since we rant about how little some people make, why not rant about how much others do

originally posted by: Cuervo
a reply to: Grovit
Look, I can't stand watching sports so I am normally the last guy to defend them but...

I don't recall Lebron outsourcing countless jobs, dumping toxic waste into our streams, buying off politicians, or displacing communities.

At least he's not getting paid to mess up our lives. He entertains and his career doesn't impact society in any significant negative way.

Hollywood outsources all the time. I watch the new hunger games movie and stayed for the credits. Row after row of Asian names in the cgi department.
Then add about a third of mlb players are Latino and don't live here and hockey is prolly half foreign.

a reply to: Grovit

As far as I have seen sports figures always do come up in the conversations of the wealth gap in our nation.

I think the best example of that is Giancarlo Stanton new contract with the marlins.
This man is basically making 50k plus a day, which is over what many people in this nation make in a year.

He was asked if he should be embarrassed about it, which I would say is the wrong word to begin with, but he just shrugged if off and laughed about it.

originally posted by: Grovit
a reply to: coop039

dude, celebs get everything on the arm
when they show up at say the academy awards, they are given gift bags with free #.
like ipads, iphones, etc...the people that can afford it get it for free.

but yeah, the sag allows them to have insurance.

meals are comped for them. they get free cars and such.

when you that rich and you can afford it, you dont have to...its all on the arm.
something else to make you go wtf

The rich get richer just for being rich. Doesnt make much sense does it?
I remember seeing the owner of our store give ball players huge discounts on stuff. Mean while the average Joes had to argue for 5% off.

a reply to: Grovit

I agree with you completely. We have people doing hard physical labor and barely getting by and then you have famous people who are doing what they love and getting paid ridiculous amounts for it. Even when some of them donate to charities, it may sound like a lot of money, but compared to what they make, it's not a big deal at all. Some people on limited incomes will still donate to food banks or whatever. Those people are the real heros.

a reply to: Night Star

Even when some of them donate to charities, it may sound like a lot of money, but compared to what they make, it's not a big deal at all.

And seeing as most of those 'charities' are basically a way to get money not taxed it makes it even worse.
Not to say all of the causes out there by some people are that but it seems a lot of them are.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: Grovit

As far as I have seen sports figures always do come up in the conversations of the wealth gap in our nation.

I think the best example of that is Giancarlo Stanton new contract with the marlins.
This man is basically making 50k plus a day, which is over what many people in this nation make in a year.

He was asked if he should be embarrassed about it, which I would say is the wrong word to begin with, but he just shrugged if off and laughed about it.

One thing to point out about athletes is how short their working careers end up being. They are done with pro sports by age 30. Some are older I know but I think the average nfl career is 3 years. Actors and musicians can work forever.

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

Ya I get that, his career could end really at any game due to injury.
Or really any day for that matter.
Just wanted to point out that deal as it fit in pretty well with the OP.

Although many people are outraged by the enormous salaries of these top athletes, the truth is that the fans are the ones responsible for the salaries they receive. Prices are set dependent on what the consumers want and most importantly what the consumer is willing to pay. At the end of the day, you have to consider these factors. Professional athletes make what they do because of us. WE pay to watch them play.

Average pay for the NFL is 1.9 million. The league brought in 9 BILLION in revenue last year.

How many people can work at McDonald's? Basically everyone. How many people can teach? Considerably less, but still a very high number.

There is only ONE LeBron James, currently the best basketball player in the world.

If anything, certain athletes such as LeBron are underpaid compared to the revenue they bring in for their franchise and league.

His current deal is 2 yr./42 million. 21 mil a year is a ton of money however, his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers will generate over $215 million annually in new and redistributed money for the franchise and Cleveland from tourism, taxes, service industry spending and the team’s business according to Bloomberg. He’s essentially a walking, talking economy.

originally posted by: jtrenthacker
Although many people are outraged by the enormous salaries of these top athletes, the truth is that the fans are the ones responsible for the salaries they receive. Prices are set dependent on what the consumers want and most importantly what the consumer is willing to pay. At the end of the day, you have to consider these factors. Professional athletes make what they do because of us. WE pay to watch them play.

Average pay for the NFL is 1.9 million. The league brought in 9 BILLION in revenue last year.

How many people can work at McDonald's? Basically everyone. How many people can teach? Considerably less, but still a very high number.

There is only ONE LeBron James, currently the best basketball player in the world.

If anything, certain athletes such as LeBron are underpaid compared to the revenue they bring in for their franchise and league.

His current deal is 2 yr./42 million. 21 mil a year is a ton of money however, his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers will generate over $215 million annually in new and redistributed money for the franchise and Cleveland from tourism, taxes, service industry spending and the team’s business according to Bloomberg. He’s essentially a walking, talking economy.

I personally dont think any pro athlete is worth what they make. Im also very skeptical about how much a sports team contributes to any given city. Are there any studies on that?

