I used to watch alot of Sport until I found out they get PAID!!!

All along I thought it was like a hobby and they did it for fun..... When I found out they only do it for $$$$$$ I lost respect.....

I used to love Rounders (baseball) and some rugby (Football) and hockey.... (I love hockey) it just doesnt seem the same to me knowing they are getting $$$$$$$$ to do this...... (It would mean more if they really wanted to do it (Not getting paid))

But if they don'y get paid how will the eat when they have to practice every day in order to be good enough for to want to watch?

In this country there are hoards of amateur leagues to watch in every sport. Some are very good with players that came close to be pros, or love the game enough to get good at it.

Ya Bruce I guess you have a point mate!!

For some, the pay scale might be argued with but I'm cool with folks being paid to entertain me.

I've been watching a lot of NHL hockey on tv over the last five years or so and started watching more AHL hockey live again. Football is on the downswing for me, I'm less keen due to the back and neck injuries. I listen to baseball and did go into the Bronx for my birthday. :)

Its just i used to think they did it for fun like a hobby or something......

Its ok though :)

You must have heard about the huge sums the world cup stars make on the news.

They do/did -you don't get to be that good without massive investments of time and money -on behalf of your whole family. None of them started playing when they were 18. And you don't invest that much time and money unless you enjoy it (or have a tiger-parent)

I'm a swim/waterpolo/former hockey mom. The cost of pool time and ice time is insane. A decent hockey goalie helmet FOR A HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER is several hundred. A competition suit FOR A HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMER is a couple hundred and is only worn a couple times. Water Polo Players must travel to and play in California to get good .....at high school age.

....and my kids just do/did it for fun.....

How long should the parents keep footing the bills -which get larger and larger ....and I haven't even touched on coaching coasts........? The athletes don't have time to do regular jobs to earn the $$ to pay for their sports -their training is their 40 hours+ Companies make money off their performances, so they should be paid for the work they put in.

I may not agree with the amounts some get paid, but they should be paid. And they wouldn't be paid ridiculous amounts if the company paying them didn't reap the reward.... and they wouldn't reap the reward if we didn't pay to watch.....


wow, that was quite a sermon, huh?

A buddy was here tonight telling me a friend of his has a son who's been playing baseball in the minors for 8 years. He said he wanted to ask the guy when the son would give it up because he obviously wasn't going to break into the Majors.

I told him I'll bet the son is there because he loves the game. I'm sure he knows better than anyone he probably will stay on the second team. He wouldn't be there in the first place if not for the passion to play caused him to put in thousands of hours getting good. So enough money to live on and to do what he loves, doesn't get any better than that.

We sold a GT-R to a minor league pitcher. He had just signed a one year deal for 1.4 million with the Astros.

26 years old

One year deal. He may not understand the present value of money! One twinge in that shoulder and that's the last car his arm will ever buy him...

Want to scare the shit out of that guy?

Whisper "Tommy John" in his ear.

I used to watch football, and baseball occasionally. Now, I'll watch football if it's already on (Bears fan. I don't really need to see the game to know the outcome.) I watch octagon fights, the occasional boxing match on Fight Night on Fox.

Recently, on YouTube, I like watching the guys play Footminton, (idk what it's called, it's like badminton, only instead of rackets, they use their feets). It's like soccer and badminton screwed and had a babby.

The highlight reels are insane.