Does anyone else think that it's a load of crap that male basketball players get paid millions of dollars.....
539476
It's not sexist.  The reality is that there are more fans watching the NBA than the WNBA.  More fans mean more money to pay the players.  More fans mean more opportunity to sell sneakers, thus more endorsements.  Until men, women and children start embracing the WNBA as much as they do the NBA, then the WNBA players will continue to get paid less.
200951
I'd say not the much, because all the money in those cases go to the players! LOL!
1063141
Why can't they be paid like the rest of do? I mean, sure they are good at sports but everyone is good at something. Shouldn't we all get paid millions because we do what we are good at? I would love to get a million dollars for helping people get their ged and improving their life but I know that I won't get it.\n\nEnough ranting.
644393
Generally speaking, the prize money in men's tournaments tends to be better.  I don't think it's about equlity so much as it's about cash.
372257
Biweekly\n\nAndy (Orange County): Paul, love your columns. I have a question that I've wanted to know the answer to. I work a "regular" day job, get paid every two weeks. When you're making athlete money, do you still get paid every two weeks? It's just hard for me to imagine making a bazillion dollars a year and getting $300K deposited into my B of A account every two weeks (maybe a little less for you). Thanks. \n\n\nPaul: Oddly enough, yes. The absurdity of the biweekly checks is exacerbated by the fact that NBA players are paid only during the season. So, the $14.7 million is compacted into a six-month period. And, while my salaries have always been at the minimum possible level (I think the Bulls actually asked for some money back), the minimum in the NBA is hardly pauper-worthy and the checks are still surprising. \n\n\nThe math, though, on the aforementioned $14.7 million is fun. Off the top of my head (engage correction instinct, any and all nitpickers), that comes out to about $1.2 million gross every two weeks. Even after taxes and all the other nonsense, the take-home is still around $600,000. Every 14 days. Not bad. \n\n\n(It should be noted that our hero -- the guy making the $14.7 million -- is also buying a whole bunch of port-a-potties in Iraq with his tax dollars. Oh, and missiles used to kill people for no reason.)
469891
I think they are. But mainly in the field of baseball. When players go on strike because they are not getting paid what they think they are worth, which in most cases is grossly exaggerated, everybody gets mad. The players because " WE WANT MORE MONEY OR WE DON"T PLAY", the owners because they are losing money, and us fans, because they are getting paid for our entertainment. Every sport should be like football and have a salary cap. Did you know the New York Yankees are worth over 1 billion dollars? Isn't that a bit ridiculous? That's why they are so good. They can buy all their players. But every time they complain they get there way. PRO SPORTS PLAYERS ARE GETTING WAY TOO MUCH MONEY!!!!
779361
They won't get rid of this moronic system due to arrogance and pride.  What has to happen is fans quit watching.  Quit going to games.  Quit watching televised games.  Boycott the system and it will change; once the money dries up and they can't pay the players it has to.  Yes, I know we're talking about college ball.  If you think the players aren't being paid, you are quite naive.
680347
Yes, they are overpaid...BUT, who pays these guys?  The owners.  Why do they pay them so high?  Because they can!  The owners, especially in Baseball because there is no salary cap, make so much money from the revenue they get from T.V deals, marketing, ticket sales, parking, etc. etc.  Yes it's not fair that military, police, teachers, are not even in a baseball players galaxy in compensation, but the owners pay them.  If your boss was a multi-multi billionaire at your company, and you were at the top level of your craft, wouldn't you think you would be compensated well.  As long as WE THE FAN continue to go to the games and pay enormous prices for everything, that money that we earn, that we in turn give to these teams, will go to the owners checkbooks, which will be deposited into players bank accounts.  It's unfair to us, but that's the world we live in when in comes to professional sports.
135533
I agree with Harley.  The players are poor role models.  I wouldn't pay for a ticket to watch the whiny, flashy delinquents play.  The good guys (i.e. Reggie Miller)have retired.  I'll watch the NCAA now.  Don't care about the NBA at all.  Unfortunatley, the fans have become as nad as the players.
405386
You bring up a good point, but yeah the NBA isn't so much about the sport now, its about how much money the people make off entertaining people. If they lose that ability it will go down the drain.
510164
Detroit is prolonging the the series to get mo money.  They already know that they will face Miami in the finals and will dominate.  Basketball is rigged and it is exactly like professional wrestling.  Most of what you watch has already been figured out and the point spreads fixed to keep the bettors off guard and the rich-rich.  Look at The Superbowl where Seattle was robbed by the officials.  If a game gets to look too far out of place the officials are there to bring it back into perspective.  Don't believe me-I will tell you now that college teams are the real champs and that is why the US Olympic team was shot down.  Because when it comes time to play real ball they are so outta sync that they can not function as a team.  Why not let the US NBA team play for The Olympics as a reward and as representation of OUR Champions.  Because They Cheat and the Olympics would disgrace the US by permanently barring them.  However if we allowed Florida State (and I pulled for Gonzaga by-the-way) to represent U.S., we would have true team spirited champions giving it there all for their country.  They could give a sHEEt about the money HOMEY!
478795
They make so much because we live in a society that glorifies fame, and drools at watching others make millions.....sadly, the common person has no drive to make that money themselves. So in turn, they find solace over personal inadequacies by watching others.\n\nDon't get me wrong, I like watching the occasional game too....but as a lover of athletics....I couldn't give a damn about the players...and their stats...and all that junk.\n\nBesides, I'm also not a dead man walking that has no dreams...I'll make their money too, it just takes time.
145906
NBA players are paid yearly. The amount varies from contract to contract and depends on how many years is stated in the contract.
701640
Anybody earning over half a million annually to entertain (football, hollywood, whatever) gets paid too much. I don't care how hard they work, blah blah blah, they are siphoning off money from the middle class...and they should feel ashamed.
658764
The agent raped KOBE for millions like any other agent would.... I think he was just supporting him... Wouldn't you if he was paying you millions?
1170099
yeah ...  it has more to do with the b*** ification of the american male ..  We are moving toward a society of more crying , whining,  complaining, gossiping, decidedly un- masculine men.  \nlIke the whole he said/ he said crap with T. O, or shaq and kobe.  I\nIt's pathetic..\nThis is just one more symptom.
934969
I think the other two answers say it all.  Not only are athletes over paid, but the entertainment industry is too.  Bruce Willis made something like 100M for the Sixth Sense, and Mel Gibson supposedly 400-500M for the Passion of the Christ.  Those are ridiculous figures.  It is a checks and balances scenario.  They say why should the network or film company make all the profits when we are putting a**es in the seats.  \n\nI think the ridiculous salaries of CEO's and other top level jobs are way out of hand too.  There was an article where the Sultan of Brunai had a home built for something like 100M, didn't like it, and had them tear it down and rebuild it.  BS!!  He has a home in LA that he had built for around 30-40M, and he has yet to step foot in it.  And you ask why we question it?  If it wasn't thrown into the our faces day in day out, maybe we would not question it.  We don't need to hear about their unbelievable acts of selfishness when we have men and women dying every day to protect our freedoms, and their families get close to nothing for their heroic efforts.