Why Athletes Get Paid?

In a few months, over one hundred million people will gather in front of a television and watch athletes play the most popular sport in the United States, football. This once a year ritual brings together many Americans who are happy to watch millionaires knock each other around on the perfectly painted and well-kept field. However, does the massive number of people watching the Super Bowl, or any other sporting event throughout the year, justify their salary? This essay argues no for a few reasons; larger salaries drive up costs for consumers, the massive pay is an indication of corporate and individualistic greed, and it is, simply, morally wrong.
To help prove this essay’s argument, it is first important to understand how it came to be that athletes have gained their large salaries. Malcom Gladwell, an author and journalist, explained on CNN Money how star baseball players gained the influence to
People, mostly our youth, often idolize sport stars as successful citizens, and, in turn, those same youths mimics them in various aspects of the sport star’s life, setting a dangerous precedent for our malleable youth. For example, Michael Vick, a quarterback in the NFL (he is still, to this day, in the NFL), still receives pay from NFL franchises despite being charged with a felony offence by the federal authorities for participating and managing dog fights and dog executions. Vick did end up pleading guilty to the charges of managing and participating in illegal dog-fighting matches, yet he continues to play in the league. This essay has already discussed how wealth is often correlated to a person’s ethos, so it is not farfetched to think that youth would look up to him. Morally, is it OK to allow someone like Michael Vick to be a role model to our youth? This essay argues no, but as long as he receives is exorbitant amount of money from the NFL as salary, people will still see him as a figure of