "student-athlete" pretense, and yet they aren't paid anything at
all. Personally, I don't think the amount of money in professional sports is
half as troubling as the amount in the NCAA. And yet somehow with their billion-dollar
profit they receive tax exemptions as a non-profit organization.
You're right--I wonder why it is that we single out athletes so much? At least they work for their money. Leave the truckers alone and go after the Biebers and Kardashians.
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