My point is, the top athletes are getting paid because they are the biggest draw. You think the Cav's owner pays Lebron 21 mil a year because Lebron seems like a nice guy? He gets paid that salary because the owner is going to get much more revenue and value for the franchise and possibly a championship which will increase it further.

Not Just A Game

Grovit, I don't think I have ever disagreed with anything I've seen you post. But I'll have to disagree with you on this one. We the people control their salaries. If everyone quit watching sports/movies...they wouldn't make anything.

originally posted by: amicktd
Grovit, I don't think I have ever disagreed with anything I've seen you post. But I'll have to disagree with you on this one. We the people control their salaries. If everyone quit watching sports/movies...they wouldn't make anything.

oh i know that....i know that the people feed into it buy watching movies and going to the events.
i still feel it is ridiculous.

how someone like brad pitt who can afford any car in the world gets his free....
free ipads for showing up to the oscars.....

i know why that happens too.

so when people see pitt rolling in the phantom, some trust fund baby will go buy one.
or when the magazine snaps a picture of lennifer lawrence using her iphone, her fans will run out and get one.

i get it but its disgusting.

I'd agree to taking action against wealthy celebrities, if only action is directly focused on the financial industry. Like it or not, actors and athletes tend to produce something (entertainment/media), unlike the presently-existing-financial-industry; which is effectively making money out of thin air, while buying politicians and etc.

I see hollywood, and the bread-and-circuses industry in general, as a distraction from the real danger, the financial industry. Frankly If I had to keep holywood, in all it's vapid, shallow, worthless vanity; to destroy the cancer that is the american financial-system, I'd do it,

doublepost

we know there is a problem with homeless people and people going hungry.
there was a thread someone started about how 180 thousand i think(might have been million) went for a program to feed illegals.
some of us felt that since all kids that are hungry cant be fed that they should feed the us citizens first.
we all agree that no child should have to be hungry.
some said lets give less to defense and pay for food.
others talked about more voluntary donations.

i wonder what would happen if obama or someone else in a position to get attention went on national tv and just asked all movie stars, athletes, musicians, tv stars, millionare ceo's and such to donate to fed the hungry.

lay it out about how many kids are going hungry and how the gov is already using tax dollars for programs but it is not enough.
just straight up ask for all of them to donate a set amount or a percentage?

im curious at what the response would be.
i know it wont happen but i would like to see that question asked

a reply to: Grovit

Not unless they somehow benefit greatly from it, end up profiting more, looking better than they really are, then I don't think they'd even try it.

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
a reply to: Grovit

Not unless they somehow benefit greatly from it, end up profiting more, looking better than they really are, then I don't think they'd even try it.

of course it will never happen but it would be a cool experiment.
someone that has fans and followers...either go on tv or twitter or whatever and ask them to all donate say, 5 million to feed poor kids.
i would be curious as to the responses.
if nothing else it would be a cool social experiment

I agree, though with something like sports it comes down on our own heads. Extremely high pay is a symptom of a much worse issue; an unhealthy obsession with sports and idolization of those who play. Many among us revere athletes as some sort of pinnacles of mankind, ones worth handing so much wealth over too.

Why are people willing to pay $80+ a ticket to see a game? How have we decided this is reasonable? Oh, because we get to see Lebron smash some hoops and I'm willing to pay my days wages to see it.

If we want to even out the distribution of money, stop handing it all over to them!!! Especially when they use your tax money to make their own Colosseums, where they rake in the cash and keep it.

a reply to: Grovit

i say there is something wrong with that picture.

Yes, you support them getting paid so much just as I and all the others that watch them on TV do.

if anything should change, its that.

Change what people do in their time to entertain themselves, what do propose then?

Movie and TV stars get paid so much because so many watch their shows and movies.

How many threads have you made reviewing films and now you want rant about you supporting such a system?

there is a word that comes to mind and its jealousy when it comes to the above, however......

CEOs and whatnot really don't get my support in this rant of yours as I know what some CEOs do in smaller companies that make 100 time more a month that what the hardest workers with the hardest jobs in said company do which I think is a travesty. Sit in an office and sign a few things once or twice a week and make $30,000 a month compared to a worker on their feet all day doing a production job supplying the manufactured goods that bring in the money make $3000 a month, that I think is disgusting as some CEOs might be put such positions not for any skills they possess but simply because they know someone or are an amazing BS artist.

originally posted by: InhaleExhale


Yes, you support them getting paid so much just as I and all the others that watch them on TV do.

How many threads have you made reviewing films and now you want rant about you supporting such a system?

well mr know it all.
i watch a couple of movies a day...i dont see the point of your post.
i know what you are getting at but of course, youre wrong.
did i say i go to the theater to see these films?
did i say i buy these dvd's?
did i say i rent these dvd's?
did i say i buy videos on demand?


i sure dont remember saying any of that...
so mr know it all, how am i supporting such a system? im curious as you seem to have it figured out