Am I The One With My Priorities Wrong?
I sit at my computer and try to get things done. Even with the TV off and no radio, I can’t help but learn that LeBron James has signed with the Miami Heat. My husband comes upstairs to tell me that he signed for a league maximum $99 million over five years. I can’t escape, as much as I want to.
Honestly, this disgusts me.
I’m a sports fan. I love my teams, and I root for them in person and from afar as often as possible. The fact that cities – not just the owners with more money than sense, but the cities that are cutting essential services left and right – are vying for the right to pay him such an exorbitant salary disgusts me.
I look at my school district and their annual budget for 13,000 children is not much more than his new contract. Yep, educating thirteen THOUSAND children – including lots of extras from special needs accomodations to arts and music programs to sports - would be possible if his contract money were to be put to better use.
Instead, our district is laying off teachers this year in part because of the money the state owes that it now has no intention of paying. Districts around us from Maine South to U-46 are laying off hundreds of talented teachers and increasing classroom sizes significantly. Sports and “extras” like music and art are being cut left and right, with no end in sight, as the state of Illinois continues to shrink the pool of money provided to school districts.
There’s hope that things will improve in the future, and I – for one – am glad that the LeBron circus didn’t stop in Chicago, as I can see where it could have exacerbated financial problems.
How long before the gigantic salary would have required a ticket and concession price increase? How many people would then have bought one fewer ticket or beer or hot dog? And when the stadium needs slightly fewer workers – more people looking for work and struggling? And the higher prices at some point hit the point of no return where the team overall is bringing in less money but saddled with a monstrous salary - and heaven forbid LeBron not play up to his talent level or get injured!
What happens at that point? Does the sports team owner admit his mistake and fix his financial mess? I haven’t seen that happen in the past. My experience is sports teams holding up the cities and states where they play, demanding public funds to make up for their shortsightedness.
Maybe I’m being melodramatic, but I can see so many better uses for that $99 million. And granted, it isn’t just this contract – although the drama and ego surrounding it certainly makes it an easy target. Sports in general have highly-paid athletes who aren’t exactly good stewards of their funds, nor do they improve the communities where they live.
This is one lottery I’m glad Chicago didn’t win.
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I agree with you about not wanting him here! I am a sports fan too and I think its insane what they get paid (also actors) compared to people who teach our kids, save lives etc. I understand that superior athletic talent and the constant hard work they put in is worthy of good money but I think its gotten out of control!!
And as someone who lives in a district (the elementary) that is hurting badly I can totally concur with your points about schools and teachers. My sons had classes with over 24 kids for kindergarten. I really do NOT know how their teachers functioned, let alone taught them. But they did and to me, that is a skill that really needs to be rewarded! Of course there are lots of teachers who are there just because they are waiting out their time and no longer enjoy their job and it shows. I think our system is FULL of flaws. It makes me sad to see what some school, some VERY close to us, have to offer their students while ours struggles to supply the basic needs and is badly in need of physical upgrades.
I’m with you completely, though I will say that there are lots of pro athletes who do good works for their communities (at different levels, of course).
From the sports business standpoint of it, I get it that players deserve a cut of the billions of dollars in profits that all of the official merchandising and ad revenue pulls in, do to their mad sports skills making fans want to purchase all of that stuff. If I were one of the active contributors to all of that money being made, I’d want to be paid a fair portion (and as outrageously high as these salaries are, they are truly only a PORTION of the profits. Think about that one!).
BUT.
It’s so excessive on all ends. I mean, it costs A FORTUNE to attend any pro sports game, between the ticket, the parking, the snacks, and the souvenirs.
I often wish that somehow the slate could just be wiped clean and the prices deflated: we could go back to paying reasonable prices for the experience, and the athletes could be paid amounts that are worthy of their skills but not as much as what it would cost to feed and clothe the people in a small country.
It really is ridiculous when you think of all the people in real need everywhere you look in this country. It just seems like gluttony and greed mixed together. It makes me sad in a way.
I agree. Melisa has a good idea. We went to a Cubs game the other day and I was so sad to think that it may be the only professional game that the boys get to see in their youth. It costs hundreds of dollars to take your family to a ball game! Between parking and tickets and a TINY bit of food… It’s crazy.
Lisa – I feel your pain. A district near us is *thisclose* to being taken over by the state and is closing schools after cutting EVERYthing to save more money. But the things that don’t matter in life? Plenty of money for them!
Melisa – This is a huge reason why I love minor league sports. And college, to some degree. The wiping of slates clean would be nice, but I don’t know how it would be done. Let me know if you have ideas!
Kelly – Yep. And I could deal somewhat with the excess and waste and money if they didn’t treat themSELVES like gods and like they’re more important than everything else. That’s what really rubs salt in the wound for me.
Tracey – It is, isn’t it? I remember going to ball games with Girl Scouts and for fun, etc. No way am I taking the wee ones (except to minor league or college) unless it’s a special treat AND they really *get* how special it is. And that’s a sad place to be in.