How many of you have a job where you work extremely hard and feel like you don't get enough benefits to coincide with your work? I'm guessing that this is a common problem.
Each and every day, people go to work and run into obstacles, have bad days, and at the same time do great work but don't get enough credit. The pay for these kinds of jobs vary but no matter what field someone is in, multiply it by ten or more and you will see the salary of a professional athlete.
I am a huge sports fanatic and couldn't live without them for sure, but I can't get over the fact that these athletes could be set for life with just a few paychecks. All the while, people like us work just as hard and have to wait until the next paycheck just to buy a nice gift for themselves or go to that concert they want to see.
Don't get me wrong, the life of an athlete is tough and takes up so much time, but why is it necessary to be paid the amount that they are given?
David Ortiz, you're on your farewell tour, here take a couple extra million. Lebron you just won Cleveland their first title in over fifty years, take a bonus. I'm not sure if this is really happening but I wouldn't be surprised one bit.
The worst part about the money in sports is that it runs the game. So many of these athletes get spoiled by money that they are more concerned about that than the integrity of the game, their teammates, and fans. Some players skip out on training camp or even the beginning of the season just because they can't come to an agreement over their contract.
What does that say about them as a person? They'd rather get more money than be a good teammate and work on things with their team to get better. It's just selfish.
Plus it just upsets me. I would give anything to have a chance to play a professional sport. I grew up playing games by myself and pretending that I was one of these athletes and winning championships because that's any sports fan's dream. A lot of other kids like me just don't have the athleticism and skill it takes to be a pro. So when I see these guys take their talent for granted and hold out on playing because they want a couple extra million bucks, it really makes me angry.
Plus if you think about it, the more they have to pay these athletes, the more expensive the tickets and merchandise for games. That just puts a damper on a lot of things for fans. There are so many games I would have loved to go to but the money you have to put into it is unreal.
Just this past week, Von Miller and the Denver Broncos agreed on a seventy million dollar deal that would make him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Seventy million. There are many people who can't even count that high and he will be walking around with that much money sitting in his bank, able to spend it on whatever he wants.
Yeah, he's a great player and just won the Super Bowl MVP but sorry to say he's not God's gift. No one is for that matter. Which makes it ridiculously insane that anyone should be receiving that much income.
Another thing is the young athletes out of college who are swayed by money. I can't even tell you the amount of great athletes that leave college too early and do nothing in the pros because they weren't ready. These kids have a breakout season at the college level, see the dollar signs and off they go. If it were me, I'd stay and try to win a championship or two in college and fully develop into the pros. Honestly, why does it matter if you stay another couple years without the money? You're going to be set for life no matter what.
Lastly, the money that these guys see and chase after immediately isn't guaranteed. These kids leave behind an education and throw away any jobs they could have in case the sport doesn't work out. What if you blow out your knee and are never the same player? Or you get into some trouble and no team wants you? (Johnny Manziel). There's a whole lot of responsibility that goes into these decisions and money just blinds these athletes of a good decision.
With all the passion and joy that comes with any sport, there unfortunately always has to be a negative aspect to it. It's disappointing but true. Money compromises the integrity of the game and has turned it into a business more than a game. If nobody finds a way to compromise this at all, who knows what the future of sports is going to turn into.
