The Worlds Sporting Top Earners

[Matt]

Yes, sport is known for the high paid, but today comes news of the top five richest in sport.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/23102009/58/top-five-highest-earners-sport.html

For me, it makes me sick and always has to see athletes, footballers etc getting millions a year just to be subjected to the media 'stress' and public eye. Especially when there are people in many countries struggling on low paid incomes and even struggling to keep their low paid jobs. In actual fact, people like this are probably under more stress than those getting thousands a week for probably less than full time hours too.

The following sums it up for me well:

There are alot of people out there who are suffering* economic hardship and freaking out about loosing their* low paid jobs due to job cuts - these people have every* right to feel bitter and sick about hearing how many* millions these sportsman earn a month. Why should the* majority of people feel sympathy toward these high* profile stars just because of the media induced stress* they are subjected to!?

What is your take on this, and why?

[Nicoleise]

I think it's insane.

And it really struck me with Tiger Woods, because golfing is probably the least psysically straining "sport" you can do. They could have called it "Walk-a-stick".

Of course it's a result of supply/demand, and one could also reason that they do gain alot for the country in terms of publicity, but it's simply idiotic that their time is worth that much.

Although, we disagree elsewhere. You mention people struggling, but I personally consider it differently - more like a robbery. Why does it have to be this expensive to watch a football game live? Why do the TV stations pay millions to be allowed to show a match? Every sport started out as something everyone could do, but increasingly it's all gone snobby in my mind. I.e. golfing was a peoples sport, but club fees, green fees etc are "designing" golf clubs to be a place for the leads of society to mingle. Horseback riding was also very common once, but now you practically need sponsorship to attend to anything if you want to be taken seriously.

I think that derrives from a weird obsession with money throughout society, that people like to see expensive things - think of a Lamborghini parked. It draws attention because it's rare because it is expensive, not because it's a better car than alot of other cars.

Personally, I don't like that obsession, which I think also ties into this topic because I think alot of people a faschinated by the athletes paychecks. But personally, I take a lot more joy in seeing poor kids playing with a ball from rolled up palm leaves, than watching a 1 billion dollar player make a kickoff in the UEFA league, because one is extravagant and "posh", whereas the other is simply a heartfelt sincere joy, and that's the highest amount of riches you can obtain in life - not money.

[Hidroncs]

Something i agree, some not (but thatswhy we have discuss room :) )...

They get a lot of money, i agree sounds too much. Too much for normal people. But not forget these "billion dollar players" are payed by us... By "normal" people. Because for all of us (or almost all) very important thing in life to be successful. Most of the fans fell his/her own success while his favorized team (or players or sports man) win in any game or competition.

We go out, to watch the game. We buy tickets team shirts, flags, etc. And if team win, we feel we win, and we are happy. (Btw in Hungary if team won ---> "they lost" :D)

So we are who cause this problem, and we are who cause these extraordinary high payments. But i dont care about how much they earn. They win for me, they make my day happy, so i go out again, buy 1 more flag, buy 1 more shirt. :)

Modern sports are far away from everything what a normal human being could ever imagine. 9.58 on 100 m run... under 47 sec in 100 m swim... cycling around 25-28 km/h 10-12 % uphill, etc. We have to respect these results, coz they have to work very hard for it (even they using dope drugs or not). They must work hard... Several times harder then we "normal" people. But ofc i agree not 10000 X more :). And unfortunately im sure they will pay for these results later :(