Most Overpaid People in Sports

[Matthew Brett]

I feel like the only underpaid players in football are the linemen.  The average lifespan of a NFL player is 55 (and the average NFL player is only in the league for 4 years!).  Why?  Because the lineman bring down the average.  Every game, there is at least one point when the lineman gets up dizzy from a minor concussion.  Even LBs like Junior Seau get brain damage quite easily.  These are the players that deserve even more money then they get.

[kathybhylton]

LoL. I guess that's how to world spins now. Business is Business

[michaeljames92]

Any competition is an absolute joke when the players refuse to play because they are 'not getting paid enough'. What an absolute farce.

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by michaeljames92

Any competition is an absolute joke when the players refuse to play because they are 'not getting paid enough'. What an absolute farce.

Why is that a joke and a farce?  Shouldn't everyone have the right to earn what they are worth and be fairly compensated?  No different than a factory worker going on strike for fair compensation.  If they are willing to refuse to play/work and risk their livelihood all together, how is that a farce?

It doesn't matter if you make $8.00 per hour or $8 million per year.  If the other people in your industry are getting paid X for your level of work and production, you have every right to try to get X.  Just because X varies in value, doesn't make it a farce.  Usually only jealousy does...

[michaeljames92]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

Why is that a joke and a farce?  Shouldn't everyone have the right to earn what they are worth and be fairly compensated?  No different than a factory worker going on strike for fair compensation.  If they are willing to refuse to play/work and risk their livelihood all together, how is that a farce?

It doesn't matter if you make $8.00 per hour or $8 million per year.  If the other people in your industry are getting paid X for your level of work and production, you have every right to try to get X.  Just because X varies in value, doesn't make it a farce.  Usually only jealousy does...

Rito. We'll just lose half a basketball season because the players are only getting paid 30 million instead of 35. Absolute joke. Seems to be a general trend in american sports though. No longer is playing a sport for the love of it seem to be in any of these players minds anymore, they are just looking to get rich. This is why salary caps are so important, look at the Premier League, wages are just ridiculous.

[Kapanda]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

Why is that a joke and a farce?  Shouldn't everyone have the right to earn what they are worth and be fairly compensated?  No different than a factory worker going on strike for fair compensation.  If they are willing to refuse to play/work and risk their livelihood all together, how is that a farce?

It doesn't matter if you make $8.00 per hour or $8 million per year.  If the other people in your industry are getting paid X for your level of work and production, you have every right to try to get X.  Just because X varies in value, doesn't make it a farce.  Usually only jealousy does...

You either aren't understanding the points or aren't willing to.

Either way, your counters have been pretty irrelevant.

Nobody even brought up the point of them having or not having a right to strike.

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

You either aren't understanding the points or aren't willing to.

Either way, your counters have been pretty irrelevant.

Nobody even brought up the point of them having or not having a right to strike.

What?  I responded to a post that talked about players holding out and the distribution of money within an organization (same as strikes).  The post said it is ridiculous because of the amount of money involved.

[Kapanda]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

What?  I responded to a post that talked about players holding out and the distribution of money within an organization (same as strikes).  The post said it is ridiculous because of the amount of money involved.

Did not say they have/have not the right.

And I'm glad you bring up this point, because it shows exactly that it has nothing to do with jealousy, as you make it seem to be (for some it does, granted).

Some years back the London Tube operators (or whatever they are called... the people that drive the trains), went on strike something like twice within one year. They make well above minimum wage, but not exactly six figures though. Still, they had a good wage. They went on strike. The whole city despised them for it, and it all came down to the fact that they went on strike because they could - not that they should and had a reasonable argument.

It becomes even more ridiculous when your check is in the seven figures! (And beyond!!)

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

It becomes even more ridiculous when your check is in the seven figures! (And beyond!!)

No it doesn't.  That's the point.  The amount of money involved is irrelevant.

[Kapanda]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

No it doesn't.  That's the point.  The amount of money involved is irrelevant.

"Most overpaid"

There is overpaid, and there is more overpaid. The difference is literally in the figures.

[newtogolf]

From a true business perspective "Overpaid" means the person is paid more by their business or institution that they are worth to that business or institution.  Only the owner of the Miami Heat can decide if a guy like Lebron James is overpaid since they are the ones paying his checks and reaping the benefit of employing him.  The same goes for any other athlete or business owner / employee.

If you want to debate whether athletes provide more value to society than say doctors or teachers, that's a philosophical discussion, not business.

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

"Most overpaid"

There is overpaid, and there is more overpaid. The difference is literally in the figures.

[Kapanda]

If you read my posts and the post by newtogolf above you, that's the thinking behind it. It's not a matter of being jealous, it's a matter of critiquing the resource distribution system in place.

With that said, I suspect that the reason why you hold your view is because you have run across so many that are blatantly jealous of top earners and make their case just on the mere fact that they earn a lot.

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

With that said, I suspect that the reason why you hold your view is because you have run across so many that are blatantly jealous of top earners and make their case just on the mere fact that they earn a lot.

That was the clear opinion of several that posted in this thread.  That is why I responded to it.  My views have nothing to do with how other people think.

[newtogolf]

In a captialistic society, resource distribution is based on the persons ability to generate revenue for who they work.  I'm not saying it's fair, but we all know teachers make less money than professional basketball players as we mature and prepare for college.  The difference is not everyone can be a professional basketball player.  If you based income strictly on value to society I'd suggest our military should be the highest paid of all, followed by police, teachers, and at the very bottom of the list on the pay scale, politicians.

Originally Posted by Kapanda

If you read my posts and the post by newtogolf above you, that's the thinking behind it. It's not a matter of being jealous, it's a matter of critiquing the resource distribution system in place.

[Kapanda]

I make that same point in my posts in this thread (except I don't give an order of profession and pay)

[mck]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

In a captialistic society, resource distribution is based on the persons ability to generate revenue for who they work.  I'm not saying it's fair, but we all know teachers make less money than professional basketball players as we mature and prepare for college.  The difference is not everyone can be a professional basketball player.  If you based income strictly on value to society I'd suggest our military should be the highest paid of all, followed by police, teachers, and at the very bottom of the list on the pay scale, politicians.

I think our society values entertainment above all else.  The reason not everyone can be a professional basketball player is because we demand that the athletes we watch be the absolute best in the world.  We don't have that demand for any of the other professions listed--we want the best we can get within (in some cases) a modest dollar figure