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What The Knicks Told LeBron: Come To New York And Make $1 Billion

danarhea

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The Knicks just finished pitching LeBron James. Their main selling point: You could make a billion dollars playing in New York. You can't earn anything close to that anywhere else.

LeBron James is more important than Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, General Patreus, George Bush, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, the first responders during 911, and just about anyone else you can name.

Is it just me, or is there something seriously ****ed up with our priorities?

Discussion?

Article is here.
 
I totally agree.

If someone is going to earn a billion dollars by showing up in the Knicks locker room, it should be by being the best lay the Knicks have ever had.

All of them.

Just saying.
 
Think of how beneficial that billion dollars could be if it went somewhere else. Lol, tax the crap out of pro athletes in order to fix our deficit :mrgreen:
 
We already have an income tax and it's progressive, so what's the problem? Are people paying too much to watch basketball? Noone's forcing them. Capitalism can be evil but this is NOT an example.
 
Our society has voted with their dollars to put professional athletes above most other professions. There is no evil corporate management pulling the strings behind the scenes, this is honestly what people care the most about. The public is willing to pay fairly outrageous sums of money to watch the games, and its a testament to the integrity of the NBA that the players are the ones making the big bucks. People may get upset about how much they get paid, but we have nobody to blame but ourselves.
 
What kinda of idiot takes a big contract in New York with all those taxes?? I bet if he took a contract in San Antonio for less he'd take home more.
 
In high school I wondered why I had to bust my ass to get good marks for scholarships, and jocks were getting more valuable scholarships to go to the best schools. I respect physical ability but let's face it, athletes don't change the world. They're just entertainment. But as rathi has said, I guess they wouldn't be getting those scholarships if demand weren't so high for pro athletes for the drooling masses.

I do think our priorities are messed up when teachers, doctors, engineers, and the people who either build civilizations or provide their life blood are left in the dust compared to football or basketball players.
 
In high school I wondered why I had to bust my ass to get good marks for scholarships, and jocks were getting more valuable scholarships to go to the best schools. I respect physical ability but let's face it, athletes don't change the world. They're just entertainment. But as rathi has said, I guess they wouldn't be getting those scholarships if demand weren't so high for pro athletes for the drooling masses.

I do think our priorities are messed up when teachers, doctors, engineers, and the people who either build civilizations or provide their life blood are left in the dust compared to football or basketball players.
A lot of doctors and engineers make serious money. You are talking about one athlete earning serious bank compare to hundreds of engineers who earn six figures. Six figures might not sound a lot but it is when the majority of athletes don't get paid for being athletes. You may feel cheated from being the star in high school or even college but after that that is when life starts to matter and it is proven for every 1 athlete that goes into the professional world there will hundreds of more engineers, scientists, doctors who will earn more than the poor sucker who thought he was going to make it into a professional sport earning top dollars.
 
A lot of doctors and engineers make serious money. You are talking about one athlete earning serious bank compare to hundreds of engineers who earn six figures. Six figures might not sound a lot but it is when the majority of athletes don't get paid for being athletes. You may feel cheated from being the star in high school or even college but after that that is when life starts to matter and it is proven for every 1 athlete that goes into the professional world there will hundreds of more engineers, scientists, doctors who will earn more than the poor sucker who thought he was going to make it into a professional sport earning top dollars.

I realize that, but it doesn't change the fact that pro league athletes will always make infinitely more than I do and that it's a statement of societal priorities. Same goes for actors in hollywood. It just demonstrates that our society is more focused on momentary gratification than it is on long-term progression.

When the Olympics came to Vancouver, our government dished out billions of dollars during a recession in order to prepare for it. There were huge protests about lack of priorities, the swelling homelessness and street crime in the downtown East side, the cuts in education, health care (ambulance workers went on strike), child care, and other infrastructure projects. The government did not listen. Canada dished out so much money for a three week sporting event, and my province will spend decades paying for it.

I don't mind it if people enjoy sports. My issue is that their mindless and incessant thirst for entertainment has an actual societal impact on the rest of us.
 
LeBron James is more important than Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, General Patreus, George Bush, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, the first responders during 911, and just about anyone else you can name.

Is it just me, or is there something seriously ****ed up with our priorities?

Discussion?

Article is here.

Welcome to Capitalism.

Is it rational? You tell me.
 
Ya know in other systems, where the Elite Smart Gov't types determine who gets what, no athlete get's overpaid, and doctors all get the same pay, so do engineer's, and teachers! I bet Orion and OC would prefer that system...
 
