Should pro atheletes (I'm talking NFL, NHL, NBA, baseball etc.) be payed as much as they are?

Depends, but I can tell you that ManU players are overpaid non performers.

hell ya they get paid to much and actors aswell IMO

Yes and no. It may seem that they're just shooting hoops but they must train very hard. Every day. And LOTS of people play basketball. But these athletes have talent and are more physically capable then "normal" players.
On the other hand there's too much money in the sport. Some play for the money, some for the joy.

Oops, I said yes thinking it was "are they over-paid." Oh well, whatever. should be 7-3, not 6-4. (shrugs)

As long as they are treated with such a huge degree of fascination and celebrity by the public at large they shall be able to demand as much money from clubs as their talents can garner for their respective industries. I don't think there is a 'should' issue involved here. They'll get as much as they have the popularity and industry clout to take.

Yes, I agree, Hiero. In one way of looking at it, 'we' pay them the salaries they get, because we are the ones going to their matches and buying their merchandise and making the advertising and sponsership and so on that goes toward giving them their salaries possible. I don't like to talk about people NOT deserving the money they are given - they work hard and do something that is highly valued in our society. Now, I think it is valid to say that other professions that aren't very highly compensated may deserve more, but it's not the athletes' fault that we as a society have decided to idolise the talents they have. Similarly with actors.

I worry, though, about having such inflated salaries, without support systems in place to make sure the players make sensible decisions and plan for their futures. You have these young men (usually, the vast majority of female athletes earn much less than their male counterparts) who have heaps of money, often when they have not had such wealth before, heaps of free time because training only takes so long and they don't have to have jobs on the side like athletes in past times have, and idolatry and fame. It can be very difficult to deal with and not make poor decisions and waste money. So many young athletes don't plan properly for their futures - they have 10, 15 years if they're lucky earning that kind of money and then they're 35 and have to start over, often with few skills. Few are able to get jobs in similar areas like coaching or media, and the rest often have not saved adequately or are able to get employment that is as fulfilling or anywhere near as highly paid. I just think it's important that if they are going to be given that sort of money and be treated like they are, that they are also given support and guidance about how to deal with their money, their lives as athletes, and their lives after their sporting career is over.

Personally i think the players should make what they're worth. If a player doesn't perform like how he's expected to, he should notice it in his paycheck. No result=less money. Too many rookies nowadays are already millionare without even proving the fans what they're worth. Lebron James from the Cleveland Cavaliers for instance, had an insane contract when he wasn't even an active NBA player. If that guy didn't have a winners mentality, his career would have been over before it even took off. Too many youngsters suffocate underneath all this sudden luxury, they simply can't handle their new life of fame and fortune.

Michael Jordan in his prime earned somewhat 250.000.000$ a year. Some people say that's a ridiculous amount of money, and to a certain degree that's true, but Jordan wasn't a normal athlete. Most of his earnings came from endorsements onn the side, such as his contracts with Gatorade, Nike, and Wheaties. If millions of people are gonna use your name and face, you deserve a proper paycheck, which is what he got. And i won't even mention his performance on the courts.

I don't mind the endorsements, but in the NHL for example, some people are getting paid $10 000 000 for being a third line enforcer... [img]tongue.gif[/img] . And others don't think they could live off anything less than $6 000 000. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Well, if the clubowners are willing to pay all that, then who are we to question their decision ? After all, it's their money.