We would like to pose a question for you to think about as you read: Why are professional athletes paid so much? When you Google the “highest paying jobs in the United States,” you are given several results. However, at the top of every list are physicians. Neurosurgeons are known for being at the top of the payscale in that field and are paid anywhere from $220,500 to $462,500 per year, sometimes more depending on their level of experience. They save lives. Not nearly as high on the overall payscale are educators. The highest paid among educators are college professors, whose average salary in the United States is about $99,000. They dedicate their lives to sharing knowledge and teaching people what they need to know to succeed in their career field and life.

Even lower in the scheme of things are fire fighters and police officers. Fire fighters are paid an average of $55,000 to $70,000 per year, and the median annual salary for a police officer is about $45,500. They put their lives on the line daily to serve and protect us.

The average salary for a National Football League player in 2006 was $1.4 million. Major league baseball players received $2.9 million on average, and National Basketball Association players raked in an average $4.9 million during the 2005-06 season.

When you look at specific athletes, it is insane how much they are paid. Shaquille O’Neal’s 10-year contract with the Lakers was worth $208.4 million. Donovan McNabb’s 12-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles could be worth as much as $115 million, and Ken Griffey Jr’s nine-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds is worth $116.5 million.

What exactly do these men do that makes them worthy of being paid more than the people who save lives, educate and protect us? The answer: absolutely  nothing.

Yes, they are at the top of the athletic world, and they deserve that recognition. However these are ridiculous salaries that these men are paid for being extraordinarily good at a sport.

Doctors go to school for years, save lives and still do not make nearly that level. Educators give people the tools they need to succeed in life, and they will never see that kind of money. Fire fighters and police officers put their lives on the line for us every day and they can only dream having all that these athletes have. These are the people who deserve to be rewarded and praised for their actions, not those people who can hit a home run, sink a three-point shot or score a few touchdowns.