Sports: How true is this article?

[Nija]

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/caple/021205.html


How we see sports today:


Fans just want the rules to go in their favor.
We don't like athletes who are loud, brash and call attention to themselves by predicting a great performance before games, strutting on the field during games and boasting about their performances after games.

We also don't like athletes who are quiet, dull, keep to themselves and deflect attention by praising God, their parents, their coaches or their offensive lines.

We don't like athletes who insincerely answer questions with decades-old clichés or with "polished responses" that were filtered through an agent.

We also don't like loudmouth athletes who honestly speak their minds and stir up controversy with unconventional, unpopular and "insensitive" thoughts.

We don't like athletes who insist on using their fame to "get in our faces" about discrimination, race, gender and cultural issues.

We also don't like athletes who shun their responsibility by refusing to take a "leadership role" on discrimination, race and gender issues.

We don't like athletes who hire agents to advise them on their career choices or accept money from boosters, even while their school receives millions from TV networks, boosters and shoe companies.

We also don't like athletes who refuse to appreciate the "value" of a college education by leaving school early to sign a $76 million contract with a pro team.

We don't like sports figures who grow their hair long or wear it in corn rows or comb it back with gel or shave their heads or hide their bald spots with combovers or wear toupees.


I, personally, think that whole article just about sums up how I feel about most professional sports. There are more in the link, if you'd like to read it.

[Jihforce]

of all of them, this one bothers me most:

"We also don't like athletes who refuse to appreciate the "value" of a college education by leaving school early to sign a $76 million contract with a pro team."

I think its almost a slap in the face for those who fulfill a this bachelors degree and more, yet those same people will not ever make as much as these "uneducated" people through their life time.
You can tell from interview and what not how "smart" these athletes are. You hear one interview, you've heard them all. They all speak the same way and say the same thing, game in, game out.
:o

[Cubsfan]

I've seen arguments like this before. I think the bottom line is that people get paid for their abilities. Abilities means many things, including "smarts", athletic ability, entertainment ability, etc...

I mean, we pay movie actors millions for movies, which also don't require a college education. We pay other entertainers much more money than some say they "deserve". And don't even get me started on the cast from "Jackass". I'd easily say that an athelete should get paid more than them! :)

But I've never understood the people who say that the "stars" should go to college and not play sports. I think any of us in our freshman year would make the same choice. Sure, your athletic career might only be 2 years long, but if you're going to make $5 million a year for those two years, I say go for it.

The exception here is the marginal players. If you're going to bounce around for your whole life in the minors, you might as well go to college instead.

[Jihforce]

Originally posted by Cubsfan
what you said
True, but at the same time how do you justify a guy sitting in the IL season after season that makes more that you'll ever make?
Do you think Greg Ostertag is so talented that he should make more money than you ever will in your lifetime?
Some talents yes, but not all. Same goes for movie stars. Subpar actors shouldn't make tons of money, and they don't. How many struggling actors/actresses do you know? I know I know a few.
The minimum salary in the NBA is is what? approx 250k per year? And verterans minimum is 1 mil? A little excessive don't you think?

[whitak24]

interesting article. i think he raises a lot of really valid points re: we like to have it both ways.

i know that reading through his list, i've been on both sides of his contradictions at various times. we want everything to be perfect and upright and not contradict our prevailing notions in any way, yet we want excitement and danger :disa:

we're just fickle and hard to please, i suppose

[Cubsfan]

Originally posted by Jihforce

True, but at the same time how do you justify a guy sitting in the IL season after season that makes more that you'll ever make?
Do you think Greg Ostertag is so talented that he should make more money than you ever will in your lifetime?
Some talents yes, but not all. Same goes for movie stars. Subpar actors shouldn't make tons of money, and they don't. How many struggling actors/actresses do you know? I know I know a few.
The minimum salary in the NBA is is what? approx 250k per year? And verterans minimum is 1 mil? A little excessive don't you think?

It's really hard to put a price on entertainment. I can say for sure that 60,000 don't come to my office to see my team program 162 times a year :) Heck, nobody's even paid $15 to see me program :)

Along the same lines, it looks like Greg Ostertag has played in about a total of 582 games in his career. Taking a general number, let's say 30,000 people per game, means that almost 17.5 Million people have seen him play. An I saying that he should make more money than me? Nope. But he has touched a lot more lives than me, even if it's just as a second-rate player.

The other argument that I've seen is that the length of athlete's careers is much shorter. I can be a programmer for over 40 years, with very little chance of suffering an injury at work that ends my career. An athelete, however, rarely plays more than 20 years, and an injury can easliy end their career.

With all of this, I'll come to the conclusion of... "I don't know" :) All I do know is that I'm still going to be going to see the Rockies occasionally!

[dbax791]

Originally posted by Cubsfan

All I do know is that I'm still going to be going to see the Rockies occasionally!

You have my sympathies :( :D

[Jihforce]

Originally posted by Cubsfan
Along the same lines, it looks like Greg Ostertag has played in about a total of 582 games in his career. Taking a general number, let's say 30,000 people per game, means that almost 17.5 Million people have seen him play. An I saying that he should make more money than me? Nope. But he has touched a lot more lives than me, even if it's just as a second-rate player.

Ahhh, yeah he's touched my life alright...and almost given me an ulcer. Ugh...anyway, you're right, they do have shorter careers and have a high chance of getting injured. So shouldn't Football players get paid more than Baseball or Basketball players then? How about hockey players?? Sadly enough, Hockey and Football and the lesser paid of the 4.
But I do agree that its hard to put a price on entertainment. That its dictated by the demand. If people wanna watch, they'll pay. And the money only goes to the owners and players. :shrug:

[Cubsfan]

Originally posted by Jihforce

So shouldn't Football players get paid more than Baseball or Basketball players then? How about hockey players?? Sadly enough, Hockey and Football and the lesser paid of the 4.

From what I've seen, the salary seems to have a lot to do with how many players they have to have. Basketball has the fewest (I think), so they're highest, and football has the most, so they're the lowest. (I'm not saying it's a direct ratio or anything, just a general trend)

[molecularfire]

Simply put, when people are willing to buy tickets and see some guy take a test... then athlete salaries will decrease. It's easy for us to say that somebody who is pretty dumb is making tons more than someone who knows a lot is wrong... but who are the ones who buy the tickets? If you've spent money to see your kid's teacher teach a class or to buy a hat with his/her name on it... please raise your hand. :D