Ya know in other systems, where the Elite Smart Gov't types determine who gets what, no athlete get's overpaid, and doctors all get the same pay, so do engineer's, and teachers! I bet Orion and OC would prefer that system...

Perhaps you should reread the first post before embarrassing yourself like that. But it is indeed you right to make a fool of yourself. As it is mine to laugh at you.
 
I wonder if PBO would say that Lebron is well past the point where he has made enough money.
 
In high school I wondered why I had to bust my ass to get good marks for scholarships, and jocks were getting more valuable scholarships to go to the best schools. I respect physical ability but let's face it, athletes don't change the world. They're just entertainment. But as rathi has said, I guess they wouldn't be getting those scholarships if demand weren't so high for pro athletes for the drooling masses.

I do think our priorities are messed up when teachers, doctors, engineers, and the people who either build civilizations or provide their life blood are left in the dust compared to football or basketball players.

You are very ignorant. Between the charities and other things athletes do they change the world a lot.
 
Ya know in other systems, where the Elite Smart Gov't types determine who gets what, no athlete get's overpaid, and doctors all get the same pay, so do engineer's, and teachers! I bet Orion and OC would prefer that system...

No one is saying anything about government mandated standardized pay?

Stop trolling.
 
You are very ignorant. Between the charities and other things athletes do they change the world a lot.

Ignorance means to lack knowledge. I am well aware that athletes run PR campaigns and donation drives. It's one thing to be ignorant, it's quite another to simply disagree that athletes change the world. Most of their charities are very publicized and for their own benefit just as much as they are about the benefit of the given cause.
 
So your saying giving millions of dollars to a cause doesn't change the world?
 
I wonder if PBO would say that Lebron is well past the point where he has made enough money.

Troll much? Stay on topic, this has nothing to do with Obama.



I too think its absolutely ridiculous that professional athletes make such a fortune...however I can't say I have a problem with it unless it involves tax payer money (to build a new stadium for example).
 
No one is saying anything about government mandated standardized pay?

Stop trolling.

Oh, NO... no of course you aren't. You're just lamenting Society can't get it's priorities straight. And the only way to get what you want of course, is, through Gov't action, but you didn't SAY that oh no.
 
What kinda of idiot takes a big contract in New York with all those taxes?? I bet if he took a contract in San Antonio for less he'd take home more.

You forget endorsements and potential franchising.
 
Ignorance means to lack knowledge. I am well aware that athletes run PR campaigns and donation drives. It's one thing to be ignorant, it's quite another to simply disagree that athletes change the world. Most of their charities are very publicized and for their own benefit just as much as they are about the benefit of the given cause.

To be fair Bill & Melinda Gates foundation has given over $28 billion dollars to charitable causes and how exactly have they changed the world? Don't forget the billions of dollars American's give to charity. How is that changing the world? We still have thousands of children dying from hunger in Africa regardless of the fact that we have hundreds of charity groups who receive money to fight hunger in Africa. And we have thousands of children dying from malaria and other simple diseases that no one ever does anything to stop though billions of dollars are given. Who knows maybe one of those kids would have been the one who found a cure to HIV or a viral disease or maybe one of them with the right education would have been the one to develop a new system of physics that would have allowed for us to travel in space like what we see in movies. Who knows though there is one thing that is certain in life and that is that humans don't care for other humans unless it involves primitive emotions like jealousy. But still those primitive emotions are only directed towards the few and not the whole.

You know why we have millions of people dying every year for diseases that are curable or easily fixed? Its not because we have a shortage of anything like food or energy we do not. We are in an era of humanity where it is possible to feed billions of people and to provide a decent living standard for people. But we don't because humans are selfish and fail to see the big picture.
 
I hope LeBron comes to Chicago. But he would always have the six MJ championship banners literally hanging over his head. Not an easy act to follow.
 
What kinda of idiot takes a big contract in New York with all those taxes?? I bet if he took a contract in San Antonio for less he'd take home more.

Hmm lets see...

1. Derick Jeter
2. CC Sabathia
3. A-Rod
4. K-Rod
5. Lawrence Taylor
6. Darelle Revis
7. Patrick Ewing
8. Johan Santana

I can keep going
 
Hmm lets see...

1. Derick Jeter
2. CC Sabathia
3. A-Rod
4. K-Rod
5. Lawrence Taylor
6. Darelle Revis
7. Patrick Ewing
8. Johan Santana

I can keep going

I know those that have, but I was speaking from a PURELY monetary standpoint. I.E. If you pay 20% in taxes in San Antonio, and 40% in New York....
 
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