The influence that sports have on
American culture is massive. Millions of dollars are spent each year fueling
the competitive side of America, as millions watch their favorite sports teams
play one another. From this cultural phenomenon, spurs a puzzling conundrum: why
do professional athletes make way more money than other professions which
contribute more overall good to society?
For example, the noble profession
of the teacher at the elementary school level make a mean salary of only $45,600 a year. Teachers are very
important members of society, for they are responsible for educating America’s youth.
This education sets children up for success in higher education at a college
level, and instructs youth in the importance of continuing democracy. In
contrast, the average salary of a professional football player is $1.9 million
a year. No one would dispute that teachers are more important to maintain a
successful country than professional football players; however, this importance
is not reflected in their pay grade.
At first glance, this system seems to reflect injustice;
however, the high wages of professional athletes is caused by simple supply and
demand. Sports in America are massive revenue-generating opportunities, and
there is simply a low supply of athletes that can compete at the highest level
of skill that occurs in professional settings. A shallow view of the economy is
taken when there is outrage at the large gap between professional athletes and
normal professions. Personal significance is placed upon the teachers of our
youth, who instructed us in the ways of the world, and prepared us for our
future. We understand the intrinsic value of our teachers, but we must also
understand that at the end of the day these same teachers kick back and watch
their favorite sports team too.
Money does not reflect the intrinsic value that noble professions
like teachers, soldiers in the military, policemen, and firefighters have in
society. One could argue that there is a sort of a higher calling driving these
men and women to work these occupations, and not the lure of high salaries.
Does this make them more virtuous citizens for choosing to work for the wellbeing
of society instead of higher pay grades?
Article Links:
http://www.businessinsider.com/charts-expose-how-badly-nfl-players-get-paid-2013-9
I think this is an important point to remmeder. No matter what we think of salaries, they may not reflect anything more than supply and demand. It's the water diamonds paradox--water is much more useful than diamonds, but the latter much more scarce. Maybe we could rename it the teacher-professional athlete paradox?
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