I agree. Same with watching Djokovic v Nadal in the Australian Open final this year. Tennis for those that don't watch it. It was two prime athletes going at it and at the peak of their game.

http://Watch%20this!and tell me you're not impressed. Even if you don't like tennis.

People watch sports so they can live bi-curiously vicariously through their favorite athletes. Or they gamble on them, not that I would ever do that. That's illegal.

Both 100% true.

Gambling on sport is illegal?

Thats what I was wondering.

It's about professional sports. Not sports in general.

It depends on multiple factors.

Well in England it's not illegal at all. I could bet on any sport in any manner I wanted to. It would only be illegal if the team/player was deliberately threw games because they were being paid.

I love professional football far more than college football for a few reasons. Fewer teams, the playoffs actually make sense to me, and I grew up watching the Patriots. I watched them as a little kid when they built the dynasty and trampled the league for a while. I think that honestly depends on how you grew up.

College football doesn't appeal to me because those players are there so they can make it somewhere else. They're not where they would love to be at that moment. Would you rather be playing college football or the NFL? And obviously the skill of the players, there's just a huge difference. And what you listed as a negative, that in the NFL the players don't care as much about the team, I find a positive, when I see players like Tom Brady or Matt Light or a coach like Bill Belichick that have been there forever, it's a great feeling.

As for the Drew Brees example, as everyone else said, it's a I want what everyone else has kind of thing. He is one, if not the best quarterback in the NFL for the past five years, and he just shattered a record many considered unbreakable, albeit with another quarterback doing it the same year. I can see why he wants that money.

I'm not trying to argue. I thought I made it clear enough that I, powermapler, don't see the appeal. If you enjoy watching people play sports, more power to you. But I don't. Watching people perform feats of excellence is one thing, and I can certainly appreciate that. Never said I didn't.

I mean I like watching professional equestrians in Rolex or the Oylimpics...it's good stuff.

I do not enjoy playing sports at all, and I don't like to watch ALL sports. I like baseball. Don't give a fig about football, golf, soccer, car racing, horse racing, etc. I have childhood memories of baseball, and thus I love baseball.

Re: players salaries - it's been interesting watching the evolution of the mega-salaried sports star in the US. They weren't always paid tons of money, you know. in baseball, they had little power. Team practically owned them. In fact it wasn't all that long ago (to my way of thinking anyway) where they made maybe $50k per year. Of course that was still a decent amount back then, but it wasn't like now. Then they had some rule changes leading to free agency and a few players made big deals, and ever since it's been agents & players seemingly trying to compete to see who can get the biggest contract upon free-agency.

I absolutely agree with the idea that players should have the right to arbitration/free agency after a period of time. It's a business, but a team shouldn't "own" a player forever. But I also think stuff like that has, to a degree, ruined the sport of baseball. I loathe Scott Boras with a passion. And yet I still watch, because, well, I love baseball. I love my team. I love rooting for my team. It's vicarious, it's exciting, it makes you feel a part of something even if it's an illusion.

I'll say tho, that in the "real world", I've seen plenty of workers at companies who jump-hop employers simply because of money. They may love your company, but they have houses to pay for and kids to feed, and maybe spouses that want new furniture, haha, and they'll jump ship at any higher salary offer that comes their way, especially if they see more long-term potential. Loyalty in the workplace in general has declined. Not saying everyone is like that, but plenty are. ie, people are the same all over, no matter what their "job" is. It's not exclusive to famous media figures.

The one contrast that's obvious is that between the total impermanence of college teams. In 4 years, probably less, you're guaranteed to be rooting for new players. At least in the professional realm you can get behind franchise players who are there for many many years.

Also, Auburn svcks.

I doubt there's any convenient, logical reason, at least that I know. Why do people watch reruns of a show they've seen, where they know the plot and have heard the jokes? Why are some people more entertained by cheesy old Godzilla movies than famous four-star classics? At the end of the day it's not so much a rational "and this is why" decision so much as their brain declaring "this is interesting to me!"

I hate horse racing. Worst sport in history. Sicking and hearbreaking once you know the truth. Those horses are treated like royality until they loose. Then they are tossed away like yesterday's pair of socks.

I actually feel partly the same way (with the OP).

The NFL (and pretty much every other professional sports league) just has this... overtly "businessy" aspect to it--or at least so it seems to me--and I'm simply not too fond of that feeling. The NCAA, on the other hand, is at least somewhat more down-to-earth, being built on camaraderie and local community relations. You can root for a team that you can feel you're a part of, having yourself and/or even just family and friends you know attending the universities--perhaps even having a family member be on one of the very football teams in the past (as I have)--a sort of close-knit legacy.

However, I think this sort of feeling may be largely unique to some Alabamians such as the OP and me. After all, we have no NFL team of our own, and we are, as of now, doing fairly well in the NCAA (as a state--heh, though it may be dishonest of me to actually imply any form of unity between the two teams). And, still, I can admit to the merits of professional sports leagues; if one wants to experience the best-of-the-best in a particular sport, one will almost never find it in a collegial or small-scale sports league.

Oh, before I forget--WAR EAGLE!

The NCAA is the most corrupt and business like of all Sports authorities!

The players' salary is proportional to the amount of money involved in the sport. Of course these pro athletes are going to demand more money when their actions are affecting thousands of people and literally millions of dollars (in the larger events). That's enormous pressure and I personally wouldn't do it for any less than what these guys are getting.

Would you feel comfortable playing in an sporting event with millions on the line if you had the same salary as an average middle class man/woman?

I don't know what sport you're talking about but none seem to justify the high wages they get - Torres for example gets around ￡200,000 a week for doing nothing.
No sports man or women should get paid for anything they do unless they win a tournament, because all they are doing is performing a hobby that the whole world can do - most of which isn't skillful or talented enough to justify the wages.

- I'd have retired after a month on the "job" since I know have enough to live without working. But yes I would. Just because someones pumping numbers into your account doesn't mean you're any more confident than what you'd be with less numbers going in.

I Don't get People like this, Its for Entertainment!

Like Exorince says, this money doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It's there because millions of people watch these athletes on TV, thousands go to the stadiums to watch them, thousands buy their shirts and buy the video games etc.

I'd rather the athletes make the money than some big wig executive secretly pocketing it.

Heh it'd be great if I got at least 5% percent what my CEO makes..

Not while they are under contract with a team, but years down the road when they are out of the game and the health issues from their playing games start showing, then they are SOL. That was one of the sticking points during last year's NFL CBA. There is a minimum of years a player has to play (or be under contract with a team) before he gets a pension and retirement health care.

Yeah but, come on. Everybody gets aches and pains. Construction workers, janitors, phys. ed. coaches, office workers, nurses, doctors, dog walkers, lawyers, etc. It's not a valid consideration re: pay, especially in the context of other Americans' health care costs versus their pay.

American Football is different though. Those guys suffer multiple concussions and neck/back injuries during their careers. A lot of them have big problems down the road.