[Discussion] - Over paid Sportsmen

[Talya]

Okay a discussion. You can get points for this, please do not spam this thread.

 

So do you think that Sportsmen are overpaid (this includes women, but on average I think men get paid a lot more). Which sports pay more than others. Why do you think this is. Are they worth the money they recieve. Is there anything we can do to change it of you feel it needs it. There are just some of the questions you may want to answer and discuss, but feel free to bring in your own.

 

:)

[el Nynaeve]

Of course they are overpaid, particularly footballers(soccer players) here in England. Why should they get paid millions of pounds to kick a bag of hot air around the field in what is essentially a hobby? Given that from what I've seen of most footballers, they lack the intelligence to do much else in their lives like the rest of us. The more prominent ones seem to spend their money on their dolled up wives, big houses, fast cars, expensive things and flash jewelry.

[TheMasterDude]

Same thing here in America. The sport athletes are over-payed to play a kid's game essentially.

[Zophiel]

On sheer principle, most of our athletes are overpaid. If you can go pro, and get a salary, you're overpaid. I specify salary, because winning a tournament or race-- prize money-- is different to my mind. It's not guaranteed like a salary. Golf winnings, for example. Or NASCAR, which also gathers data for the car industry. . .and provides spectacular crash footage!

 

That said, I am also a shameless capitalist pig, so I am forced to consider the market-- where is all this money coming from they're being paid with? Well, ultimately, sports fans. Every time you or I pay for a ticket, a jersey, or buy a good or service that advertised in the Superbowl (though advertising money is a little less direct). The big bucks go to the sports and teams with the biggest draws.

 

I would also, for the purposes of discussion, point out that not all pro-athletes are flashy with their money. Yes, many are, but here in DC, at least, I know that many of the Redskins (for instance) do a lot of volunteer work. Mostly in the off season, but even some between games. They do a lot of work with the inner city kids, giving tons of time, energy, love and money, because they know how fortunate they are to be paid such outrageous sums for playing a game, and want to pass that fortune on. Likewise with our hockey team (Go Caps!). For every Michael Vick there's a Darell Green and Art Monk, the latter men who dedicated themselves to the community both while they played, and full time once they retired.

 

So, yes, I do think they're overpaid. But I also think it's the result of market forces. Maybe retarded market forces, but there you go. Soccer isn't as popular here in America, so the good players eventually go to other countries for the money there. Because the European people will pay them more.

[el Nynaeve]

No doubt Zoph. :P But I just get so tired of reading the BBC Sports news to find out that Man Utd or Chelsea or some other hot shot team has signed some european or african footballer for a ridicilous sum. Chelsea signed Michael Ballack for three years at £14 million pounds a year! I know Wayne Rooney gets paid even more than that and we seldom ever hear about what he's done for charity.

 

What bothers me as well, is that they seem to get away with a lot of stuff too. Steven Gerrard was just let off assault charges for punching someone in the face over music and it was on CCTV and they still let him off. >:( It's like they think because they're famous and because they're rich they can do what they want.

[Dunbar]

It disgusts me, truly

 

These people get to do something they, without a doubt, love to do, a sport, it's somewhat fun, and they get showered with money

 

Sure, I love football (SOCCER!) and there's many an athlete I think is pretty awesome, but I still think they could do with a decent wage-cut

 

And that's not the worst part, that's the insane transfer fees. Christiano Ronaldo recently transfered from Manchester United (GLORY GLORY) to Real Madrid for the mind-numbing sum of £80.000.000. Eighty million pounds. Imagine how much good those money could do. And instead, they're spent getting a whiny footballer from England to Spain. Not to mention his goddamned legs are insured for about the same amount.

 

Ach.

 

The world needs more humble athletes, like Paul Scholes (awesome, awesome man, doesn't bother with press and interviews, goes straight home to his family after matches, never, EVER brags or boasts or ridicules himself in public, and after Manchester United won the champions league final (biggest club soccer event) in 2008, instead of celebrating with his teammates he went over to comfort the players on the losing side, who were pretty heartbroken. And, even though he's an excellent player and has played over 600 matches for Man U, his pay is relatively small. That is, relative to other players.)

