venting about pay wages

[jbanach77]

ok so why do atheletes get paid so much just to play a game? while cops, fire fighters and teachers make the biggest impact directly on our lives and they make the least? sure everyone wants to be a professional athelete to make all the money, and no one wants to be in a career where it really matters. every year fewer and fewer people apply to trades, teachers, protection and doctors cause they want to be a pro athelete. and all pro athelets do is cry cause they aren't making 20 million a year when they make 17.5 million a year. what about the careers that really do things make a difference? they work everyday to make 25-50k a year and love life. when cry baby pro's complain about the 162 game schedule or the 16 weeks of football.

you know what i have to say to that, get a real job and stop playing a game. earn a living instead of sitting on a bench when your tired. you know what happends to me when i am tired at work? i keep working cause i know if i slack i can get laid off. they don't have to worry about that they get a substitute. i have built stadiums and they get the best of everything and still they complain. you know what i have to complain about? sillica or working in a hot panel with no protection and i can lose a limb, or die cause of it. i don't complain about the 10 degrees or rain i have to work in, cause they don't cancle work and reschedule the day.

you want to be a b***h, then be a pro athelete. college atheletes are the real show stoppers caue they never quit. watch college games instead.

sorry if some of you don't agree with me, but this is only a opinion

[SmithSR]

I agree with that. College football is much better than the pros, because you've got 11 guys on either side of the football who'll kill themselves just for the chance of making it to the pros and earning that 17.5mil. ...So, what you get is guys flying through the air, bashing each other, knocking each other out, and a whole lot more excitement, than the already-paid and contract-signed professionals. It ends up that the Pros won't take a hit, go accross the middle, or sacrifice for the ball... and the guys trying to make it to the pros, are absolutely going flat out and beating the living snot out of each other.

[jbanach77]

I agree with that. College football is much better than the pros, because you've got 11 guys on either side of the football who'll kill themselves just for the chance of making it to the pros and earning that 17.5mil. ...So, what you get is guys flying through the air, bashing each other, knocking each other out, and a whole lot more excitement, than the already-paid and contract-signed professionals. It ends up that the Pros won't take a hit, go accross the middle, or sacrifice for the ball... and the guys trying to make it to the pros, are absolutely going flat out and beating the living snot out of each other.

i completely agree, they play for the love of the game, and they don't even get paid. what i am saying is the pwople who should make the real money are cops, fire fighters, teachers and trades. they are what build society, and mold our children. give more money to the right professions and you will have a hugh pool to choose from and all the job openings will always have someone to fill them. teachers will teach our kids the best way possible, instead of just scratching the surface of the topic.

but take away the funds the cops use to break up our meets on friday and saturday nights so we all can enjoy them. go bust a robbery up and leave the cars alone

[Bunta240]

Cant blame the athletes. They only get paid that much cause America tends to love entertainment. As long as theyre ratings are up and theyre stadiums are packed, there is no reason for them to be making less money.

[Altiman94]

I agree with everthign tha thas been made. But I think military personnel have made the biggest impact on our lives, and they should be paid more. What they do is dangerous, compared to what an athlete does per say.

[toki]

I realize you were probably posing this mostly as a philisophical question, but the answer to your question is those game player are the indirect but fundemental reasons behind billions of dollars of commerce, from beer to small business to TV commercials. School teachers are not.

[BoyWonder]

I realize you were probably posing this mostly as a philisophical question, but the answer to your question is those game player are the indirect but fundemental reasons behind billions of dollars of commerce, from beer to small business to TV commercials. School teachers are not.

Somewhat true. If you think about it though, teachers have an indirect impact on the economy too. They get kids educated. Kids grow up, get jobs because of their education, and make money. They spend money buying things. Athletes get paid, like was mentioned before, because they can draw crowds. If everyone is paying like 40$ a ticket, at several hundred thousand people, that adds up quick. Not to mention all those ads everywhere you look. So I doubt that wages will be changing to reflect their importance to society any time soon. While people that risk their lives everyday making our society safe (police, firefighters, military, etc) aren't paid nearly enough, they definately have my respect.

[AZhitman]

The ONLY edit I would make to what's been said so far (brilliant stuff, and a sad commentary), is that pro athletes do indeed "work".

If you've ever seen the day-to-day of pro football training camp, it is absolutely brutal, Three-a-days, workouts, physical therapy, film study and playbook tests - And all the while, you're worried the guy next to you is gonna get your position and you're gonna get cut prior to the season's start.

Otherwise, right on the money, especially regarding our PD, FD, teachers, military and EMT's..

[Rex]

My 2 cents ...

Don't tear down who's getting paid more than you think they should be getting paid. Do what you can (locally/politically) to help get the people (PD, FD, Teachers, etc), you think should be, better pay.

Whether you agree with the concept or not, Society sets the pay scales. So, it's up to society to change them.

[StrangeLove]

We are society, and we need to work for change. I say lets cut the atheletes pay, and give it to the people who make it possible for them to play! The stadium does not run itself!

I think this should be applied to all business, less money for the CEO and board members of big corporations. Do you honestly think they need 100 million dollars a year? Give the money that they or hoarding to the little people of the company. It would make a huge impact for the people living paycheck to paycheck.

Oh well, it will never change, big business, the government, and everything else in the world is to corrupt and filled with greed to ever change...

Look at my signature... makes me sad...

[jbanach77]

the athletes in the 50's and 60's didn't make more than the next guy and then they had a full time job during the off season. and they had to endure the training camp and traveling. what makes this day and age better than those who fought for spots on a team? they endured more. the athletes of today are like rubberbands. and they demand top dollar for it.

i also agree with the comment on the military, they have the highest respect of mine, putting their life on the line every second of the day

[I Need $$$]

The best thing to happen to pro football: SALARIE CAPS.

