Do you think professional athletes in popular sports deserve their pay?

The cry baby whiners are overpaid. Those who keep their mouth shut and play it cool deserve more money.

mac said:

DO you believe that the top earning Football and Baseball (and even that silly other Football) players deserve the multi-million dollar salaries they get?

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You should have added actors to that poll.

I think that football linemen do not deserve what they get on average considering how short their career is and how extensive the damage to their bodies can be relative to the cupcakes who get all the glory.

Fisher said:

I think that football linemen do not deserve what they get on average considering how short their career is and how extensive the damage to their bodies can be relative to the cupcakes who get all the glory.

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Next to the quarterback linemen average the highest salaries in the NFL, especially offensive tackles and defensive ends.

mac said:

DO you believe that the top earning Football and Baseball (and even that silly other Football) players deserve the multi-million dollar salaries they get?

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Maybe, their performances generate billions of dollars a year, so it seems about right that they make six figures a year. The superbowl alone is a multibillion dollar event. The players salaries are really just a drop in the bucket.

Now, do I think it's right that men playing with balls is such a huge money generating scam that these entertainers are viewed as heroes, and generate more money a year than most skilled laborers and institutionally fundamental trades? Not a chance in hell, but people love their sports, and Americans have a long history of skewed priorities.

I like pro football a hell of a lot more before the money got big for all involved. Used to be they'd play in mud, linemen with their jerseys half out. It was once a hell of a game. Now it is more like choreographed contact. Everything is perfect. Everyone is perfect. Uniforms are perfect. Stadiums are works of wonder. Players are untouchable stars. I don't like much about pro sports these days. Even rodeos have light shows and fireworks. Bull****.

Cyndi Lauper was correct, money changes everything.

X Factor said:

Eh, it'd be a little difficult to sell tickets to watch most other people do their day to day job.

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My point exactly.

Deserve? No. But... is there anything inherently wrong with people negotiating whatever they can get someone else to pay them? Again, no, there is nothing wrong with that. From the athlete's perspective. I guaran-damn-tee you I would take that kind of money for my job if someone were willing to pay it.

Regarding sports, what I want to see stopped is government... read: taxpayer... subsidies of stadiums and arenas.

X Factor said:

Eh, it'd be a little difficult to sell tickets to watch most other people do their day to day job.

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George Carlin once did a funny bit about that. :lol:

radcen said:

Regarding sports, what I want to see stopped is government... read: taxpayer... subsidies of stadiums and arenas.

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At the very least, if the taxpayer is going to build the stadium for them in a city, they need to be under a strict contract that they will play in that city for a number of years-- to ensure that the city recoups its investment.

Viktyr Korimir said:

At the very least, if the taxpayer is going to build the stadium for them in a city, they need to be under a strict contract that they will play in that city for a number of years-- to ensure that the city recoups its investment.

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...and that the city charge a realistic rent. None of this token $1/yr crap.

radcen said:

...and that the city charge a realistic rent. None of this token $1/yr crap.

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Realistic rent isn't a concern. The reason they build those stadiums is tax revenues, which the stadium provides in abundance.

Viktyr Korimir said:

Realistic rent isn't a concern. The reason they build those stadiums is tax revenues, which the stadium provides in abundance.

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Subsidies for big money private sports entertainment is a concern to me.

radcen said:

Regarding sports, what I want to see stopped is government... read: taxpayer... subsidies of stadiums and arenas.

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I'd like to see no government involvement at all. Congressional hearings on suspicions of steroid use? Really? That couldn't have been done on the corporate level? The **** is ridiculous. It's just a damn game.

Now, how many of you that voted yes also believe that CEOs deserve the money they make?

mac said:

DO you believe that the top earning Football and Baseball (and even that silly other Football) players deserve the multi-million dollar salaries they get?

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I don't know much about the other silly football game's stadium history in the US but real football stadiums in the UK tend to be built by the teams themselves. Tax-payer support tends to be local taxes to finance redevelopment/ knocking down housing where a team wants to build or the loss of wasteland proposed for stadium rebuilds such as happened with Arsenal's "Emirates" stadium. The teams have to build finances and it might be a wealthy businessman or a nation sometimes such as the United Arab Emirates getting behind the "Emirates" stadium.

We don't have a lot of history of teams moving from one city to another such as I've read on the thread so far - teams here depend on their loyal fanbase to come through turnstiles and pay the wages / rent / building etc. The only case of a relocation from one city to another was Wimbledon F.C being moved to Milton Keynes to become the Milton Keynes Dons. The move was mainly because the club was to be forced to build a new stadium but the locals wouldn't allow it and the owners couldn't afford the costs of rebuilding on site.

ChrisL said:

-- if the players don't get the money then the owners will. All the money comes from the fans, so I have to go with yes.

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I have to say yes the players deserve what they get, historically in the UK, players were underpaid and the turnstile revenues went mainly to the owners. I don't see why 99% of revenue went to owners while professional players were paid around £200 or so a year in the 50's but I do support the players earning what they earn now.

Harry Guerrilla said:

It was built with help from public financing.

This is what it costs to subsidize sports teams.
In Stadium Building Spree, U.S. Taxpayers Lose $4 Billion - Bloomberg

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The new American owner of Liverpool F.C. John Henry must have originally thought he could do this in the UK and build the new Liverpool stadium in Northern Liverpool at taxpayer expense but when it became clear the club would foot the build costs - Liverpool announced they would be staying put and extending the existing stadium.

Before Fenway Group took over Liverpool there had been a 10 year plan to build a new stadium but the new owners (Henry's Fenway group) have gone for the cheapest option because they pay the bill themselves.

Link

mac said:

DO you believe that the top earning Football and Baseball (and even that silly other Football) players deserve the multi-million dollar salaries they get?

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IMO they earn it far more than the owners do theirs. I get a bit pissed at seeing all these dollars thrown around in professional sports while at the same time they insist that taxpayers build their stadiums for them under a threat of moving the team if they don't.

No, I don't. I also don't think that actors and musicians deserve to have their high salaries either. Although, they are the top of entertainment and there is money in that so based on the market they are entitled to earn that much.

jerry7 said:

It's never going to happen. Comcast owns NBC and is one of Obama's largest campaign contributors. You will never be allowed to pay only for the channels you watch. The industry is too powerful.

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Don't know if you recall but McCain several years ago was trying to bring up legislation to have cable companies offer ala cart sales of stations. It died a very fast death. Also, if I could pick and choose, I'd definitely drop all those bull**** religious channels and shopping networks. Thing is, cable companies PAY big money to ESPN and such channels to carry them, while irritating channels like religious and shopping channels pay the cable company to carry them.

Basically, they are both just nonstop infomercial stations with their hands out for cash and skimming some off the top for the cable company.

mac said:

DO you believe that the top earning Football and Baseball (and even that silly other Football) players deserve the multi-million dollar salaries they get?

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Yes. Why? Because these are the salaries they are paid. Do I think that athletes or actors "deserve" their salaries? No. They're entertainers. Who does deserve high pay? Those who serve--nurses, firefighters, and cops.

But get back to me when our society puts its money where its mouth is. Every time you pay a movie ticket price to watch a high school dropout such as Tom Cruise entertain you, every time you watch a pro sporting event, you are validating those obscene salaries.