So, what do teachers, garbage men, and plumbers have in common? Give up? They are all needed for our society to function properly. Think about it! Without teachers, nobody would be educated. That may not sound too important now, but just try to imagine life without being able to read. (It would make text-messaging kind of hard!) Without garbage men, what would we do with our trash? Lastly there is the plumber. I don’t even think I need to explain why they are important.Oh, there is one other thing that they have in common! They all make less money than professional athletes. Does this strike anyone but me as odd? These people work hard to contribute to society and make next to nothing. Meanwhile, a bunch of self-obsessed steroid addicts make millions for running after a ball like a little dog. It seems kind of backwards, right?
I’m sure some of you are thinking “athletes contribute to society too!” To that, I say “Bull!” What do they possibly do that helps to improve the world in any way? I could only come up with a few reasons but they could easily be discounted.
The 1st way is that they help the economy. There is a lot of money that goes into these games and a lot of jobs that the games bring in. However, there is also a lot of illegal betting and violence due to that betting. So, money wise, the “big game” hurts as much as it helps.
The 2nd way I could find is that they give back to the community. I admit, some athletes do give large donations to charitable causes. All famous people do. It helps their image. So what if an athlete gave a million dollars to fight cancer! He is worth 50 million! It is not like it made a big dent in his bank account.
The 3rd way athletes may contribute is that kids look up to them. Which can be a good thing, until the athlete starts getting arrested or starts taking steroids? Also, of all the people we want our children to look up to, is athletes really one of them? Why would you want a child to be an athlete when he (or she) could grow up to make the world a better place? Wouldn’t it be better for the child to want to be an astronaut, doctor or scientist?
The final way that I could think of is Athletic scholarships. I have always thought that the entire concept of an athletic scholarship makes no sense. College is a place built upon academics, not athletics. So, the fact that colleges, or even highschools, have athletic programs does not even make sense. (Much less, the idea of giving free rides into college for playing sports.)
Basically, athletes make no real contribution to society. So, why is our country so obsessed with them? I think that it all goes back to primitive times, thousands of years ago, when man had to be strong to live, the time when men had to hunt with spears or arrows in order to eat. Shouldn’t we have been able to let go of those primal instincts by now? Does it really make sense that people who contribute nothing to our world are rich, yet the people who work had to make civilized life possible get no recognition?
What do you think? Tell me about it!
James, I have to disagree with you on some factors. First off, if people want to play baseball or such, who are we to tell them that doesn’t do anything to help any of us. If they want to do the job of their dreams let them. Don’t put them down.It’s there life and you have no right to say other people are better than them. Just because you don’t like sports you shouldn’t call other people that like to watch it “primitive.”That’s actually an insult to Earl’s family.BIG TIME!Have you been inside their house.
Let me ask you something. If you were offered a job to play videogames and make a million bucks for a living would you do it?Of course you would!Does that help mankind?NO!
Furthermore, if my kid wanted to be an athlete I’m not going to tell him”No!You’re going to medical school!”Besides, no matter how many people are trying to make the world a better place it will never happen.
Not all athletes are bad. There are some good people out there. Just like there are bad scientists, doctors, and such.
And the illegal betting is NOT the athlete’s fault. That’s the people who watch them.
Some people are not as smart as you or me James, but what if they still want to go to college and make something of themselves?Athletic scholarships is a way that
Sorry, accidentally pressed the submit button. Anyway, Athletic scholarships is a way to make that dream a reality. How dare you say so what to giving a million dollars to cure cancer!For one thing James, you know nothing about sports or the people that play them.So you have no right to question their character.No offense James but just because you don’t like sports doesn’t make it primitive. Not everyone wants to sit in their room playing videogames for fun.They want to actually get out there and get some excerise. That’s another thing, sports keep you in good health.Athletes, when playing their sport, brings happiness to the kids and adults in the stands, people that want a little entertainment an get away from the pressures of life.
James, if I were you, I would be ashamed of these statements you have posted. You should question your own character.
Sorry for all these comments. Just getting my point across. Anyway, if you think about it, scientists and doctors have made the world worse. Scientists have made weapons after weapons, each one deadlier than the other. Weapons are made for one thing and one thing only, to kill. Doctors, the bad ones, have discovered how to kill babies before they are even born. Yeah, abortion. Plus, they have also figured out how to change a man to a woman and vice versa. SICK!James, the bottom line, you can find wrongs in everything, but you can also find rights.I disagree with you on almost everything on here. Except that plumbers, teachers and such do deserve some cred.Even though, there are some bad teachers out there(and plumbers).Sexual predators which are teachers and such. I’ve made my point.
Sorry about comment 3. Way too harsh.
I am not saying anything wrong with playing sports. Or even having a national sports leauge. I am saying that we pay them WAY too much money!
