Do you think professional athletes in popular sports deserve their pay? (1 Viewer)

[X Factor]

I am surprised how many people who dislike unions are cheering on nfl player pay.

I don't care if they're unionized or not. Some guy gets a contract for 57 million, I'm pretty sure the union had zero to do with that.

 

[ChrisL]

What happens if the team decides to leave for another offer, in another city or they decide to rebuild the stadium, while there is financing for the old?
The tax payers end up having to still, bear the costs of the old vacant or demolished stadium.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/s...l=1&adxnnlx=1348880511-m6LAjmKKlZjrQxhhH4H/pA

Well I would hope that a city would be smart enough to plan for such events, but I'm not too worried about that happening. Not anytime soon anyway. We already went through a scare like that years ago before the new stadium was even built. Don't forget, the stadium that was built in Foxboro was new, but Foxboro has always had the Patriots and the old stadium.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I don't care if they're unionized or not. Some guy gets a contract for 57 million, I'm pretty sure the union had zero to do with that.

really? :lol:

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Well I would hope that a city would be smart enough to plan for such events, but I'm not too worried about that happening. Not anytime soon anyway. We already went through a scare like that years ago before the new stadium was even built. Don't forget, the stadium that was built in Foxboro was new, but Foxboro has always had the Patriots and the old stadium.

I'm just saying that, they can afford to build their own stadiums with their own money, without tax payer support.
We don't need to give wealthy people money.

It's representative of crony and regressive capitalism.

 

[justabubba]

I don't care if they're unionized or not. Some guy gets a contract for 57 million, I'm pretty sure the union had zero to do with that.

get in the way back machine and see what pro baseball players made before they had a players' union. that should change your mind

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

get in the way back machine and see what pro baseball players made before they had a players' union. that should change your mind

It seems that the imbalance then has been made into another imbalance now.
Went from very little to, way to much.

 

[ChrisL]

I'm just saying that, they can afford to build their own stadiums with their own money, without tax payer support.
We don't need to give wealthy people money.

It's representative of crony and regressive capitalism.

I agree with that premise, but I think that it has to benefit the city in some way, or they would have said no to Bob Kraft, and he would have moved to Rhode Island, which is what he was thinking about doing. But I'm really not familiar with the economic aspects of the stadium and what it brings in and if it is worth it or not.

 

[justabubba]

It seems that the imbalance then has been made into another imbalance now.
Went from very little to, way to much.

if the owners could not afford to pay those salaries they would not agree to do so

the last NFL impasse was about the owners wanting the players to do something to keep the owners from bidding up the salaries of the star players
the invisible hand is effective

 

[Baralis]

Every ballplayer that earns millions of dollars a year in their contract has their paychecks signed by a man that can afford to sign those paychecks because of the amount of money those ballplayers have made him. If they don't deserve their money, how much less does he deserve?

The Walton family could write a check to a walmart door greeter for a couple billion but would they actually have earned it or deserved it? To me no, to someone else perhaps. Im not advocating salary caps I just do not directly support them if I can help it.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

if the owners could not afford to pay those salaries they would not agree to do so

the last NFL impasse was about the owners wanting the players to do something to keep the owners from bidding up the salaries of the star players
the invisible hand is effective

The owners are benefiting from state and local subsidies and incentives.
I say we gut all public support for them and see where the pay settles at.

 

[MarineTpartier]

I don't have any issue with anyone's salary. However, it does bother me when people that make the sort of money that pro athletes/CEOs/politicians do fail to give back to their community or society in general. You know, like Joe Biden fails to do.

 

[Frogfussle]

I don't begrudge them their money but what it says about our values is sickening.

 

[X Factor]

I don't begrudge them their money but what it says about our values is sickening.

Eh, it'd be a little difficult to sell tickets to watch most other people do their day to day job.

 

[Paschendale]

They are the absolute pinnacle of a very difficult profession. They deserve substantial pay. But no one except maybe the greatest of innovators deserves multi-milions like that.

 

[mike2810]

I voted no. Why pay those high salaries and yet many sports want tax payers to pay for the stadium they play in.
Sports generates more than enough to build their own facilities.

 

[Smeagol]

DO you believe that the top earning Football and Baseball (and even that silly other Football) players deserve the multi-million dollar salaries they get?

Yeah. Many end up with life long physical and entail disabilities due to traumatic bodily and brain injuries.

 

[jet57]

DO you believe that the top earning Football and Baseball (and even that silly other Football) players deserve the multi-million dollar salaries they get?

Yes. And you know why? Because of the market Teams, team owners, leagus and broadcasters make billions each year off the players. So the players deserve whatever they can get. Besides, what they are going to find out: not tomorrow or next week but in time they will have priced themselves out of business.

 

[ChrisL]

I voted no. Why pay those high salaries and yet many sports want tax payers to pay for the stadium they play in.
Sports generates more than enough to build their own facilities.

Okay, but if the players don't get the money, then the owners and all the big wigs do, when it is the players who risk broken bones, head injuries, etc. There is just a ton of money to be made in the entertainment industry.

 

[mac]

Players don't build stadiums anymore than workers build factories. And, factories get many of the same tax incentives that stadiums do. Why do you think so much of the US automotive industry was centered around Detroit?

 

[Fiddytree]

Sure, but don't expect too much sympathy from me when the next strike comes along.

 

[mike2810]

Players don't build stadiums anymore than workers build factories. And, factories get many of the same tax incentives that stadiums do. Why do you think so much of the US automotive industry was centered around Detroit?

Tax incentives are one thing. Additional tax dollars to build the stadium is another. Example Arizona Cardinal Statium, Arizona Phoenix Coyote Hockey Team,

They were build with a great deal of tax dollars along with tax incentives/breaks for the owners.

 

[TurtleDude]

DO you believe that the top earning Football and Baseball (and even that silly other Football) players deserve the multi-million dollar salaries they get?

well since people are willing to pay that I guess the only answer is yes.

 

[mike2810]

Okay, but if the players don't get the money, then the owners and all the big wigs do, when it is the players who risk broken bones, head injuries, etc. There is just a ton of money to be made in the entertainment industry.

Yep, its a racket. So with all the money being made, why does proffessional baseball,football,hockey need taxpayers to pay for the stadiums and practice facilities? I am not talking tax incentives that are given out to a lot of new companies. I am talking about the use of tax dollars to build the stadiums.

Lets do a comparison. Some NFL player gets 25million over four years to play. Yep he may get injured. It is a game for entertainment. So what do we pay the firefighter or law enforcement person who puts their life on the line everyday they work? Less than 100K/year? Makes sense to me:mrgreen:

 

[wolfman24]

No absolutely not no human being is worth that kind of money in any job. Its gotten out of hand and we are the ones payig for it.

I am glad the NFL finally did something about those astronomical payoffs to rookies. Now if we can just get their egos in check.

Vince would be turning over in his grave again.

 

[Your Star]

All I know is that the NHL owners, and management are dirty greedy bastards who deserve nothing, and the players on the whole are some of the nicest people in professional sports.