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The Ethics of the Salary of Professional Athletes
My claim is that it is unethical for professional athletes to receive the enormous amount of compensation that they do. By Unethical I mean that it is an injustice to the citizens of our hard working country that are out to make a dollar and do it by holding a well respected job. By compensation I mean the ridiculous amounts of money that an athlete makes for playing a particular sport. My value criteria or standards I will use are as follows: 1. A man who does not graduate college may not be as qualified to make the salaries that exist. 2. Ridiculous salaries is setting an example for our youth that just because you can hit a baseball or shoot a basketball or shoot a hockey puck or throw a football that you can make millions of dollars without truly earning it. 3. An athlete who graduates college deserves money based on his collegiate experience. I will argue the point of graduation first and then go into the fact that just because you have a god given talent that doesn’t mean you should make millions more than others, and finally I will conclude that the college graduate that does make it in the professional sports world deserves money based on experience from College. Now then turning to my first point of being a college graduate. Kobe Bryant one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers and highest paid player never ever went to College. In fact Bryant, from near my hometown in Delaware County bypassed college and made the leap to the NBA. Should he be able to receive the amount of money that he does, and the average college student that graduates and has a degree is not able to obtain a job that pays that kind of base salary. I think not, in fact I feel that the only kind of people that have any business of making the kind of money athletes do are doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers and maybe anyone who actually does attend graduate school. Now those kind of professions have the right of making that type of income due to the fact that they not only have they graduated college but they attended graduate school and have perfected their business and received a degree. Kevin Garnett has the richest contract in all of NBA history, 6 years 126 million dollars and he never ever stepped a foot on one of our great campuses in the United States of America. Please tell me why should Garnett make this money if he never ever ...
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...00 dollars. Would there be the same amount of competition and would the sport be as enjoyable for these athletes to play. Not to mention that by going to sporting events we are condoning the payment of these athletes. Now I am a HUGE sports fan as most of you might know. I also am in the sports broadcasting business and I have my own company covering Philadelphia sporting events. That means that I go to games on a press credential and do not line the pockets of the owners and thus the players with my hard earned money. In fact If I was not in the sports broadcasting business, the chance I would attend these games and pay these ludicrous prices that would ultimately lead to these preposterous salaries is highly unlikely. In closing, today I have shown how the amount of money athletes make is unethical to our society. I have given proper examples of criteria that is backed up by proof. I have stated my claim and my case for the subject and have given reasons why I believe athletes salaries are ridiculous. Children of ours should not grow up and think that all they have to do is drink milk to be like Mike or wear Kobe’s shoes to attain his success, rather they must earn it instead.
Over the years, the debate on whether or not to pay collegiate athletes, specifically Division 1, has increased greatly. With athletes bringing in millions of dollars to their respective schools, many believe it’s time to make a change. The debate has been ongoing since the 70’s, maybe even earlier, but it really came to the attention of many in the early 90’s, specifically 1995. Marcus Camby, a basketball player for the Toronto Raptors, admitted he took money and jewelry, from somebody who wanted to be his agent, while he was playing at the University of Massachusetts. This was one of many incidents that involved a player accepting money and other gifts from an agent and/or booster. I believe that college athletes deserve to be paid in some fashion. They devote their whole life to their sport, whether or not they are the starters, and most will not go on to the pros, even though they contribute to the team. They sell tickets, jerseys, T-shirts etc. for their school, and see none of the money. Coaches sign six figure deals with shoe companies, like Nike, Reebok, Converse, and the players are the ones wearing the shoes and jerseys, the coaches have on whatever they want. Even though just recently the NCAA Committee allowed athletes to get a job; between schoolwork, and practices, they don’t have enough time to find a job. Most of the kids come from poor backgrounds, and don’t have enough money to do normal college things, like going out to eat, going on a date, or out to the movies.
A question that has been rising to the surface lately is “should college athletes be paid a salary?” One cannot get on the internet now a day and not see some kind of college sport headline. The world of college sports has been changed greatly the past decade due to college athletes. These athletes make insurmountable amounts of money and an unbelievable amount of recognition for the universities. The athletes that provide and make a ton of revenue for the colleges also spend a huge amount of their time practicing and staying committed to sports, and have to maintain good grades in school which requires quite a bit of overtime. Because college athletes generate massive amounts of revenue and put in massive amounts of personal time for their individual universities, colleges need to financially compensate players for their contributions. The colleges that these superstars represent are reaping all of the benefits of the accomplishments the athletes have, yet the big named players are making nothing from what they do.
