Professional Athletes Are Overpaid

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Are professional athletes overpaid? This question is asked around schools, work places, and homes everywhere. Many people in the United States would agree that yes, professional athletes are overpaid. Everyday many individuals hear about another mega multi-million dollar contract for a professional athlete. For example, in 2014 Miami Marlins right-fielder Giancarlo Stanton signed a 13 year, 325 million dollar contract (“Giancarlo Stanton”). Although one of the biggest contracts in major sports league history, the size of this contract does not take away from the fact the average professional athlete across the United States in the three major sports (baseball, basketball, and football) makes 3.4 million dollars per year (Woodworth pp. 3-4). …show more content…
Most attend college for only one or two years of college. Further, some even skip college, as they are drafted straight out of high school. For example, LeBron James had just graduated from St. Mary’s-St. Vincent’s High School in Akron, Ohio, when he was drafted. He was the star of the varsity basketball team, leading them to three state championships in four years (“High School”). After his senior year, LeBron James declared for the NBA draft and was drafted number one overall by his native Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron did not attend even one day of college. Why should he be making so much more than a doctor who saves lives or a lawyer who mediates on legal issues? Doctors attend college for some eight years, more or less. Lawyers go to school for seven years. LeBron did not step foot in a college class, yet he makes 20 million dollars per year. The average American doctor makes $405,000 per year (“How Much Do Doctors”) and the average lawyer makes $205,000 per year (“How Much Do Lawyers”). A man with only a high school diploma playing basketball makes 49 times as much money as a doctor and 97 times as much money as a lawyer. Other examples of “prep to pro” athletes, a term used to refer to athletes who get drafted straight out of high school, include Kobe Bryant and Jeff Francouer. Bryant was drafted 13th overall in the 1996 NBA draft after …show more content…
Imagine if professional athletes got paid around $200,000 per year instead of millions. Imagine what good could be done. Funding cancer research, for example. With the extra money, doctors and scientists could actively seek an effective cure for cancer instead of radiation or chemotherapy. Furthermore, the extra money could also be used to care for homeless veterans. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, “Far too many veterans are homeless in America—between 130,000 and 200,000 on any given night . . . Three times that many veterans are struggling with excessive rent burdens and thus at increased risk of homelessness” (“Homeless” p. 1). These veterans have given so much to their country. They deserve more than to be on the streets, homeless, after what they have done. The millions athletes make could very easily change the homeless state of these veterans. Another better use of money could be repairing the United States’ infrastructure. For instance, many states in the country have run down water treatment plants, potholes in the roads, sewage problems, and water pipe problems. The millions of dollars could very well go toward fixing these things. Professional athletes get paid lavish contracts when the money could be used for better