One of the most unfortunate realities of growing up is realizing that you’ll have to settle for a career you didn’t dream about. If this is not the case, then I congratulate you. Few children, however, truly dream about being accountants, lawyers and salesmen. One of the most difficult fields to make it in is professional sports. For the best athletes, it’s among the most lucrative of career paths. Like most who achieve immense success, they are also among the most criticized –– for everything from being immature to being overpaid. Most who argue that they’re overpaid do so without acknowledging a few basic facts. Here’s why athletes are not overpaid:
1. Every kid dreams of being a professional athlete.
OK, so maybe not every kid; but walk into any elementary school classroom and ask what everyone’s dream job is. I guarantee you, an athlete will be among the most common responses. It certainly was my dream job. Maybe kids do in fact dream of the fortune that comes with being a top notch athlete. Maybe they just love to play and want the opportunity to do it for the rest of their lives or at least until they're too old to play. I’d say the latter although the money doesn’t hurt.
2. Athletes are role models.
This one could certainly work both ways, but overall, professional athletes set a great example. How many police officers, doctors and schoolteachers are able to start their own charity foundation? Sure, they make mistakes and, given their fame, these mistakes are highly publicized. But are there any better examples of dedication, hard work and success? Many athletes have had to overcome serious adversity to succeed, and kids going through similar struggles can relate. Kids who are lucky enough to be acknowledged by and interact with their favorite athletes remember. Would Cam Newton consistently accrue five thousand dollar fines from the NFL for giving footballs away to young fans in the stands if he made 60K a year?
3. Can you do what they do?
I’m sure more than a few critics of athletes’ salaries had tried their hands at sports at some point in their lives. Athleticism is a gift, just like a singing voice, intelligence or a sense of humor. The athletes who make serious money are virtuosos, many of whom combine hard work with undeniable talent to make a career out of what they love. There’s a reason professional leagues only have about thirty teams, rather than one for each city in the country. Talent is rare.
4. Numbers don’t lie.
Once upon a time, professional athletes were barely paid enough to survive. Many athletes had to take second jobs to make ends meet. Naturally, sports became more popular, and as fans began demonstrating their willingness to pay more to see games both in person and on TV, salaries rose. It’s simple supply and demand. If you don’t think Justin Bieber is worth what he makes, then don’t buy his music and don’t go to his concerts. Clearly, others disagree, which infallibly means that he is in fact worth the money he makes. To argue otherwise is to neglect basic economics.
5. Job security doesn’t exist.
Have you ever heard of Jason Williams? He was a superstar basketball player at Duke University and a number two overall pick in the NBA draft. A motorcycle accident cost him his career after his first season. Afterwards, he failed to make an NBA team. While a high draft pick does not guarantee success, it certainly implies it with statistics backing it up. Many athletes were only ever good at their sport, and a career ending injury would be dooming if not for the security blanket of a good salary.
One of the greatest parts of the United States is that there are so many ways for an individual to succeed. Rather than demeaning a profession in which every single successful individual had to work extremely hard to succeed, and for which millions of Americans are more than willing to pay to watch, the criticism should be directed elsewhere –– perhaps to those who grew up rich and were handed a successful business. Perhaps politicians are overpaid, especially given their recent contributions. Regardless, I certainly hope any critics of the money athletes make are not fans of any particular actor, musician or Kardashian, because that would make them a hypocrite.
