by Andre Jones

Created on: January 19, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Are football players paid too much?

Hmmm, I would have to say no. The NFL is a billion- maybe even trillion dollar industry. Many of the team owners treat their teams as side business ventures. It's like they play poker with the wealth they've created for themselves in other areas. So in essence the players make very little by comparison. NFL Football is a brand name in the entertainment industry. People pay large sums of money for entertainment. So the dividends are distributed to those who work to produce large scale sporting spactaculars.

Other factor that goes into figuring the salary of the professional football player are: longevity, city and state revenue, bodily harm, performance incentives, lawyer fees, luxury taxes etc.... When you figure that every time a NFL game is played, the cities gain in revenue through hotel sales, resturant sales, ticket sales and sports brand merchandising the players deserve a percentage. When you consider that on any play a NFL player is literally six seconds away from ever playing again due to injury. When you consider the average length of an NFL career at any position aginst the legnth of a private or public industry career at a desk or even blue collar work. Then take into the luxury taxes they pay out when they play away games, lawyer fees, acoountant fees, agent/management fees, the stress of travel and being away from friends and family for large chunks of the year. Not to mention training camps, weekly practices, team meetings, manditory event appearences and charity work- When all is taken into consideration, their compensation is reasonable at best. Now if the question is whether or not football players play as significant a role in society as other professions I would say it's obvious that they don't. But, in a society driven by capitalism, football players happen to be a part of a multi-trillion dollar industry called entertainment. Their pay out is driven by the lusts of millions to see spectacular athleticism.

I would ask readers to consider that many football players after retirement have to worry about their quality of life. Many lose friendships, marriages, and even their personal identities due to the pressure put upon them to perform at such a high level. If you were to interview some players, they might even tell you that they would give what they eaned back if they could keep family ties together or live without agonizing pain everyday. They are compensated well but much of whatthey have to face on a day to day basis is extreme. Their payment is compensation for some of the hell they put up with that goes unseen.

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