Athletic salaries
...n American reach fourteen, they have played in at least one sport. Thinking back even further, we realize that our sporty, competitive nature dates back to the eve of western civilization when ancient coliseums were packed full to watch men compete in the Olympics. Therefore, to value sports is not only promoted during our early development, it is also in our very nature to value athletic skill and competition. Besides a natural inclination to appreciate sports, we also are inundated with marketing ads that promote athletes as charming, smart and cool. While athletes are surrounded by hip music, lighting and settings, doctors and lawyers are placed in bland, controlled environments like hospitals and courtrooms. It is not surprising that most people flock to sporting events and flee from doctor's appointments and jury duty. Although parents may encourage their sons and daughters to become doctors and lawyers, most people dream of becoming the superstar in the TV advertisements. Clearly the majority of people in America value sports due to past experiences and current media influences, but do the athletes themselves have anything to do with their high salaries? Some people claim that athletic ability coupled with extensive training is rare and should be rewarded. Others say that the talent for curing and discourse and the rigors of medical and law school equally compete with the training schedules for athletes. Still some people claim that any job such as grilling tasty hamburgers can take as much skill and practice as starting pitcher position for a major league baseball team. Therefore, the actual job that athletes perform may be more of an important factor than the degree to which they do their job. How do excellent performances and high public opinion translate into high wages for athletes and common wages other professionals? It may boil down to material limitations. For example, major cities only have one location with limited seating for professional athletes to play. Doctors and lawyers have many different offices all over town. Most games are sol...