[Talya]

It's good Zop that a lot of your players do actually do something worhtwhile with their time, other than out showing off how much money they have. I think over here they could do with more players like that. Football (soccer) is the National sport, but all you hear of the players are what they get up to on their nights out, or what theirs WAGs are doing (wives and Girlfriends of said players who are a certain breed). Kids emminate these people (the boys the footballers, the girls the WAGS). El is right they do seem to get away with a lot more than your common guy on the street and fame and money can buy you some protection.

 

The ones that do do something else with their time, or when they are retired are mostly never heard of, becasue it isn't news worthy. Hearing about Paul Gasgoine getting drunk again, is much more likely to sell papers. I don't know how it works in the US but over here a lot of the players get taken on as apprentices quite young and if they have talent are trust into the limelight at a young age, most (not all) come from lower classes and so suddenly having that money can cause problems.

 

I enjoy watching the odd football match, but I don't like how much they are paid. I think we idolise this people and can't possible throw them out of the England team becasue they haven't been playing so well!

 

Personnaly I prefer Rugby and until recently this was an Amateur sport, so players aren't paid anywhere near so much, plus there isn't the money in it as their is in football. Again the Rugby players are more than liekly to have been to private schools (maybe not so much in recent years) but especially when it was Amateur as they needed jobs as well, and there were lawyers, Airforce pilots etc.

 

Maybe we should make the footballers try and work for a living and play football for the top teams!!

[Zophiel]

Oh, believe me, we have our share of a-hole sportsmen. Nothing will top Mike Tyson (boxer who raped a girl, bit off an opponents ear, and was still allowed back in the ring), but we've still got Michael Vick (Dogfighting, bastard!), and who can forget Dennis Rodman? *rolls eyes*

 

I think the reason we hear about the good stuff it that the sports writers and anchors need to talk about something during the slow times, so they'll go out of their way for the "feel good" stories. But, the good thing is, it's made it rather fashionable among pro-athletes to do charity work. The older, retired players that the younger ones look up to set a good example in this.

 

And, the governing bodies of each sport have, especially in the last decade, really cracked down on behavior, both in the arena and out. The commissioners are sometimes heavy-handed, but they've been overall very firm with the message "You will maintain decorum, and bear yourself with repect and integrity." Again, it's not 100%, but they are aware that these men are, for good or ill, role models for the youth, so by gum the folks in charge will have them be positive role models.

 

The lesson seems to be, that American's need to treat their politicians like the British, and the British need to treat their pro-athletes like the Americans. I mean, sure, Joe Gibbs is the Second Coming, and Alexander Ovechkin is the 12th Imam's little brother, but that don't mean much. Win yer games and don't embarrass the city that pays ya. Otherwise, get off our TVs. . .

[Talya]

I think becasue games here tend to be action packed (they only break for half time), that commentators spend all their time talking about what is happening. At half time the studio guys then chat about how the first half went, so not really any time os spent on the lives on individuals. It is mostly the papers that have all the info and gossip on the players. Of course doing good things does not sell papers as much as getting into fights, drinking etc.

 

When they do get into trouble, the governing body doesn't seem to do much. I think they should be made more responsible for their lives, especially the role model status they have. If they are getting so much they should be made to pay for indescretions, for bringing the game down. But it seems there is so much money around that they don't and they get away with it.

 

Recently there was a case of 3 Rugby players who refused to take a drugs test three times after a night out. Although it wasn't proved thay had been taking drugs, they got suspended from playing rugby for 8 months. It will make players think twice about doing what they did. If they just follwed the saem lines in football with the things that go on, it might be a little different.

 

 

[a pale tanned lover]

Umm i didn't want to get involved too much in this discussion but hey i'm here

 

The sports people who play are victims as much as anyone, they grow up playing a game they love, and if they are good at it, can go further, it is not their dictations that demand their pay but an over inflated business market with people running it with generally one goal, too make money.

 

Too any sporting personality i say fair play, use what gifts you were given and make what money you can, before you are past it in a very fast moving market.

 

As for role models, why should they be any different, because the press and people demand they should, what amount of money can make you lose most of the best years of your life, get judged in the sport as something too aspire too, look too your parents as someone you want to be.