Are Sportsmen/women paid too much?

As well as their Salaries, those who play Sports can significantly increase their earnings with sponsorship, endorsements, personal appearances.
Gone are the days when Footballers (/Soccer players) had to fight for the Maximum wage to be lifted.
How the £20 salary cap was broken - BBC Sport
- Now there seems to be No end to the opportunities that Sports people can earn.
Money in Sports: Where it all Comes From, and Where it Goes… | by Michael Margulis | Medium
Whilst one cannot blame the individuals for trying to get as much as they can, do you feel that there is a case of being "Too much, too young"?

 

Yes... Yes, they are.

 

Lionel Messi "earns" £2,100,000 a week!



He's good, but he ain't THAT good.

 

I don't think that anyone is

 

I've never even heard of him before!!

 

In theory, of course elite athletes are overpaid. But it’s really only the top 1 percent of the best of the best who fall into that category. Most athletes never make it to the professional level and among those that do, a great majority linger in relative anonymity in the minor leagues etc.

Personally, I have no problem with the free market doing it’s thing. Would I like to pay less for seats at major events and get a hot dog for less than $12 when I’m there? Sure. But in the end, I’m willing to pay good money to go to a game and watch a high level product by the best athletes in their craft.

 

I've always thought that one can't blame the the person, one has to critique the system.
That being said, then I think that those who earn the ammounts they do, should consider what they do with it.
Whilst it would be nice to share it with others - be it in the creation of coahing academys - for to inspire others less fortunate, or to give to various charities/worthy causes of their choice.
The fact that some flaunt their wealth with a seeming disregard for those who struggle to save and pay for the tickets to watch them is, IMO, ... unwise.

It seems to me that the Sporting 'agent' they employ. should be more minful of the human image of those who they repesent. instead of, how much money could be made in their own percentage rates - again - IMO

 

We are the ones enabling them, we pay for the PPV, we buy the jerseys, pay for a seat at the game.

The Dallas Cowboys, will let you in the stadium in a standing only section, and still you must pay for the privilege.

 

Meanwhile, at the Olympics:

A Team GB athlete has taken to selling some of his Tokyo 2020 merchandise on eBay to fund preparations for the Commonwealth Games.
British hammer champion Taylor Campbell, 25, posted the link on his Twitter feed on Friday, offering a phone and earphones.

Covid-19 and travelling to Tokyo meant he has not been able to do his day job.
He had no opportunities for sponsorship or Diamond League prize money during lockdown.

GB Olympian selling merchandise on eBay

 

At a (Olympic) time, when the 'World's best' compete for - in the main - prestige and individual personal goal, one should also spare a thought for those who struggle to meet their needs to aspire , and represent their Country in their chosen field, ....track, pool, field, ring etc.

Although with success there comes a degree of reward, there are many more (financial) losers than winners in Sport, and whilst one cannot blame and/or criticise those to attain Championship level, it is worth considering those men and women who strive for a goal that be physically demanding, mentally stressful and financially crippling.

For me, the gap between the 'Star' and 'Sportsperson' is greater than it should be, and although - as the phrase says "money talks", maybe it should be allotted in a more humane level.

I would advocate all those corporate companies who can afford to invest because of their commercial and financial stock, savings and income, should also look to remember those less fortunate.

Albeit a lot, not all do.

 

• It seems that making huge payments of wages (and add-ons) affects even the most well-known of Clubs:-

Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, painted a grim picture of the club’s financial plight at a press conference on Monday, revealing the true scale of mounting debt while urging senior players to accept further salary reductions.

