Overpaid F*#())*ing Athletes

[graybeard]

:puke: When I hear T.O. spout off about just putting food on the table for his family it makes me want to puke. :puke: I mean let's get real. Here is a man who's vehicles (which I'm sure he doesn't make payments on but owns) could feed a small country for a year. His 9000 a day fines will quickly surpass my annual income in a week. Just how much food does this guys family eat. They must be big. It isn't about the football for him, no it's all about being the kid with the most bling bling on the planet. This guy is a real winner.

[RIVERWIDOW]

:stupid: Every year there is another idiot athlete who thinks he is bigger than the game he is playing. It is time for the owners to grow some balls & tell these morons no play / no pay and mean it. Sooner or later someone with clout has to take a stand. There are 50 not quite as good players who would take his place for 1/4 the $. I understand that teams need to win but enough already. One George Steinbrenner is enough. The problem is most of these guys can't do anything but hit, run ,throw, or tackle. Heaven forbid they would actually get an education and use their brains for a living.

[johnnymk]

I agree, but when guys who have absolutely no life live and breathe through their heroes or believe that the reputation of their local city is determined by their sports team standing, these players will get away with murder.

I see it here during football season . From August to January, no topic can be discussed unless it includes what the Eagles and their players are doing. I enjoy watching football, but to be totally consumed with the game and how it affects your self worth? Gimme a break!!

[Thesifer]

I don't even really enjoy watching Paid sports.. My favorite sport is College Football.. I know most of those kids are trying or hoping to get picked up and paid.. but atleast they aren't crying about money while in college.. cause they earn nothing :)

[Grimm]

I know most of those kids are trying or hoping to get picked up and paid.. but atleast they aren't crying about money while in college.. cause they earn nothing :)
Ummm... yeah, you keep believing that.

[Thesifer]

haha.. well atleast nothing they can brag about openly :)

[Jihforce]

I don't even really enjoy watching Paid sports.. My favorite sport is College Football.. I know most of those kids are trying or hoping to get picked up and paid.. but atleast they aren't crying about money while in college.. cause they earn nothing :)

Yeah they cry about not being able to make money by jump into the NFL.
Anyone remember Clarett? :D

[navyones]

I am surpised by the lack of sympathy shown for these "poor" atheletes. It isn't easy trying to stretch $7,000,000 per year. You should all be ashamed. :)

[DarkFury]

As I said in the other topic on this same subject...

If folks didn't want to PAY so much to see these guys play... then they wouldn't charge as much for tickets to pay such exorbitant salaries to these players. The OWNERS wouldn't make the big bucks that they get from you, the fans, to pay the players, reap the profits, and enjoy the power that being a professional sports team owner provides.

Do you cry when Tom Cruise makes $20 million per picture? Just to "act" and entertain us? I'm sure his acting career will last MUCH longer than all of the athletes that play the sports... but the owners will have longevity as well.

I guess it's "ok" for SOME folks to make millions upon millions of dollars providing "entertainment" to the masses... and nobody complains. Yet folks sure get their panties in a wad when a player decides that he is worth more than he is getting... regardless if your "average man" doesn't make what he makes. Hell... should we get mad that Bill Gates has 42 Billion in his pocket from our need of his software? :shrug: I guess we create our own beasts here whenever you elevate someone's worth based on your own personal needs and wants (entertainment in this case.)

So in my opinion... you can protest all of this by just not tuning in. But that wouldn't be any fun... would it? If the fans didn't support it, they wouldn't have the pull that they do to continue crying about the millions they don't get. Either way, it just seems kinda pointless to whine and cry about it... and especially to make it a "suckage" topic. Does it REALLY have that drastic of an effect on your life?

Maybe it's just me... but there are things in life that SUCK way more than worrying what some overpaid athlete/entertainer make over what the comman man can.

[Grimm]

I am surpised by the lack of sympathy shown for these "poor" atheletes. It isn't easy trying to stretch $7,000,000 per year. You should all be ashamed. :)
Hey, not everyone makes 7 mill... THere are many players who only make the minimum of, what is it again? $217,000? Let's see you try to run a household on a shoestring budget like that!






(That was me being sarcastic, for anyone that didn't get it)

[graybeard]

If I made 217,000 that would be 4 times my income, plus I'd only have to work six months a year. That beats the heck out of 55 hours a week.

