Billionaire's playground: the world of professional sports

[hfojvt]

17. but building a sports stadium

IS a construction project. One which creates jobs like any other infrastructure project.

The tennis player who makes that big money is a world class tennis player, not an ordinary run of the mill player like myself. The Williams sisters make their big money because most people cannot play tennis as well as they do.

Although it is interesting how the pay and the sport has evolved. Fran Tarkenton was one of the best quarterbacks ever, for example, but he probably had less lifetime earnings that the wash-out Ryan Leif, and made less endorsement money that the short career of Bo Jackson.

One guy I remember reading about was a walk on for the New York Jets. Just walked into training camp and made the team. He was the NFL's leading kick off returner for the year the Jets won the Superbowl. And for that he was paid $10,000. Which was not all that much money even in 1973.

But their ridiculous salaries come from public choice. A public that chooses to goto games, and a public that chooses to watch those games on TV.

I think it is absurd, but don't blame the politicians in a democracy for bowing to the will of the people.

Although some of that "will" of the people comes from a mighty marketing machine too.