On the Redistribution of Wealth

Call it naivete... big oil, drug companies, and Wall Street are the targets of those who think our economic system is flawed, but why don't they ever target the entertainment industry? Seriously, are there any bigger crooks than those at the top of pro sports, film, and music?


It kinda makes me laugh when politicians start spouting off about the business maneuvers of college sports, too. How about redistributing the multi-million dollar deals these folks are making? Oh yeah... heroes don't make good scapegoats. When you try to crucify those whom our children, our neighbors, and our peers look up to as heroes, you make them martyrs.

I used to ask the question, "Why do pro athletes make so much money?" The football, baseball, hockey, basketball, etc. players have such obscene contracts that it seems ridiculous and absolutely insane to think that someone could actually make seven or eight figure salaries just for a game when those who heal the sick, teach our children, and protect our streets make so little.

I used to think about how stupid it was for someone to leave college to enter the NBA draft early. My old government teacher explained it perfectly. They enter the draft early because they can. Because they're the best at what they do. Because this may be their only chance to make that kind of money. They can go back to college at any point they decide to do so, but the chance to play pro could vanish quickly for them. But why do they make so much money? I wondered how much this phenomenon affected public perception of the value of higher education and loyalty to a team or school. Why such gross salaries? Because people want to see them play. They want to see their teams win. They want to wear their heroes' jerseys and to play their avatars on video games. These pro athletes make people happy.

The government would never enter the pro sports realm to regulate or take over the business. Pro sports entertain and distract the people. Think about it -- all of the people who shell out big bucks to sit high up in the arena or stadium or those who brave rainy or below-freezing weather for hours -- what impels them to do this? Think about all the times government has taken time to hold hearings regarding sports (steroids in baseball, NCAA conference disputes, etcm) yet they never actually take charge of anything. No, the pro sports realm is untouchable.

The real crooks are those in big business -- the bankers, the oil men, drug makers, and all of those other capitalists who rake the little people over the coals just to make a profit. Nevermind the unethical pro athletes and how they have warped the minds and expectations of the youth of America. Nevermind the huge presence of gambling behind the scenes with sports. Nevermind the drastic impact that pro sports have on the bodies of its athletes. People make choices -- they choose their idols, they choose to gamble, and they choose to enter into a dangerous profession. They make their choices knowing the risks. Some come out on top and some dither away at the bottom after having crashed and burned.

Choices are made and risks are taken in the world of pro sports and its neighboring spheres. Consequences are and rewards are reaped by those who enter into this realm. Those hurt in the process are collateral damage. But what's the difference between this form of capitalism and the forms that the radicals and progressives are targeting? Like I said before, pro athletes aren't good scapegoats.