Why Do Professional Athletes Be Paid?

Do you think professional athletes are overpaid? You might think they earn more than what they are worth for playing half a year, but athletes have many things which contribute to their salary. Some of these things include their earnings from endorsements, ticket sales, performance, merchandise, their social contributions, and TV ratings. Although there are many factors that contribute to their salary, professional athletes may be overpaid because as a society, we contribute to their success. So, in the end, part of the athlete’s salary comes from the people who support the sports in the first place. These are just some of the reasons why athletes are paid so much money.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and major division one programs are reeling in millions of dollars from the performance of students at their respective institutions. The athletes are compensated with scholarships in tuition, books, housing, and meals. Even though the athletes are receiving compensation from their universities, student athletes deserve to be paid because of the time devoted to being an athlete, the business behind the NCAA, and the profitability of the athlete’s own image.

Imagine playing a professional sport and earning millions for sitting on the sidelines. This is what a salary cap is for. Many athletes such as Brock Oswieler, making 72 million dollars in a four year span, or Alex Rodriguez, making 275 million dollars in a 10 year span, are getting paid way too much. Some players deserve high salaries, but salary caps should be used and decreased in professional sports because a lot of players are being paid monster salaries for sitting on the bench and not being there. The team can’t overspend. Finally, some players get paid tens of millions.

Most people would not complain about athletes making a lot of money. After all, we pay to watch them perform. We root for the ones that play for our teams, and root against the ones that play for the opponents of our favorite teams. The athletes earning the league minimum in a variety of sports are among the top 1% of wage earners in the United States. The problem is, a number of them don't know how to handle money. Among NBA players, 60% file for bankruptcy within five years or less of retiring, according to Wyattresearch.com, and the percentage of former NFL players filing for bankruptcy within the same time frame is even greater--78%. Could part of the reason be their extravagant, some might say dumb, purchases? Following are ten athletes who made some of the dumbest purchases ever.

cafe is closed that provides food, buy toilet paper when it runs out in their residence,

People that are against paying college athletes always state that paying the student would decrease the competitiveness in the league, but really if student athletes didn't have to worry about their finances, they could spend more time focusing on their respective sports and classes, helping prevent underperforming athletes. Thus creating a more competitive sport because all the athletes will have more time for training and the athletes will get them into the mindset of thinking that the better they play the more they get paid.(Steve

College athletics is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States. Games are often broadcasted on prime time television, and the athletes are not paid a cent. So how is that? Recruitment is the answer. The student athletes are promised an education and facilities in return for the athletic ability on the field or court. And the same goes for any business, except money is the exchange.

Gracie was in the final round of her gymnastics competition. The judges were announcing the first place winner now. “...... in second place. And last but not least, in first place….. Gracie!!” Gracie jumped in the air as her ponytail began flopping on her head. She ran up to get her trophy. After all this, she looked around and noticed that second place, third place, fourth place, fifth place, all the way down to last place were all awarded trophies that all looked exactly the same. Every detail... the foot high structure with the stars at the top, the blue lettering spelling out “great job” in the middle, the coloring, were ALL the same. Suddenly, she did not feel as much of a winner. She wondered why the people who did not work hard, goofed around during practice, and fell more than once during their routine got the same reward as she did… the one who worked hard everyday. The one who took her preparation very seriously. The one who practiced for perfection each day. So, why should inattentive people be rewarded with the same thing as the dedicated people? Why should athletes work hard when they know that everyone will get a trophy anyway? Of course, there

It seems that we have an entitlement issue with our young adults; an issue even those young adults wholly admit to. But perhaps nothing betrays this point like the following chart. The Washington Post asked Americans whether kids who participate in youth sports should get trophies just for playing, or only for winning. A strong majority of Americans (57 percent) said only the winners, but then you look at the age breakdown. Though older Americans are overpoweringly in favor of trophies for winners only, those 18-24 favor participation trophies all around. I suppose its best now to make a name on this topic for this generation maybe titled “The Give Everything to for no Work” Generation. Here’s a big kick for you as well, Washington Post also posted a graph that showed those in favor of only preferring winners, also made more money than those that are all for participation trophies. So see everyone, winning really does pay. But it doesn’t just pay, it builds people into strong individuals that know what it’s like to fall down and get right back up. Those in favor for only having winners get trophies make on average 46% more than those in favor of “Everybody’s a Winner”.

“Defeat is not the worst of failures.  Not to have tried is true failure.”  -George Edward Woodberry.  This quote is relevant to the question because if you have a bad GPA you're not trying, thus losing.  High school athletes should have to keep their grades up to play a sport.  There are three reasons for this.  First, if they have good grades and are good at sports, there’s a better chance of getting into college.  Second, grades keep them motivated during sports.  Lastly, it helps lessen the stress of paying for college.

Student athletes attending a major university on a full scholarship are likely to be receiving an exclusive package that could potentially cost $50,000 to $125,000 per year. The amount they receive depends on the sport they participate in and whether they are attending a private or public school. (Dorfman). Due to the amount of money these athletes are currently being rewarded, they should not get paid for participating in their sport of choice; nor should they be allowed to take endorsements.

Student athletes in extracurricular activities should not receive participation trophies. This is because the system would be incredibly redundant and an embarrassing display. Firstly, it creates a sense of false motivation that leads to entitlement. However, the trophies could not motivate the athlete to go above and beyond the next time around. Lastly, these "trophies" would reward those that did not try as hard as those that put more work and effort into the sport.

, in this society today the world contains a huge amount of students athletes that may have a successful future ahead of them. Being a student athlete comes with a lot of responsibilities due to the fact that you are coming very close to being an adult. In my opinion, I strongly believe that playing sports in high school is a privilege and should be maintained with good grades. If students are not able to keep up with their academics and sports at the same time, how are they supposed to be disciplined enough to handle the responsibilities the real world as a grown up? Kids now these days rely on their sport skills to get into college rather them be academically balanced. How far will sports really get you? Continuing this policy may make the students realize that life is all about balance.

“In Angola in early January a gang of shooters sprays the bus carrying the national soccer team of Togo, killing three people in the process, and a local terrorist group announces that as long as the Africa Cup of Nations tournament is played on Angolan soil, fresh homicides will be committed” (Hitchens).

Salary caps are necessary in sports because they prevent a few teams from acquiring all of the best athletes in that league, in sense creating an, “all-star team.” Without some type of salary cap, a select few teams would be paying players more than any other team is capable of, and by