Is Your Paycheck Fair?

In 1996 Michael Jordan would receive $366,000 per game, while a teacher would make less then $45,000 a year. Does this seem fair?

Sports are something many do for recreation or just to stay in shape. Many people come home from work and go to the gym or for a run, swim or have a game with friends. For some people playing their favorite sport, as a job would be a dream, however for some it’s a reality. So if having your “dream job” isn’t enough how about making more money then you ever would at your typical office job? Sounds even better now!

Professional golfer Tiger Woods is one of the highest paid athletes. He goes to the green hits a few balls and calls it a day. Not such a bad lifestyle. Oh, and he is making about $80 million for it. The President of the United States earns $200,000 a year, but he only is responsible for running the most powerful country in the world. So it seems about fair. Wait, something’s wrong there.

Each day millions of Americans drive their car. Michael Schumacher is a professional racecar driver. He doesn’t have to pay for gas, he doesn’t do the speed limit and he didn’t even buy the car. However, he gets paid millions to drive it. Not a bad life!

The 50 highest paid athletes combine earn $1.1 billion. Not so bad since they don’t work every day. 40% of what they earned is from endorsements. So on top of getting paid to play the game they love, they get to wear free clothes, appear on cereal boxes and do television commercials. Their sole job is to entertain us.

Teachers educate. Without education where would we be in the world? How would we make a life for ourselves with out an education? These people work hard to make sure students succeed and their paychecks don’t even come close to a professional athlete.

Construction workers, janitors and farmers do some of the hardest, most dangerous and filthy jobs out there. Unfortunately, they are also on the lower end of the paid careers. Many people sit all day behind a desk typing away on the computer not doing anything exciting. While athletes get to be surrounded by adoring fans weekly.

Nurses, doctors and surgeon’s work under pressure in difficult situations and if they make a mistake someone may loose their life. If a basketball player makes a mistake their team may loose the game. People in the medical field may get paid well, however their paychecks still don’t even compare.

If someone said a soldier’s name that was just killed in the war would you know who it was? No. But if someone said David Beckham you probably would, and he’s not even American. We as Americans focus on athletes as hero’s, and look up to them.

Many look at one team as theirs and have an obsession with them. They follow each game and know all the players. The athletes then produce their own clothes and sneakers, which the fans go crazy for. Hence, the athletes are making even more money on their own merchandise.

We cannot pin point one sport as having the highest paid athlete’s. Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, David Beckham, Andre Agassi, Peyton Manning, Michael Schumacher and Tiger Woods are some of the highest paid athletes in the world. Each plays a different sport ranging from tennis to football.

The better the athlete the more they are wanted, the better they get paid. Many professional athletes chose to use steroids to become bigger, better and stronger. In hope that they will get a raise in pay. Many of the athletes that use steroids later admit or are caught using steroids. Unfortunately, many children look up to professional athletes as role models. With their money driven minds these athletes are not making the right decisions. Therefore creating bad role models for children.

Every year professional athletes salary will climb, and they will make more money in a year then we will ever see in our lifetime. Millions of Americans will do back breaking jobs, some that if without the economy would collapse. However, there seems to be no change in sight. They will continue to make the big bucks and we will continue to watch them thinking, how is this fair?