Community Chat

[hckynut]

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@KathyPet wrote:

There is something seriously wrong with a society that considers it acceptable to pay someone $170 million dollars over 4 years to throw a basketball through a hoop and then have the team that is involved Post glowing press releases about it like this is,something to be proud of. I am glad I am old and probably will not live long enough to see the downfall of a country that considers this sort of obscenity to be normal.  

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@KathyPet

I'll stick up for athletes. As far as I know this money is paid to them by a private business person. To them it is an investment they gamble will pay off for them and maybe shareholders.

Athletes, unlike many highly visible celebs, work hard both physically and mentally to earn their money. It isn't the hour game fans see that is the hardest work for any Athlete. It is what they do not see and do not know.

If not them from a private enterprise, then whom? I respect many professions, and certain professional sports happens to be one of them. Obscene to me is a family that does nothing, that I can see, makes millions just because of their name, I guess.  What exactly do the Kar-whatevers do to be in many public spotlights and media?

If a person worked/works hard in any skill in their profession, whatever it might be, at someone with lots of $$$ is willing to pay them top dollar, isn't that called Capitalism? Work hard and "the sky is the limit", sounds like the way our country is supposed to work.

Never held any animosity or negativity towards those with lots of money. Many of them earned it and good for them. Lots of true stories about those that worked up from poverty to the upper 10% to read about. I have nothing but admiration for them whether they are an entrepreneur/athlete/scholar, or whatever. If they earned it more power to them and Capitalism.

We obviously look at this differently and nothing wrong with those differences as far as I see it.

hckynut(john)

[stuyvesant]

College sports make me queasy.  Paying coaches millions while players get - what?

[hckynut]

Hi @Sweet_Serenity,

Is this a "pick on sports thread"? I agree about Vick and Sandusky, but all these types of subterranean scum  criminals aren't only in the sports world. Just my opinion of reality I see and know.

hckynut(john)

[sunshine45]

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@twins mom wrote:
Blackmailing cities fir better stadiums while pocketing more profits while seeing cities struggling to provide basic necessities is super disturbing. Let's not forget that many of these players are exempt from the earning taxes in cities where the stadium custodians, clerks, etc have to have that deducted from their pay. More mergers and acquisitions- great for upper management but little thought to worker bees. Back whike I studied social studies I remember the "fact" that monopolies were prohibited in order to protect society. It's understood that not everyone can be talented and gifted in special ways, but many individuals do great works to keep businesses and institutions running. They don't deserve to be taken advantage of.

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players DO pay taxes in the cities they play in.......along with their home base/ state of residency taxes.

Athletes file taxes not only in their home state but also in every state—and some cities—in which they play. Not every state uses the same calculation to determine what portion of an athlete’s income to tax, and some use different calculations based on the sport. For example, Pennsylvania taxes baseball, basketball and hockey players on the ratio games in the state over total games played, including pre- and postseason, but they tax football players based on days worked in the state over total days worked. Michigan uses the same method but excludes the preseason. Most other states use the days worked method. Arizona uses that method but excludes days worked in the pre-season (otherwise MLB would be shopping for a new spring training home).

via forbes.com (not posting the link due to sidewall issues)

Income Taxes For Pro Athletes Are Reminder Of How Complicated U.S. Tax Code Is

[QueenDanceALot]

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

It is no different than the Kardashians making millions and millions doing NOTHING. It is free enterprise.... that is America. Take it or not.

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Well, it is different.  Pro athletes have skill and talent.

Can't say that about the K's.

But yes, this is America, and we live under capitalism.  Why athletes are always singled out as being somehow the "bad" capitalists is beyond me.  

[QueenDanceALot]

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@stuyvesant wrote:

College sports make me queasy.  Paying coaches millions while players get - what?

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Scholarships and the opportunity to be seen by pro scouts.

[QueenDanceALot]

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@hckynut wrote:

Hi @Sweet_Serenity,

Is this a "pick on sports thread"? I agree about Vick and Sandusky, but all these types of subterranean scum  criminals aren't only in the sports world. Just my opinion of reality I see and know.

hckynut(john)

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Thank you!  There's plenty of scum in other areas of endeavor.

[sidsmom]

With a league of deep, deep pockets and

Owners of deep, deep pockets,

NBA players salary is reflective of said pockets.

Except this guy....Dirk.

I'm not a fan of role models, especially athletes,

but if I was to bend, Dirk would be the One.

He is so committed to his league, boss & city.

He has literally walked away from $200,000,000 over

the years to remain loyal to Dallas & Mark Cuban. 

$5MM a year is unheard of...for a Hall of Famer...still playing. 

💙🏀🐴Love Dirk!!

[151949]

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@stuyvesant wrote:

College sports make me queasy.  Paying coaches millions while players get - what?

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A free education!