Athletes Overpaid?

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When people think of the names Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Oscar de la Hoya they think “superstar”, “professional athlete”, and “wealthy”. Some even think “overpaid” while others believe that they deserve every penny they earn. In 2010 NBA player Kobe Bryant signed a three-year $90 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers (Source 2).Which equals $30 million per year. In 2009 Kobe Bryant’s contract was worth $25 million a year (Source 2). He received a five million dollar pay increase although he is an aging player.

Between 2009 and 2010 professional golfer Tiger Woods earned an astounding $111 million (Source 1). That huge payday took Woods from a multi-millionaire to a billionaire. In 2010 professional boxer Oscar de la Hoya earned $55 million (Source 2). These large paydays make some really question if the check matches the work put in.

For an NBA player work usually lasts anywhere from eight to eleven months depending on if they make it to the playoffs. An NBA regular season is 82 games. When the math is done Kobe Bryant makes nearly $365,000 per game. When he averages less than 40 minutes per game. Professional boxers like Oscar de la Hoya receive huge amounts of money for one to three fights per year.

Even though athletes teach essential lessons like good sportsmanship, pride, and teamwork, none of these things are on an SAT or a college admissions test. When someone watches a sporting event they don’t learn anything that has to do with the history of the world, important literature, essential science knowledge, or necessary math skills (aside from watching the score). These are four of the most important things needed to be successful in life. None of which come from watching professional athlete...

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...ies. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. .

4. "Fire Fighter." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. .

5. Division, By. "NBA.com - NBA Tickets." Where Amazing Happens. | NBA.COM. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. .

6. NFL Tickets - Football Tickets." Ticket Brokers - Sports Tickets - Concert Tickets - Theater Tickets. Web. 19 Aug. 2010.
7. "Baseball Tickets | MLB.com: Tickets." The Official Site of Major League Baseball | MLB.com: Homepage. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. .

8. "Overpay | Define Overpay at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. .

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