Laporta said it is a “very worrying” and “dramatic” situation and claimed Barcelona currently has a “negative net worth of €451m” (£384m) and a debt that’s surpassed €1bn (£850m).
Even after Barcelona resigned itself to Lionel Messi’s departure, its current expense on players’ salaries is still greater than its entire income

Barcelona in ‘very worrying’ financial situation, admits club president Joan Laporta (msn.com)

 

'Glamour' Sports - in the UK it's Football (Soccer), - In the US (I'm guessing) Baseball, American football, Basketball - Canada, Ice Hockey(?) (Etc.) does attract the big bucks, primaily through Merchandising and run more of a business footing, however, as in/with the Barcelona case (and former Big hitters, PANAM/BOAC, Woolworths, Toys 'R' Us, Blockbuster Video) Business can go down ... and out

The less 'Sexy' Sports (often those Olympic related sports) are left to the dedicated athlete and in it for self-worth and personal challenge than with an eye on 'How much can I make?"

 

Except from Ronaldo, I have never heard of any of them and I did not know that he made his living kicking a ball around.

As for that Messy character who earns 20 times the salary of our prime minister, the mind boggles.
However, I would attend the first football match in my life to watch Boris playing a team lead by Vlad. .

PS, Sorry Vlad, I could nor resist that one,

 

No... No they are not.

Most sportsmen don't really earn that much. The outrageous sums come to those who play the popular sports.
It has been like this since the time of the Romsn Empire.

Why? Because it's what people and society in general consider important. Many people don't live their lives thinking they will suddenly fall ill, but they are willing to pay premium to watch their favorite sports team every week.

 

I don't think it's so much the salaries per se, but moreover the discrepancy between the highest and lowest amounts

The recent case of Yeovil Town's 32 year old Captain Lee Collins
Lee Collins: Footballer's family & friends call for improved mental health support - BBC Sport
(At 35.000 euros per year - equivalent to £ 29,671 / .$ 40.8661) 'Living within ones' needs' and all that comes with it can have an unseen effect that because it's a low profile case-status wise - is not up there with the more higher rated prima donna premier rated footballers who do not have the real problems of such adversity.

• Whilst it may not be strictly a direct reasoning, then it may well have been a contributary factor

 

Sports culture in my country irritates me ... I'll just vent here.

People - and not just one or two, but a massive percentage of the population, seems to have been brought into this bizarre and mindless worldview that places watching televised sports above all else.

When that's the most important thing, what becomes of family? What about education? Are they secondary? It feels like it.

Athleticism is not the same as sports fanaticism - they're not even related as far as I know. No, they are in different categories entirely, as merely watching sports takes no effort.

Participation in exercise, sports, and activities that require agility or even something as sedentary as walking around... those are healthy things I think.




The question was are the athletes overpaid. Well, yes and no...

I'm not a big TV person. But I think that when you're asked to be a celebrity of some kind, it detracts from your personal life. You can be compensated for that to some degree. And they train. A LOT. So that's a consideration. They're contracted not hourly, but yearly to play for a team - really well, one would expect.

Then there's the team with the World Series trash can lid scandal. I wonder how much the batter credited with that particular offense is making - probably a pretty hefty fine he paid for his part, though there were supposedly many people involved in that. (They were pounding on a trash can lid in the outfield. You can Google it, as it will digress...).

Anyway, they should be paid very well. And they're good. But I think they're overpaid. How does $100,000 per year with medical and retirement included sound? Does it sound good? Well, they make more than that...

 

I just checked in on this thread. I find this an interesting question.

People gripe that sports figures are paid too much ........... but say much of nothing about CEO'S and other executives who make HUNDREDS of MILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars on the backs of their workers !!!!!!!!!!!!! I hear many people say ... "Well - they have a lot of responsibility, so they deserve to be paid like that." REALLY???? They delegate that responsibility to others below them on the power ladder. When the actual people doing and accomplishing the work - whatever that work is - are being paid wages & salaries that would have been decent pay for supporting a family back in 1980 ....... and it's 2021 now ...... I'd say there's a SUPER-MAJOR problem. At least the athletes are ACTUALLY doing the work that earns their pay ......... they don't DELEGATE the work to "peon underlings."

Maybe working people worldwide LIKE struggling to make a living.

 

I myself don't mind the pay. I think if they are a good role model. I am fine, but if they are arrested for some of the stupid shit they do, then ban them, if it is serious crime.