[Yossarian]

****, 217k is 217x what i'm making.

[smeakim]

Can't find the clapping smiley. DF is 100% correct. That is why I don't go to concerts anymore. 90 bucks to get decent seats here in CO for the big name concerts. 90 bucks a piece :puke: If we didn't want to shell out the money they wouldn't get paid. I rarely attend anything other than Rockies BB, and only when I can get good $5 tickets. I like arena football here as well. Avs are not bad at 45 a piece either. However, I think TO should be able to ask for more. 7 mil a year is not guaranteed and he could be cut anytime. Not saying I wouldn't like 7mil, but I think he is one of the better receivers in the league and should get top 10 money. If he wants to hold out fine, let him. He sits for the year and tries to go someplace else. There is going to be a deal made though. They will either say they will trade him after a year if he goes out and does well or they will pay him more. He can't go out and play like crap becuase then no one will want him. The Eagles can't afford that either. If you are that upset, don't pay the money that is the only way things will changes. JMO

[raimin]

i don;t mind them making the tons of money they do, they should try to maximize the amount they make... but graybeard is talking about athletes who are making that kind of money, saying they have to worry about feeding their families. to isn't the first one. He wont be the last one.

[Merlin]

Hey, not everyone makes 7 mill... THere are many players who only make the minimum of, what is it again? $217,000? Let's see you try to run a household on a shoestring budget like that!

Especially when your entire career will only last three years, have no marketable skills, and your knees are in constant pain for the rest of your life.

(That was me being sarcastic, for anyone that didn't get it)

These guys do live nice for a few years but in the long run the game exacts a heavy toll. Let's not begrudge them the few years they can actually enjoy it.

[Grimm]

These guys do live nice for a few years but in the long run the game exacts a heavy toll. Let's not begrudge them the few years they can actually enjoy it.
Properly managed, the income they get from 5 years of playing, even if it is only starting at $225k is enough to last a lifetime, if properly managed. The salary scales up with time and number of seasons played.
If a player started in 2002 and played 5 seasons, he would get paid:
225k, 300k, 380k, 455k, and 545k for a total of $1,865,000 for five years.
Assuming 40% in tax that leaves $1,119,000.
If a player spends 400k on a home and 30k in expenses a year for those 5 years he has $569,000 for investment. Even only returning 5% that leaves $28,000 a year which is sufficent to live on if you own your home already. It's even more than sufficent if they generated other income doing advertisments and from bonuses (which can exceed their base salary). With advertisment oppertunities and bonuses they could easily be seeing $75k a year in interest income. With moderate reinvestment (20%) they stay hedged against inflation and can live well.

But any player that can last 5 years in the NFL doesn't have to work again if they don't want to. And if they work any job that pays semi-deciently they can live quite well.

[Merlin]

Properly managed, the income they get from 5 years of playing, even if it is only starting at $225k is enough to last a lifetime, if properly managed. The salary scales up with time and number of seasons played.
If a player started in 2002 and played 5 seasons, he would get paid:
225k, 300k, 380k, 455k, and 545k for a total of $1,865,000 for five years.
Assuming 40% in tax that leaves $1,119,000.
Remember, these guys have to pay taxes in each state they play. So 40% might be a little low. And let's not forget that a good percentage goes to his agent as well.


If a player spends 400k on a home
400k on a home? Well maybe for a player from the KC Chiefs or Packers but you go and find a Charger, 49er, Raider, Jet, Giant or any other player from a real city that can get away with that. Normal folks can't even find homes in large cities for $400k.


It's even more than sufficent if they generated other income doing advertisments and from bonuses (which can exceed their base salary). With advertisment oppertunities and bonuses they could easily be seeing $75k a year in interest income.
Yeah because the average nose tackle gets flooded with endorsement deals. If you are a QB, WR, or a running back you get endorsement deals. The average player gets next to none.


With moderate reinvestment (20%) they stay hedged against inflation and can live well.

But any player that can last 5 years in the NFL doesn't have to work again if they don't want to. And if they work any job that pays semi-deciently they can live quite well.
As for the rest I think you are grossly understating the nest egg that a family needs to live if the income stops coming in.

For the high end skill players like QB, WR, and RB the NFL is a great deal. Lots of money. But for the average big ugly that plays on the line it is not really not that good a deal. And when you consider that every day from age 40 til the day you die your knees will hurt it does not seem like a bad deal.