I think the only reason the athletes get paid what they are getting today is because of the team owners. In theory the more they pay for a player the better season they will get, the more money they will get from ticket sales and the more bragging rights they have against their other billionaire friends. I also agree with the comments made about teachers and service needing higher wages. While we are dreaming of a better world can I fit free health care in there?

[InstantRice]

being an athlete (college) this hits close to home. Like Az said being an athlete is work, brutal, brutal, work. I have friends who are likely going to be pro players and they are complete machines. the training schedule is rigorous, they cant eat what they want. once in a while they'll sneak in a snickers but not to often.

and dont look at college football players like they are playing just for the love of the game. The great majority of them are playing FOR money of somesort. Nothing like paid tuition. Many college players are just playing until they can make it to the next level.

in the 50's and 60's pro athletes got paid as much as you and me because no one watched them. The NFL and Nba rally got their asses kicked by college sports. its hard to break established ties to a team. The Pro sports didn't really catch on till they started marketing an superior product (jim brown, superbowl, afl vs nfl, aba vs nba, wilt chamberlin ect ect.) baseball players i believe have always racked in the dough. As for teachers firefighters and the like i wish they could get paid more and then again i hope they don't. i hope they do because they deserve it, they mold this nation. (i kinda exclude cops in this from apersonal dislike but alot them deserve it too). In the same breath i hope they don't get paid more. The people who enter these fields usually truly love and genuinely enjoy their job. if the pay of teachers was increased they would end up being flooded by people just looking for a quick buck w/o the passion for the field. I know a person who is likely going to start at DE next year for UGA and he hates football, he lost all love for it when we where in highschool but he knows that football is where his money lies and so he has forced himself to do something he has lost all love for. I wouldn't want a teacher like that

[Jesda]

What about millionaire golfers?

[Rex]

What about millionaire golfers?

That's perfectly acceptable ... please don't kill a simple mans dream .

All kidding aside, the reason professional atheletes didn't make the big money (in comparison) is simple - commercialization. There was no Great American Ballpark, 3 Comm, Adelphia Field, Gillette Stadium, FedEx Field, etc back then. There was no multi-billion dollar TV deal either. Teher was no "Official" - Sports Drink, Car, Long Distance Service, Wireless Plan, etc.

Commercialization is what has allowed if not driven the professional atheletes pay into the stratosphere.

[Mr1der]

we pay to see athletes, we don't pay to see teachers or police and the like (well, except college I reckon)

who wants to see government worker salary increase and who wants to see tax increases though?

remember kids, working for the government is probably gonna piss you off, I'm sure we've got some irritated government employees here somewhere...

[BoyWonder]

Could commercialization in schools be a possibility? I realize there may be some laws in effect that don't allow this, but I remember my high school had one small area with a few commercial ads on the wall, so it must be possible to an extent. Just a tought, as that would allow more money for the schools while not raising taxes. Thoughts on this? Just throwin out some ideas.

[Rex]

Could commercialization in schools be a possibility? I realize there may be some laws in effect that don't allow this, but I remember my high school had one small area with a few commercial ads on the wall, so it must be possible to an extent. Just a tought, as that would allow more money for the schools while not raising taxes. Thoughts on this? Just throwin out some ideas.

I guess it is, and it almost happened in a suburb north of Cincy a few years back. They tried to sell the "naming rights" to the high school football stadium. They could never make it happen, b/c someone always had an "objection" to the potential sponsor. For example the "national" restaurant chain that was interested was turned down after someone made a big stink about them selling beer and alcohol (not to minors mind you), just simply selling it to "of age" patrons. Other potential sponsors were weeded out as well. The idea was that the money could be used for atheletics and that portion of the budget could be spent on a new computer lab, additional teachers or teacher "incentives".

Good discussion guys

[BoyWonder]

You can please some of the people some of the time..That's just a silly reason to turn down such an excellent and basically effortless source of money. I sure hope it wasn't a parent of a child that didn't play sports that complained.. they don't have to sell the 500 boxes of candy bars or 30 calenders or wrapping paper or whatever just to afford that warm-up or to reduce the cost of that out of state tournament. I'm sure something like that could have helped out tremendously with stuff like that.

[jbanach77]

i know training is very hard and taxing on your bosy. i was on the olympic track and field developmental team until i destroyed my acl and medial miniscus. i had to watch what i eat, the time i went to bed and what i did when relaxing. it is work, but i am saying the real career's that deserve the real pay are those who do the most for the people.

[InstantRice]

good look paying the vast number of officers, teachers, firefighters ect even the minimum pay of major sport. Just because they deserve it doesn't mean they should get it. I hate when people bring this up for the points i said above and the point that its just not fessible.

[Onizuka]

There is a word for equal pay for everyone, what the heck was it called again? oh yeah communism.

Everyone should be able to live like a millionair, but its just not posible, somebody has to do the dirty work, somebody has to take the low pay. If you stay in school and work hard, you have about the same opportunity to be successfull as everyone else.

[InstantRice]

Word.

[BoyWonder]

I'm not saying that they need to be paid like millionaires. Nor am I saying we should all be paid the same. We know communism doesn't work..Just the difference between the pay of sports players and firefighters/police/teachers/etc is crazy. All I'm saying is the gap could stand to be lessened a little. I don't think that's a crazy thing to want. The chances of it ever happening might make the chanes of winning the lottery look like the chances of winning in a game of rock/paper/scissors.