$80, 000, 000.00
That’s how much money Floyd “Money” Mayweather is projected to earn from his ONE fight with Saul Alvarez. They don’t call him “Money” for no reason (Badenhausen).
$48,410
That was the yearly salary on average for a teacher in British Columbia in 2011 (British).
Every minute he fought Alvarez, Mayweather earned $2+ million. It would take the teacher about 41 years to do the same.
Obviously, these numbers are at the extreme end of the spectrum, but they are none the less true. Professional athletes are being paid a ridiculous amount, an amount that could be spent on bettering a country’s economy, providing more social welfare, reducing taxes…the list goes on, but it’s clear that all the money being poured into the sports industry could become a serious issue.
In a country where one of the largest platforms of every presidential candidate is what they will do to revive the economy, America is overpaying hundreds of athletes. While large companies are laying off workers, quarterback’s are making millions per year for tossing around the ‘ol pigskin. I’m not certain as to what methods of improvement could be instituted for the government, but it appears that there is just too much money tied up in one person, when an entire country is collapsing.
Being objective, not all athletes earn top dollar, however, all professional athletes have sacrificed essentially their entire life to the game they love just to make it to “the show.” The sports industry also generates huge revenues every year, and from team water-boys to stadium concession workers, many jobs are necessary to power one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world.
Even without sponsorships and signing bonuses, whether athletes earn too much money is hard to say with certainty. The provide a limited service, but at a very top dollar. While nothing is set in stone for the future, I would like to predict some sort of drop off in yearly salaries for athletes, with the money hopefully being reallocated to a more worthy cause.
Works Cited:
Badenhausen, Kurt. “Floyd Mayweather Will Earn More Than $80 Million For Record Breaking Fight.” Forbes. Forbes. 14 Sept. 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013
British Columbia Public School Employer’s Association. “Teacher Compensation 2011 Context and Considerations.” BCSPEA. BCSPEA. Apr. 2011. Web. 07 Oct. 2013