Why Do Professional Athletes Get Paid?

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Want to make a couple million dollars? Play a professional sport. Want to make a fraction of that? Save a life. Why in our society do athletes get paid millions of dollars, but policemen and soldiers get paid significantly less? These are the people who shape our society. These are the people that deserve the money, not the athletes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that athletes shouldn’t make money. But doesn’t it seem obscure that the people who are risking their lives everyday to make our nation a better place are getting paid millions of dollars less than people who swing, kick, or throw a ball? Think about it this way, which would be more upsetting: Packers lose a game or a police man dies trying to save two children from a burning building? The fact that the true heroes of our day …show more content…
These viewers, among whom include many teenagers and middle schoolers, are often very impressionable. Many of them designate a particular athlete to be a role model. Yet what happens when this “role model” becomes a major bust? If a child’s role model is Lance Armstrong, what kind of message does it send when he gets accused of doing drugs? Therefore, if these athletes continue to be showered with fame and recognition, they must display their positive roles in society. Many athletes, however, are not positive figures in society. In his rookie year, Johnny Manziel made $1.5 million. In this year, he achieved an overall quarterback rating of 42.0, went to rehab, and gave the middle finger to the Redskins coach on camera. Is this really a guy who deserves to be making 500 times the national average annual salary? If Manziel receives this money, he should be showing America that he is worthy of it, not showing America how much he has and how little he has to do for