The NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Championship, the FIFA World Cup, the World Series, the U.S. Open — all professional sports competitions. What truly distinguishes them from college play? Well, millions of dollars of course. That and uninspired, heartless players, playing for the money rather than “for the pure love of the game.”
Why are professional sports players paid so much money for what they do? Do they even contribute to our society in a practical and progressive manner? Possibly. They may provide relief to the everyday rat-race American who enjoys kicking back with a chilled brew after a long day at the office. But on the practical side, professional athletes are immune from — not to mention incapable of — progressively advancing our world. Why do they need to be paid millions?
Think of a scenario where professional sports players are not paid millions, but quite less. Say 30 grand per year. This would weed out all the superstars that are in it for the money and therefore must put on a splendid show of bogus willpower and heart. To them it is not about winning or losing, it’s all about their big paychecks and mansions to come back to when the day ends. As most of you have surely observed, the difference in the level of intensity between professional and college sports is due to the presence of multi-million-dollar contracts.
But attempt to visualize how much more exciting and enticing sports matches would be if the most talented players, who did not mind making a meager salary, were involved purely for the satisfaction of playing their sport. Those players would play with unmatched spirit and determination because, to them, money and contracts and Nike endorsements are irrelevant; what they seek is merely a feeling of contentment and personal, intuitive fulfillment in doing that which envelopes their entire heart and soul in happiness. In addition, all those millions of dollars may go toward more realistic causes, such as investing in distinctive opportunities to spurn our lax economy and halt a failing dollar.
And who knows, with this grand reduction in salary perhaps all the cheap, steroid-induced, ogreish bums would be rid of as well.
I think the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal had it closest to the truth when he said: “Thus so wretched is man that he would weary even without any cause for weariness … and so frivolous is he that … the least thing, such as playing billiards or hitting a ball, is sufficient enough to amuse him.”
True sports players do not want or need money. They simply want to play.