I'm not a huge soccer fan, although I have friends who are. But I wonder how excited they will be to hear that David Beckham is getting a $250 million dollar contract to come to America.
Beckham very nobly says that it's certainly not the money that is enticing him to come here! Of course it isn't! Still, he and his entire family (including wife "Posh Spice" a.k.a. Victoria) are already packing for Los Angeles, CA.
Well, *I*, for one, am always saying that we don't have enough dysfunctional celebrities in the good ole' U.S.A. So what are a couple more?
But it remains an outrage that someone is paying a $250 million a year salary for a simple soccer player, when top scientists and college professors make only .0003% of that on average. Granted, those scientists and professors aren't nearly as glamorous, they're not pursued by the paparazzi, they're not having torrid affairs, and they can't be found in their underwear on billboards.
However, until we Americans get our priorities straight, we can blame no one but ourselves as the rest of the world makes improvements in their educational standards and our only rallying cry is "Do you want fries with that?"
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14 comments:
Saur,
The only soccer player I know is Pele. I just don't understand some dude being better than Pele.
I was happy yesterday when Oil fell to $51.00 and I made some extra greenbacks. Money, you can never have too much.
Well, in a free market economy (which is the most efficient), that's what you get. Who pays for science? Taxpayers. You wanna pay more taxes so your scientist friend down the street earns $250 million while you live in penury?
It's a crazy world, isn't it? Some of the most important work undertaken today involves getting humans into space but it's just so... expensive.
I have no problem with talented and expert people being paid well for what they do... up to a point. $250 million a year for ANY job is obscene! You're right, that the sports market can bear this price at all just points to how screwed up our priorities are.
No doubt that athletes are overpaid, but they did not pay for him as a soccer player. They are paying him for his fame. His persona will directly be linked with success of soccer in America. It is going to be an interesting time... oh and I have heard that Posh Spice there wants to live in Hollywood to start a movie career... that is really what we all need to be concerned about.
first i am all for him getting 250 million
second when the hell did men start playing soccer?
js
top scientists and college professors actually make pretty decent money. They can do 100,000 a year or more. That is like 4x the average american.
Let's not forget about the beaucoup millions he will make on the side with his many sports equipment endorsements. Sorry, but nobody is worth that much for just being able to kick a ball down court. It's salaries like his that raise the price of admissions to sports events.
Only in America.....
As long as the public is willing to cough up $40 a pop for the crappy seats and 5 bucks for a cup of beer, athletes are going to make millions. Somebody's going to, with all that money pouring in, so better the athletes actually doing the work than some scumbag teamowner who's already avoided buying his own stadium.
If the high salaries commanded by sports figures bothers you, then pick up a ball, turn off ESPN, stop buying tickets, wear team jerseys no more, and go outside and play the game yourself.
If low saleries for people who actually contribute to society bothers you, start out simple: try a t-shirt with Stephen Hawking or Dean Kamen or Sandra Day O'Connor or whoever the underappreciated achiever is who floats your boat.
Hi Saur, I can see that the news that we are exporting Beckham to the US would thrill you.
Well celebrity culture - give one mug £250 million dollara, let all the other mugs think they too will wind up multimillionaires if they just pursue their dream ... DREAM ON
We call it "Hook, line & sinker" when they deceiver successfully hoodwinks yet more people to worship celebrity, fame god money above all else - just like catching fish
He is not getting $250mil per year.
Beckham's salary with the Galaxy reportedly amounts to $10 million per year, about what he makes with Real Madrid and the equivalent of the salary cap of five entire MLS teams. Only $400,000 of it, though, will count against the Galaxy's salary cap under the recently enacted Designated Player Rule, or “Beckham Rule,” which allows teams to sign a single player for whatever they want.
The deal also stipulates that Beckham controls 100 percent of his endorsement rights, which are being estimated at $125 million over the five years but apparently are being counted in the overall contract figure. In addition, Beckham gets a significant cut from jersey sales (projected at $10 million per year) as well as millions more from a unique profit-sharing arrangement with the Galaxy.
Source
In perspective it is nowhere near the A-Rod deal.
I agree with what edge said. He is a skill player. If everybody could do it then he wouldn't make that kind of money. He is also an investment for the company that owns the team.
I will bet the price of Bel Air real estate went up 5% on the news of his contract.
Of course it isn't the money. He is coming here because he believes soccer has a home in the USA and he is selflessly going to help bring it to us... yup...you bet
It is sad that we will continue to pay ridiculous sums to people with no redeeming qualities beyond playing a game. Our priorities really are scewed
Everyone, thanks for weighing in. I read every one of your comments (thank you, Cranky, for the correction, BTW). Unfortunately, I can't answer them all today ... it's a Monday, and Mondays are insane. Thank you for your input. I appreciate and value it.
As a Brit I gotta put JS straight on football (as the world calls it), it is the globes most popular sport.
Also when we crown someone world champion they have actually played other nations.
Well, Mr. Beckham and Miss Posh Spice (the woman who is always standing nxt to David and trying to pose...) are close of being puged out (is this english?) here in Europe. Great soccer clubs in Europe are not standing in line anymore for Mr. METROSEXUAL (if you hear him talking, youll know what I mean). What other options do you have as a famous soccer player? Right, Coming to America!! and live a luxury life as Kunta Kinta and kick a soccerball for fun...
Pffiuuuh, finally we get rid of Vic Beckham too. Have fun with her! ;-)
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