Occupy the NBA

[+DieChecker]

I was watching the News the other day and was struck by the Fact that all those involved were Millionares. There are 10 to 15 players per team and like 16 teams. For a total of around 200 players, right. And the average salary is close to $5 million per year. So that is like 1 Billion dollars a year (5 million times 200) going to NBA players each year, base salary. And, they demand more? How much do the Owners make then?

For what a single NBA player makes on average, 100 regular familys could live a lower middle class lifestyle.

Perhaps the OWS guys should go over to Madison Square Garden and camp there? These guys are at least as Rich as the Wall Street CEOs.

Is it greed driving both sides?

Are these guys Heros, or are they greedy villians like the OWS say the 1% are?

[Aus Der Box Skeptisch]

You made sense diechecker. I'm glad you posted this.

[Daniel Carver]

Are these guys Heros, or are they greedy villians like the OWS say the 1% are?

It's been established, long before OWS, that the baseball, football and basketball stars are all greedy.

[Drj312]

They get paid that much because the people are willing to pay as much as they do for tickets. I don't really care if they make a lot of money for playing a game. I haven't looked much into but I thought I heard the players were upset because the owners wanted to take more money from the revenue, not that the players wanted more money.

[Englishgent]

Sports stars are grossly overpaid for what they do. I have argued this point many times before with sports fans who say, ''Yes. but they have a short working life'' Ok..so they have to ''retire'' from the sport when they get to middle age. So what. They can then go out and get a real job! Problem is that most of them dont have the brains to hold down a real job lol Just for the record I enjoy watching most sports so would consider myself a fan. I just get rather annoyed when a football player in the UK (or any other country) can earn more in six months than I did in 30yrs just for kicking a football around a field.

[The Silver Thong]

30 nba teams in the US 225 players making 5 mil a year vs 325 million making less then 50 g a year ya I would say so but then we also have to look at the owners and merchandise plus video games. Ya they would be part of the top 5% say give or take a few percent lol

Maybe people should stop watching sports and going to games. But wait the Romans did the same thing. Offered sporting events to numb the crowd aka populace into a false belief that it was about or for the people....

[MedicTJ]

In the players' defense, it's hard to argue against them when league ownership has a storied history of lying about income.....and the line about how every owner lost money the past few years is absolutely ludicrous. It's laughable.

I completely agree that sports stars get paid too much money....but here's the caveat.....

Who's going to tell them they can't? The owners CAN, but they haven't, won't, and never will. And why is that? Because the players are what drives their business.

This isn't like McDonalds or Burger King (and please excuse me for any who might work there)..... If someone works at one of those two establishments and says, "Hey boss....either you pay me more money....or I'm walkin...".....the owner will say, "Well, on your way out do me a favor and hang the "Help Wanted" sign in the window.

I don't care if you can do your taxes, line up a carpool, and calculate your 401k in the time it takes for the burger to leave the spatula and hit the grill.....

If your name isn't Kobe Bryant, you don't make more money than your boss.

Don't blame it on the players. Blame it on the owners and the FANS who buy the tickets that allow the inmates to run the asylum.

[The Silver Thong]

This isn't like McDonalds or Burger King (and please excuse me for any who might work there)..... If someone works at one of those two establishments and says, "Hey boss....either you pay me more money....or I'm walkin...".....the owner will say, "Well, on your way out do me a favor and hang the "Help Wanted" sign in the window.

If your name isn't Kobe Bryant, you don't make more money than your boss.

Don't blame it on the players. Blame it on the owners and the FANS who buy the tickets that allow the inmates to run the asylum.

Actually many players make much more then the owners. Through endorcments and video games. Even giving an interview or getting caught up in a scandle can increase there income 10 fold outside the NBA and they know this. There agents tell them this. Sometimes a player doesn`t even have to be that good to make a name for himself. Not NBa but befor Tigerwoods got cought out with his one wood, he was making a hundred million a year and golf don`t pay that much.

What I find funny is some poor slob making just enough to pay the visa will fork out 300 bucks to go to a game.

Just add some teams are traded on the stock market.

Edited November 2, 2011 by The Silver Thong

[SilverCougar]

Last I knew though... sports stars didn't wrongly foreclosed people's homes, get tarp funds and bail outs to just turn around and worsen unemployment...

Despite the gobs of cash they make, they're not part of the problem that OWS is trying to go up against.

[acidhead]

All the leagues mentioned are subsidized by the same corporations who have bought off the d's and the r's. It's called Network contracts and corporate write offs. Ticket sales and jersey sales are just the tip. The real money comes from the large corporations who have also purchased many of the empty seats you see when watching league games throughout the season.

[Myles]

In the players' defense, it's hard to argue against them when league ownership has a storied history of lying about income.....and the line about how every owner lost money the past few years is absolutely ludicrous. It's laughable.

I completely agree that sports stars get paid too much money....but here's the caveat.....

Who's going to tell them they can't? The owners CAN, but they haven't, won't, and never will. And why is that? Because the players are what drives their business.

This isn't like McDonalds or Burger King (and please excuse me for any who might work there)..... If someone works at one of those two establishments and says, "Hey boss....either you pay me more money....or I'm walkin...".....the owner will say, "Well, on your way out do me a favor and hang the "Help Wanted" sign in the window.

I don't care if you can do your taxes, line up a carpool, and calculate your 401k in the time it takes for the burger to leave the spatula and hit the grill.....

If your name isn't Kobe Bryant, you don't make more money than your boss.

Don't blame it on the players. Blame it on the owners and the FANS who buy the tickets that allow the inmates to run the asylum.

I am on the other side. I side with the owners. A few of the teams are losing money. Infact they are making more with the season locked out. The players make great money and are not being asked to give up too much. I would be fine if the players started their own league. They have the right. However, if they are playing on the team I own, they will have to accept what I offer as long as it is reasonable.

[+DieChecker]

They get paid that much because the people are willing to pay as much as they do for tickets. I don't really care if they make a lot of money for playing a game.

Doesn't such reasoning apply to Corporate CEOs too? They get paid because people are willing to buy their products.

I haven't looked much into but I thought I heard the players were upset because the owners wanted to take more money from the revenue, not that the players wanted more money.

The owners want to split it 50/50 with the players, which is what they used to get, I think. But with the slowdown in the economy, ticket sales were not what they used to be last year, and players got significantly less. So they wanted some minimum to make up the shortfall. Thus the Players want the same amount of money, but a higher percentage of the take. That is how I understand it anyway. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

[+DieChecker]

Last I knew though... sports stars didn't wrongly foreclosed people's homes, get tarp funds and bail outs to just turn around and worsen unemployment...

Despite the gobs of cash they make, they're not part of the problem that OWS is trying to go up against.

We're talking over 200 mega-multi millionares here. A billion a year in salary. I'm sure they are very muched involved (by where their money goes at a minimum) in corporate and Wall Street finances.

True they don't directly force foreclosures and bail outs and bank closures, but how many people are? Several dozen nationwide? There are not really that many Mega-CEOs.

Still the OWS are not after the 1% of the 1%. They are against the 1% out of 100.