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Question about money and sports

edmundfitzgeraldedmundfitzgerald Posts: 4,306 ✭✭
in Sports Talk
Do we scrutinize baseball players salaries more then football, basketball, and hockey ?

I never hear anyone get bent out of shape over football and basketball salaries. It's kind of like
you never hear about it on the ESPN or sports pages.

Do they ever broadcast NFL and NBA player signings, and for how much ? I'm sure they do, but it doesn't
seem like it gets the attention of MLB signings.

I only ever hear about baseball and dollars. Is it just me ?

Comments

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    GootGoot Posts: 3,496
    Football salaries are the smallest out of any of the four major sports, on average, so nothing to get too worked up there.

    Hockey kind of flies under the radar to most, but even then it's top guys are getting $8-$10 million a year.

    Basketball salaries are pretty huge, and they have a similar sized salary cap as hockey and football, yet only 12-15 guys to sign.

    Baseball has no salary cap at all and money does seem to be scrutinized more. But honestly, the only time I ever hear THAT much about salary is when it comes down to the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, etc throwing RIDICULOUS money at guys in bidding wars or that the Rays can't seem to afford guys due to lack of $$$.

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    lanemyer85lanemyer85 Posts: 1,317 ✭✭✭
    I only ever hear about baseball and dollars. Is it just me ?

    I guess it depends on your prospective. You hear more about baseball salaries because numbers are what MLB is all about...whether it's stats or revenue, and the business end of MLB is covered much more than the other sports mainly thanks to the Internet baseball sites that cover the game in greater detail than in the past. Other factors include no salary cap, the greater discrepancy between the haves & have nots in MLB, and of course the revenue sharing issue. I really don't think you can compare MLB to the other 3 major team sports due to A) no salary cap B) the schedule is twice as long as the NBA & NHL, and 10X that of the NFL. C) Twice as many players in MLB as the NBA, 25% fewer in the NHL, therefore more competition for top talent. Not only that, but times have changed in MLB. No longer are average players being offered contracts fpr $10M+ per year like they were 3+ years ago where the Carlos Silva's of the world were receiving $12M a year. Teams are still paying premiums for elite level players....but that's probably how it should be. Personally, I think NBA players are the most overpaid. I've cut and pasted the top 30 NBA contracts, and then MLB players that are making at least $18M per year. With the exception of Zito and V.Wells the top MLB guys are at least earning their money for the most part. Look at guys like J.O'Neal at $22M, Shaq at $20M, Rashard Lewis at $18M, Redd at $17M, V.Carter & Kirilenko & Z.Randolph at $16M, K.Martin at $15M...guh.

    NBA
    1. Tracy McGrady Houston
    $23,239,561
    2. Kobe Bryant LA Lakers
    $23,034,375
    3. Jermaine O'Neal Miami
    $22,995,000
    4. Tim Duncan San Antonio
    $22,183,218
    5. Shaquille O'Neal Cleveland
    $20,000,000
    6. Dirk Nowitzki Dallas
    $19,795,714
    -. Paul Pierce Boston
    $19,795,712
    8. Ray Allen Boston
    $19,766,860
    9. Rashard Lewis Orlando
    $18,876,000
    10. Michael Redd Milwaukee
    $17,040,000
    11. Pau Gasol LA Lakers
    $16,451,250
    -. Andrei Kirilenko Utah
    $16,451,250
    13. Kevin Garnett Boston
    $16,400,000
    14. Yao Ming Houston
    $16,378,325
    -. Amare Stoudemire Phoenix
    $16,378,325
    16. Vince Carter Orlando
    $16,300,000
    17. Gilbert Arenas Washington
    $16,192,080
    18. Zach Randolph Memphis
    $16,000,000
    19. Carmelo Anthony Denver
    $15,779,912
    -. LeBron James Cleveland
    $15,779,912
    -. Chris Bosh Toronto
    $15,779,912
    -. Dwyane Wade Miami
    $15,779,912
    23. Kenyon Martin Denver
    $15,363,636
    24. Dwight Howard Orlando
    $15,133,800
    25. Joe Johnson Atlanta
    $14,976,754
    26. Elton Brand Philadelphia
    $14,858,471
    27. Predrag Stojakovic New Orleans
    $14,202,000
    28. Richard Jefferson San Antonio
    $14,200,000
    29. Larry Hughes New York
    $13,655,268
    30. Chris Paul New Orleans
    $13,655,268


    MLB

    Alex Rodriguez, NYY 2008-17 $27,500,000

    CC Sabathia, NYY 2009-15 $23,000,000

    Johan Santana, NYM 2008-13 $22,916,667

    Mark Teixeira, NYY 2009-16 $22,500,000

    Manny Ramirez, LAD 2009-10 $22,500,000

    Roy Halladay - $20,000,000

    Miguel Cabrera, Det 2008-15 $19,037,500

    Derek Jeter, NYY 2001-10 $18,900,000

    Carlos Zambrano, Cubs 2008-12 $18,300,000

    Matt Holliday - $18,000,000

    Vernon Wells, Tor 2008-14 $18,000,000

    Barry Zito, SF 2007-13 $18,000,000

    Ichiro Suzuki, Sea 2008-12 $18,000,000



    Hockey kind of flies under the radar to most, but even then it's top guys are getting $8-$10 million a year.

    to an extent that's true...but no one makes more than $9M (Ovechkin, Crosby) per year, and there are very few players who make more than $7.5M per year. There are a lot of elite level players in the NHL are making $5-7M per year (Brodeur $5.2M, Marian Hossa $7.2M, Datsyuk $6.7M, Corey Perry $6.5M, Getzlaf $5.1M) or even less (Zach Parise $3.5M, and the soon to be reigning Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith only makes $1.9M)...and of course you can't really compare that to the amount of money NBA players are making, despite the similar schedule, travel, and not even taking into account the differences in the physical nature of the two sports. I'll never begrudge NFL or NHL players any $ they earn given the high risk of concussions and other quality of life risks that are associated with high contact sports. How some of those players perform after they cash in is another story, but imo NHL players are vastly the most underpaid, despite having the highest level of skill associated with their respective sport.

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    TomGshotputTomGshotput Posts: 1,358
    It is because so many Americans are so strongly against labor and free markets and do not like to see people be able to negotiate with management to be able to earn what they are worth
    Tom
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    billwaltonsbeardbillwaltonsbeard Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭
    McGrady sure has given the Rockets their money's worth over the past 2 seasons huh?
    My cards on COMC
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    TheVonTheVon Posts: 2,725 ✭
    When I think about the physical abuse and the corresponding decrease in career length and quality of life after they retire, I think that football players are woefully underpaid compared to other athletes in the big 4 sports. In my mind, football players could all make twice as much as they do now and I don't think I'd ever find myself saying "that's ridiculous!"
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