Professional sports were beginning to be organized in the 1850s. At this point, their salaries, although they were still higher than the average person’s, were not too outrageous. In the 1880s and 90s, baseball players in particular were making on average about $1,750 annually. Even though this was three times the salary of an industrial worker of the time, they were not happy with this amount of money and felt they should be earning more (Baseball n.d.). In the 1970s, the worlds of professional sports took a drastic turn. According to an article by J.L. Carnagie, “Two words described sports in the 1970s: big business. Owners and athletes in major professional team sports knew there was money to be made in their games, and they went after it.” (Carnagie, n.d.) Athletes, especially, realized how competitive teams were becoming, and they were well aware that talent was in high demand. In the beginning of 1980s, the best athletes were demanding even more money; and the majority of the time, they got what they wanted. By end of the 1980s, many athletes were making over a million dollars (Carnagie, n.d.) These increasing salaries were very ironic because when professional sports began they were intended to be a showcase of players’ talent and athletic ability. Professional sports leagues were also supposed to be similar to the Olympics in that they would be free of politics and influence of society. However, by the 80s, they had become all about the star athletes and how much money they could make. By this point, professional sports had evolved into an industry that was focused on entertainment and money, rather than the sports actually being played (Carnagie, n.d.).
“Big time athletes do get paid. They get free college tuition.”(Posnanski). College athletes not only get tuition, but they also get room, board, and meals. They also get to be coached by top coaches, train in the best training facilities, travel around the country for free, be treated by the best doctors and medicine, and have their chance in the spotlight (Posnanski). With universities constantly raising tuition prices, having free tuition is a big thing, but most, if not all, athletes waste that by focusing just on their sport. The athletes themselves probably aren’t the only ones to blame. Practices should be cut shorter to allow the students’ time to study more and actually get a college education. While you hear many athletes complaining that they don’t have personal spending money, other college students can say the same thing. While athletes are practicing, others are working to pay off tuition fees, which the athletes get free. In an interview at his trial against the NCAA Ed O’Bannon, a former basketball player from UCLA, said “I was an athlete masquerading as a student. I was there strictly to play basketball. I did basically the minimum to make sure I kept my eligibility academically so I could continue to play.” (Dahlberg). People should be going to college for what it is meant for—education, not sports. College sports are an extracurricular activity that should be
4.7 million dollars. This represents about 84 times more than an average person makes in their life. Yet, this can also mean something else. One person can make this and could do it in a year. That’s how much one rookie from the NBA makes in a single season! They just shoot balls into hoops, and game after game, they defend it from the opponents net. They don’t save people on a daily basis, they don’t work their whole life for the minimum, and instead, they don’t use their money wisely. This is not right. Athletes are overpaid and people have had enough.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson shocked the sports world when he revealed his HIV-positive status and continued to participate in professional basketball games. He faced varying reactions including scrutiny and acceptance. With rising fears of contracting HIV during sports games that turn bloody, the dilemma exists of requiring athletes to be subject to more testing. With this comes an ethical dilemma due to the stigmatization of individuals with HIV. Considering that HIV is a potentially deadly and dangerous virus, some argue that it should be part of the regular routine testing that athletes already go through. So now the question that exists in the sports world today is: should all professional athletes be subject to regular mandatory
In an article called “Do Pro Athletes Get Paid Too Much?” By Justin Hjelm, said the following, “It’s a sad commentary on our social values that theses entertainers are ranking in seven figure salaries while teachers, police officers, and firefighters make less than 1% of the income of some salaries.” Some people sacrifice their lives daily, not only police officers but soldiers too, and they still get paid less than 1% of the income of some salaries as Hjelm said. Another quote form Hjelm said, “Kenny Anderson then a guard for the Boston Celtics complained of not being able to afford the insurance on his 8 cars” With all this money spent on his cars he could of at least gave some for the poor. What do you think? This final quote by Justin Hjelm says the following, “In 1998-99 people from the NBA were crying in poverty and now pro athletes are treated like royalty, and now the real important jobs are earning 1% of what some athletes are being paid” This quote really brings out the aspect that yes, pro athletes are being paid too much and yes, we need to do something about it. Are pro athletes important? Are they making a big difference in the world? I don't think so.
In my previous two speeches I explored the issue of paying college athletes and the ethical and moral implications it has. In this paper I will formally address the issue using historical background, and, after showing both sides of the argument, I will convince you, the reader, that paying college athletes is a moral justice through the ethical theories of Deontology.
