Are Sports Stars Paid Too Much?

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Some people, especially those who are not die-hard sports fans, question the amount of money that sports players make. The biggest players on major sports teams can make millions of dollars a year. While it may seem like too much to some people, there are several arguments for why this money is well deserved.

Long Hours

Professional sports players face extremely long hours and little control over their schedules. Not only are the hours long, but the amount of physical exertion required can be extremely trying even for the best athletes. Athletes are expected to be on call almost at all times, and they may have to miss important events such as weddings or birthdays. Travel for major games can take them away from their families and from the stability of being located in one place. For these reasons, sports players deserve some extra padding on their paychecks for the amount of dedication they must show to their sports.

Discipline Outside of the Game

Not only do sports players have extremely rigorous hours in the game, but their entire lives are affected by their need to stay fit for the game. Diet plans, specific exercise routines, and other aspects of their lives are dictated by heir sports managers and coaches. The discipline needed to maintain a strong and healthy sports player is tremendous.

Sheer Skill

The sheer level of skill needed to be a professional player is incredible. When considering the salaries of professional sports players, one must consider the years and years of practice that went into getting so good at the sport. Most professional athletes have been training from a young age, in unpaid settings, and remained extremely disciplined in order to reach the professional level of sports. Others have tried this path and failed to reach the professional level. For the risk and dedication that goes into making it to a top sports team, these players do deserve to be well paid.

Media Pressures

Sports players can face extreme pressure from the media as well. The interviews and constant keeping tabs of the most popular players’ personal lives is just another hazard of the game and one that also dictates what the players do in their free time. The families and friends of players can be affected by the media as well. For these hazards, a bit of extra pay is well deserved.

Marketability

The final reason that sports players may deserve their high salaries is simply because of the market they generate. If the business is profitable, players should be paid well. It’s a bit similar to running a very successful business: the top executives of that company may not deserve the high salaries that they get, but that’s simply the reward that presents itself from becoming a successful money drawing attraction. The sporting industry brings in millions, if not billions, of dollars each year. The amount that goes to the players themselves is actually not that much, when you think of the overall amount of revenue that their industries generate.

Love it or leave it, sports players at the top levels of their game do make millions of dollars each year. However, their high salaries are not totally undeserved. The tremendous pressure and effort that they put into their careers, as well as the amount of revenue that they generate each year, make them well worth their pay in many people’s eyes.

About the author:

Sarah writes on her blog at allpro sports and loves watching all the NFL.