Why Do Professional Athletes Get Paid?

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On a clear night in an open field, with fans cheering and adrenaline pumping, two NFL football teams compete for the glory of a win. The kicker angles his body, adjusts for wind, and drives his foot through the ball into the erect yellow goal posts. With that one fluid motion, he may have earned over $19,000. Across the world in brutal warfare, a man is shot while risking his life for his country. The highest military official in his field during warfare, known as an E-9, will only earn up to $7,500 per month. It is easy to see that the pay grade contrast is drastic. The question is, Is is right for professional athletes to earn way more than the average white-collar American worker or even the American with a life-threatening job? While professional athletes are paid highly for their talents, they contribute relatively little to everyday society in comparison to the average worker. The money spent on professional sports would be better spent in other areas of the economy.…show more content…
It expands far beyond just the tv screen or basketball court. However, without middle class jobs behind the scenes, the sports program would not be available to the public. Everyone has a place in society and without these jobs, many famous athletes would be unemployed. Even the people who got the athlete to a level of professionalism were not paid the same for their efforts. A high school coach will average about $58,260 a year while his future athlete could go on to quadruple that amount in only a few years. If an athlete receives an injury during the game, he is not suspended his multi-million dollar pay yet his sports doctor may only receive $207,086 for his services. These “behind the scenes” workers are essential to the function of the team, yet receive much less pay and few benefits. It is simply an unfair margin of difference between the
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