College athletes should be paid because of how publicized their lives are. The reason college athletes should be paid is because colleges and the NCAA make billions of dollars annually off of their name name but none of the money goes back to the players who actually make the money. Eitzen, D. Stanley said in his article about college athletes being paid, “Obviously, big-time athletic programs are commercial enterprises. The irony is that, while sports events generate millions for each school, the workers are not paid” (Eitzen, D. Stanley). Pretty much any university or college makes millions and millions of dollars in revenue each year from their personal athletic programs. If colleges were like most business, the workers or this case the athletes, should get paid
The controversy of athletes being overpaid dates back to 1922, when well-known baseball player George “Babe” Ruth received $50,000 within the first year of his career. Ruth’s extensive wealth was bolstered by dozens of endorsements (Saperecom). As it is shown in figure 1, in the Fortunate 50 Tiger Woods takes the number one spot for highest paid athlete. Tiger’s salary for 2011 is $2,294,116 and like Babe Ruth, his endorsements exceed his salary earning $60,000,000 making his total $62,294,116 (Freedman). It’s crazy to think that 89 years ago professional athletes scarcely made more than the average person today. This is of course not counting the inflation that has occurred since the years which Babe Ruth played baseball.
The view that I take on this topic is a conservative view because I really don’t think that these players should get paid. I side with the NCAA completely about how these players are student athletes and are only amateurs. These kids are going to college for school first whether you think you’re gonna make it pro or not you still have to get the grades to get onto the field. Collegiate athletes across all divisions are getting so much more than the typical college student and I don't think that these athletes appreciate that enough. Lots of people wish they could go to Duke University for free to play basketball and then leave after one year to become a million in the NBA, but not everyone is the gifted to do that. I think the NCAA should
College athletes deserve a share of the money that they help to generate. It may seem odd and unjust to pay college athletes, but the reality is that compensation of such athletes is a necessity not only to keep competition at a steady level in college athletics, but also to encourage students to graduate and get their college degrees. It is not probable to pay an athlete $5,000 or even $10,000 per semester, but if each athlete got paid $2,000 over the course of the semester, this would give them some spending cash and an opportunity to start managing their money. Most athletic programs can’t afford to pay athletes on their own, so the NCAA needs to consider this idea of paying these athletes with the money they deserve. Athletes earn their schools hundreds of thousands of dollars, increase enrollment, and if they do well, provide a recruiting piece for generations. Few opposers to college athletes getting paid will say that athletes do not need to be paid because of many arguable and controversial reasons, however college athletes must be paid because they hold down a full time job, they are bringing in huge amounts of revenue for the colleges, and the future of these athletes is very harsh. To emphasize a point, Top NCAA executives are getting $1 million per year while an athlete can not even earn $50 from signing a few
As entertainers, athletes are paid for fan satisfaction. The more fans that want to see an athlete perform, the more the athlete is paid. In fact, most athletes, even those who make millions of dollars for each flubbed fly ball, dropped pass, and missed free throw, feel they probably deserve even higher salaries; the reason being that they’re still in demand. While certain athletes may never bring a championship ring to their team, or even bring home a winning season, those athletes will always pack the stands. Fans in the stands translate into ticket sales. Ticket sales can potentially lead to national television broadcasts. Inevitably, the formula of ticket sales plus national television broadcasts leads to massive revenue, and this is how owners and organizations can afford to pay players like Michael Jordan $25 Million for his retiring season alone. However, how does society (as a whole) benefit from these over-inflated salaries? In short, it doesn’t.
The money given to the athletes could be used for more probable causes. Recently Alex Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers signed a contract for 252 million dollars over a span of 10 years. This is enough money to feed the nation's poor for a year or to provide a lot more housing and shelters for the homeless. Others could benefit from the millions being wasted on these athletes. Not because the players don’t earn the money but because it could just be better spent on more important issues in our communities.
In today’s society many will argue whether or not professional athletes are overpaid. In the present time athletes are being paid phenomenally large amounts of money for their entertainment. It is my claim that all professional athletes are overpaid because they do not offer society an essential function that improves or enhances our world in comparison to other professionals such as medical doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Society does not value entertainment enough to warrant such high salaries such as those of many professional athletes. There is no reason that these athletes should demand these tremendous amounts of money. This is why you have to put into question their reasoning for demanding such high salaries.