Are sports stars paid fairly? Do they earn the money they are paid? Are they worth the money they get? What do they provide?
Many will argue that sports stars provide entertainment. In a lot of instances they do, but is this subjective, dependant on the sport and the level at which it is played. Premier league footballers are supposedly amongst the best, most talented in the world, but I have seen football at different levels and get more entertainment from watching lower leagues. It is faster, more intense, real with less faked injuries, with players who, at times, show a similar level of skill.
Is pay related to the sport? There is a lot of money, and spectators, in football, less so in handball, so these players get paid less. even though they will train hard and play hard. They also need a lot of skill and ability. It could be argued that the commitment and effort in some of the lesser known sports is far higher than in the more televised, watched and supported sports.
Some sports are awarded pay related to performance. Tennis, Golf, Snooker and Darts, among others, reward the better players by paying more the further through the tournament they go. This may seem fairer but, at the end the winner can still receive a substantial financial reward.
This all becomes more difficult to agree with, or understand, when compared to how people who look after and care for us are paid. Some sports players are paid more in one month than Nurses or Teachers are paid in one year. How can this be right and fair? The signing on fee that some of them get could be enough to pay for life saving hospital equipment, or even a new hospital or school.
Man on a bike. 