RE: ADSactly Sports - The sports money machine: Are fans getting left out in the cold?
When doctors, teachers, engineers and physicists do their jobs in such an interesting and engaging way that others are willing to pay to watch them do it or emulate them in some way, then they'll earn more money. What makes athletes, actors and public figures interesting? Their talent and the scarecity of comparable talent is what provides leverage and adds value.
Personally, I enjoy baseball as much as anyone. And I do not begrudge the players the money they make.
But I do think it is a sign that our priorities are out of order. Rather than spending an exorbitant amount of time and money at a ballgame to watch other people (albeit the best players in the world) play baseball, fans would have better lives if they spent less time as spectators, and more time as direct participants … in almost any activity they might enjoy.
Living our lives vicariously has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. It is unhealthy, ultimately very unsatisfying, and nothing to brag about.
I think you are spot on with the “living vicariously” statement. We are watching people do the things we wish we could do. People should spend more time out playing the games themselves and enjoying the exercise and fun. You can’t really blame the players for salaries. If people are willing to pay them the money then who are they to say no. It is just sad as you say that our priorities are out of whack. Thanks for the great comment.
The problem is not the players getting paid those salaries. Some of them deserve it because they train hard everyday to stay on the top in order to be the best in their sports. The problem here is society systems that categorize some types of people, ruling for what they worth.
Athletes are paid on performance-based while people in other fields (teachers, doctors, so on) fall wrongly in that unfair categorization. Unless they work on their own, they're going to be treated professionally and economically just like their pairs no matter if some of them stand out from the rest.
And we know that everybody have different skills and capacities. And that's where the unfairness lies on. We can talk about priorities and level of importance regarding to careers or professions. But that's very subjective. We tend to grant importance to those things we feel attach to, which is printed in our personalities.
On the other hand, I totally agree about the excess that surrounds sports, turning it into only business focus. The fans have just been turned into a vehicle to attract contracts like TV rights and other commercial enterprises. And also, some athletes have forgot about the loyalty and respect toward the fans who actually raise them to the status of stars.
Such a fair and true statement. Athletes are paid for performance and each year the amount owners are willing to pay increases. Can you imagine if all professions paid people that way? The wage gap would be huge. I'm so glad you mentioned the way some of these athletes treat fans and how they act. Stay tuned for an upcoming edition.