
The term professional athlete has been around if sports in America has. These athletes are paid to go above and beyond what we think would be human limitations. Professional athlete’s salaries have begun to rise since the 90’s. This change could be linked to our new age of technology.  Forbes has been noting the earnings of athletes since boxer Mike Tyson ranked No. 1 with a total income of $28.6 million (Badenhausen).  Iron Mike's salary would only rank number 25 on Forbes' 2013 version of the world's highest-paid athletes. Even if it was adjusted for inflation, Tyson would not break the top five this year. Athletes are richer than ever thanks to skyrocketing television revenues and society paying for this. Certain workers see this as degrading to themselves because they are doing a job that directly contributes to society. Others feel that athletes are being paid correctly because America is beginning to be based off of entertaining fans. This way of payment is now being challenged because the audience is beginning to think sports are becoming just another commercial enterprise. This all starts with the increasingly expensive professional athlete’s salaries, with baseball being at the top. What began as an unimportant aspect of the game is now a major issue even leading to players not competing solely based on their salary not being the correct amount.

To be a professional athlete takes extraordinary talent, dedication, and a bit of luck. I tore my labrum in high school, which can be mean the end of baseball and had to face opportunities that were taken away from me that include my ultimate dream of being drafted by the MLB directly out of high school. I am still experiencing difficulties from this one injury that could easily happen to anyone in a sport that involves a heavy shoulder load.  Coming from experience facing career ending injuries day in and day out can be a scary thing. The talent that has taken the athlete places his whole life can be gone in a second and the money right behind it. That is why these athletes have to train certain muscles daily and even diet according to their sport and what they are trying to accomplish. This dieting mostly includes all the fruits and vegetables that we do not want to eat at least three times a day. The toll a professional athlete's career takes on his or her body means more than a lifetime of pain, and in some cases medical bills, it also means a short career. Many retired athletes have chronic health problems because of the strain they put on their bodies. Wesley Walker, a retired New York Jets wide receiver had even told the media over press conference that he sustained such significant nerve damage and muscle loss that he now has trouble with simple tasks like opening a water bottle. Professional athletes career last on average about 3 years, so some say salaries should be awarded that would carry them past the many years they miss out on working regular jobs due to playing a sport while in high school and college, also the years they will miss due to retirement. Others say no to this notion because these athletes are not directly contributing to society. But these players are salaried by the amount of success that they have on the court or field. Talent is also part of the success Their talents play a major part in why Americans pay billions every year to see the best compete on the biggest stages. Lebron James made a whopping $42.5 million dollars from this so he is undeniably rich. Who is to say these millions are not deserved? This man has broken records of the greats such as: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and even Michael Jordan, that we thought would never be surpassed. He makes dunks that most of us cannot come close to look simple and at times elegant.  These professional athletes have to dedicate their entire lives to their sport whether it be training tirelessly, traveling half of the year, and sacrificing most of their free time. Being away from family and kids also is a hardship that many athletes are not willing to face. These are not the only reasons why these professional athletes are said to deserve such high salaries. Without the show-stopping feats of stars like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, many jobs would be unheard of. Stephen A. Smith, who is a sports analyst, has made not only a living but a fortune, solely off arguing about the various actions that takes place in mainly basketball but not limited to. Sports journalists, stadium workers, cheerleaders, and especially coaches are among those who can thank the professional sports industry for their employment. 

When looking at this from another angle it’s hard to deny that most athletes aren’t overpaid. The average Chicago Bears player made roughly around $2 million dollars in 2012 (Mueller). This does not sound ludacris until we realize the Bears have not one a Super Bowl since 1986. Also, Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time, fights one fight in the 1960’s and winds up with five million dollars. Millions were unheard of back then especially being made by a black man in a time where segregation was at one of its peaks. Yet the highest paid doctor today only makes around $500,000 a year, and a lawyer will make only about 170,000 annually even with up to eleven years of experience. These are the jobs that our society says should be held higher regarding others especially those dealing with sports.  What does this say about our society when we pay our athletes, to play a game for a living, millions more than we give to the workers that are saving lives? Do we value entertainment more than health and safety? Either way we pay the average professional baseball player $19 million dollars to swing a baseball bat and the average American family struggles to make half of that in a lifetime. In 2013 New York Yankees’ third basemen Alex Rodriguez made $29,000,000, compared to other professions that’s significantly higher (Badenhausen). There is no salary cap in baseball so the “big time” teams pay out whatever amount is needed to satisfy the player. But not all Major-League Baseball players make as much as Alex Rodriguez; the average salaries for professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey players all range from the $2 million to $5 million a year range. In comparison to the average income of an entire family, $54,000, these numbers are extremely high. This is America putting more emphasis on one person’s talent rather than a family’s livelihood. Although many people say that you can put a price on talent, doctors and lawyers are paid minimum wage compared to big time athlete’s salaries. Today athletes are not being picked up as often based on skill today but more from the popularity they can bring the program which in turn brings money directly into the organization. What do the athletes like David Beckham who signed a $250 million-dollar contract over 5 years spend all this money on (Berg)? Well many athletes come into so much money so quickly that they end up becoming broke from buying cars, houses, boats, etc. If more athletes used the money they made for a positive cause instead of seeing how many sports cars they can fit in their drive way maybe we could feel differently. Yes, some athletes give to their charities and things like that but never enough. It seems as if society is willing to pay more to watch a sports game than pay for their own healthcare. Granted professional athletes are still worthy of a more than a decent living. They stimulate conversation between strangers, motivate us in our own lives, and entertain us, they work hard. Training is a never-ending necessity, injuries are a consistent threat always in the back of our minds, especially in the heavier contact sports like football and hockey. But there are plenty of people who have difficult and dangerous jobs, and no one is handing them extraordinary sums of money. 

According to Forbes World’s Highest Paid Athletes there are 23 countries represented on the list in 2013 (Badenhausen). The United Kingdom has a total of five athletes, led by the retired David Beckham, who comes in ranked number 8 with $47.2 million a year. Soccer is a sport that is not just relevant in America but the most popular in the world, which is one of the reasons why he is the highest paid athlete. America of course separates itself from other countries by having 63 athletes make the cut in the rankings. This is to no surprise because of the boom in our entertainment industry still happening today.

Tom Van Riper uses statistics to break this down and give us a different look on these salaries. He uses a stat called VORP (Value over Replacement Player) that takes a player’s performance and how much they produce for their team, and comes up with a mock salary or what a player “worth” is (Riper). This is used however mainly in baseball where the salaries are the most egregious. Even with these studies out athletes are paid massive salaries. Some argue that they are worth these wages because they perform our hobbies, passions, and pastimes at a level that Americans can only imagine. Some sports analysts even take a look at the professional athlete to employer relationship differently. Their view is that athletes in fact should be looked at as investments and should be used to build a brand. This way of viewing can have positive and negative results. The positive side is that all players are paid a fairer salary, solely based on their performance and how much they mean to the team. The disadvantage would be viewers not getting the whole experience behind watching their favorite sport. 

I believe that professional athletes are overpaid. Being an athlete myself, I go through the struggles of balancing time for sports and free time. This is not always an easy task and at times can be grueling. Obtaining a decent salary is something that professional athletes however should earn because they are training at the highest level. The salaries the athletes are earning are more than enough.

In comparison to other jobs, the professional athlete has a much more specific task. Dedicating ones’ life to this task is a difficult sacrifice but it is also a choice. Choosing this lifestyle means that the person should be prepared mentally and physically for the long journey ahead. These athletes deserve decent or high class salaries for their families but not the extravagancies that are currently provided. 
