Sterioids in Baseball

80.3 million, 80 million, 42 million, and 35 million all have something in common (The Best-Paid Athletes). Could it be the population of the 4 most populated countries in the world? No, it's the amount of money that the top four athletes will make each year. Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher, Peyton Manning, and Michael Jordan in that order will make the following dominations as a paycheck each year (The Best-Paid Athletes). Many Americans make less than 1.7 million dollars in a life time [40 years in the work force]. Yet these athletes will make a combined 157.38 million dollars. Do athletes make to much money for their own good?

What about our policemen, firefighters, and teachers who are also role models too our youths. They should be getting paid more for what they do for each other and our communities. All the listed professions are lucky if they make over seventy thousand dollars annually. Not to take away from any academic achievements that the athletes have received, but many police officers and all teachers, all have college degrees. Many athletes leave high school or college early because they want to make money like other famous professional athletes. Is money the only thing on athletes' minds? Sports entertain the public to make them love the game. In the 50's and 60's athletes' just played for the love of the game. Athletes would take the time out to sign autographs for the kids without charging them for it. Now, athletes rarely take the time out to sign autographs. If athletes do take the time out to sign something, they charge ten dollars for it, which the fans can buy at souvenir shops. The pleasure for athletes then was to see all the people that came out to see them play. Athletes are paid too much because they fall in love with the money not the sport. Money has taken over many athletes' minds and hearts. Many people come out to see these athletes play. The crowd is always full of students, teachers, labor workers, and lawyers that pay a lot of money to watch their favorite players get on the court or field. Some athletes have more than a high school education, but others just came right out of high school to play sports. For some of the athletes that probably is a good idea and for others, it was a bad idea.

For example, Kobe Bryant, 26, an athlete who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers was drafted into the National Basketball Association at the age of 18 (The Best-Paid Athletes). Kobe was drafted straight out of high school and now he probably will make a salary close to 26.1 million dollars a year (The Best-Paid Athletes). The year Kobe came out of the NBA draft; there were more than 20 college underclassmen (Ley). The NBA used to draft underclassmen that claimed financial hardship. That was when there was still an illusion that college athletes were actually getting the benefits of higher education. That was before college football and basketball themselves became big businesses. That was also before the big-bucks deluge engulfed professional sports.

Many people will argue that these athletes make too much money for their own good. However, who pays these athletes all the money that they make each year? Us, as consumers and buyers, pay for their riches each and every year (Frazier). Athletes are nothing but a product for consumers to buy. Half their salaries come from advertising venues such as corporations like: Nike, Ferrari, Jordan brand, Gatorade, Reebok, and McDonalds (The Best-Paid Athletes). Each year companies such as these pay athletes to advertise their product; in return they get large paychecks. Michael Schumacher's gross pay from Ferrari exceeds 40 million dollars each year (The Best-Paid Athletes). It's us, as consumers that try to be like our favorite athletes that helps buy into the riches athletes make each year.

Athletes go out each year and play for a team that competes to win. Many infamous athletes succeed and those

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