They don’t contribute enought to the world to justify that kind of pay! people look up to them as heroes, but they are not. (hence the title)
I am not saying that it is wrong to play sports, I am saying that it is wrong to put that much importance on their job.
I, also, think that our school should not have sports. School is a place of learning! There is no reason to have an athletic program that does nothing but take away from our education and drains funds. If we want sports teams, lets build a community center. We would have sports AND it would create a safe envioroment that would be good for keeping kids out of trouble.
On the subject of abortions. Personally I am against gay abortion.
On the subject of sports. Soccer is the real football.
On the subject of illegal betting. Risk is part of the game.
On the subject of life. 42.
On the subject of videogames. Virtual killing saves lives. Specificaly your lives. Have a nice day.
AND NOW FOR THE MORAL QUESTION OF THE DAY!!!!! DING DING DING.
If you knew that your baby was going to grow up to be gay and there was no way you could change it, would you have the baby aborted or would you have a sex change done so the baby would grow up to be straight?
also, earl agreed with me on all but the comment about scholarships.
James, I agree with you. It’s not that I dislike sports or the people who play them, its just that the people(much like celebrities) are idolized beyond there importance. The U.S. Congress held hearings over the baseball steriods scandel. Now, with a recessing economy and all the other problems with America, isnt that a bit wasteful of the Congress’s time and tax payer money?
P.S. Dragon, Babcom and I invite you to our blog. We like the way you argue and think your valued incite would be a healthy edition.
Cool. Thanks Iggy7.
JAMES I TOTALLY BACK YOU UP!
THIS POST HAS BEEN APPORVED BY (Inser name here).
Ok, it’s now time for Earl to step in the ring…this is his third discussion appearance this month!
James, I appreciate your opinion, and appreciate that we’re putting it in the Informer, the article is very opinionated, and so are you.
I do think that doctors and teachers should be payed more than they are. However actors on the other hand are a mixed bag when it comes to their payrolls. If we’re paying Tony Shalhoub to do a Monk Movie or Heroes Volume 3, give him as much money as possible, however if it’s Patrick Warburton, Jason Alexander, William Shatner, Carol Burnett, Carrot Top, or some other person wasting the screen, charge them to make their movies. I think athletes, actors, etc do tribute to society, they go out, they entertain us, they provide us with joy, which can sometimes be what turns a bad day into a good one. (Or in Patrick Warburton’s case, the other way around)
Betting is not the fault of the athletes, but the betters, I could bet $50 that someone will leave another comment, that I’ll leave this computer eventually, I’ll go to school tomorrow, etc, but that puts the blame on noone but myself.
All of these points you’re making about athletes using ROIDS ROIDS ROIDS!!!!!!!!!!! are circumstansial. Not all actors/athletes use ROIDS ROIDS ROIDS!!!!!!!!!!, you shouldn’t put them all in the same bag. I think athletic scholarships are just the opposites. I think they are great opportunitys for students. What if a kid’s dream is to play for MTSU? Do you think they should abandon that dream? Of course not. In fact, school is not school without athletics. I know it is a place to learn, but just because you’re not atheletic doesn’t mean everyone isn’t. People love sports, I myself enjoy a game or two. Sports are definitely beneficial to school. A lot of emphasis is placed on those in the spotlight, too much at times, I think doctors and teachers should be more recognized.
On BabCom5’s Gay Abortion comment earlier, I am against homosexuality, I am against abortion. There.
Just because someone takes a profession as a scientist or an athlete doesn’t automatically make them a bad person, it’s what you do with your God-given talent. If you decide to use your intelligence to invent a way to MURDER a baby before birth, you made that choice, and are responsible.
Overall, I don’t think athletics are wrong at all, I think they are a fun part of society as long as those athletes are respectful and well-behaved, and those in society who deserve to be acknowledged are done so.
Mr. Iggy, I’d like to join too!!!
So are you agreeing with me Earl?
Yea
I think he is agreeing with us both. (at different parts)
I agree with you that they do entertain us. 9did not think of that one!) but I still don’t think it is worth the truckloads of money they are getting.
I don’t have anything against athletes, it is how much emphasis we place on their jobs. I know they are not all bad, some of my best friends play sports. I am just saying that it needs to be toned down. And school is not for sports!
oh, and I and by “joining” them, he meant visit his site and comment.
I didn’t say school was for sports, but that it’s an integral part. If you wanna take out sports and say school is for learning, take out laptops, take out computers, take out field trips, take out everything but a teacher and students, that’s learning. Sports are just as much fun to some as a laptop is to you.
Yes, but my laptop is used primarily for education. (sure we goof of with it when we have spare time, but we don’t get excused from class to play games and we shouldn’t)
EARL I TOTALLY BACK YOU UP!
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I have written a revised version. I am now closing comments for this post. If you have something to say, say it here