College football is the most corrupt sport in this country.

They get the money because people pay to watch them play the sport. Millions, if not billions go into the industry, and so the players get a cut of that, which in proportion translates to getting millions of dollars in pay.

No one argues that a doctor does more than a football player. But there isn't millions of dollars in stadium sales and TV ratings that go in watching a group of surgeons do a life saving surgery. There is in watching the New Orleans Saints led by Drew Brees play some entertaining football.

It's fun to watch skilled players and attempt to do their moves when you play for yourself.

For the people who find athletes over paid, where do you think the money should go?

Charity would be nice, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

Well said. I think this pretty much sums it up.

If I were a player and knew that my sport were bringing in that much money and I only got a normal wadge while the rest was going to charity I would be a little upset.

I wouldn't be, since I'd be donating most of what I don't need anyway (allowing for some comforts obviously).

What wages are you thinking the players should get? Even with average wages it isn't financially responsible to throw your unneeded money to a charity.

I don't know how they're paid, lump sum or weekly or whatever. I expect lump sum considering what they buy (my mom works as a title clerk for a dealer which has sold (several) cars to various basketball players). If that's true, the first step would be to change it to a weekly salary, perhaps helping to abate the rapid spending phase they go through if they have to take out loans. All travel and medical expenses should be covered separately of course. Then they get a very healthy but reasonable paycheck per week or per game or whatever, depending on the sport and how many games are played per year. I'm not going to put a price on it, that's the market's decision. After retirement they should receive a pension according to team loyalty (how many games they played in, ignoring injury, and how many years they stayed with a team) to account for the fact they might not have any marketable skills.

But again, I can't say how or what they get paid because that's the market's decision.

Sports are fun to play, instructive to watch if you play that particular sport, and are great for forming random emotional ties otherwise. Being a fan of something is perfectly healthy. As to why someone becomes a fan of anything is a matter of personal preference. To say that you simply don't understand it and can't see why is a little silly.

It's because professional sports are ran as businesses, and rightfully so. As the amount of money that went into the venues increased, free agency became a huge thing, and now you see players walk to get more money every year. In the 80's it was a rarity.

Do I dislike it? Yes. But I was also raised to be a die-hard Chicago sports fan, and am a fan of the organizations and franchises, not just the players. Even with the Chicago Bears, who are run like complete trash by an incompetent front office. I'm a Bears fan before I am a Matt Forte or Brian Urlacher fan. If they leave, it's sad, and I'll wish them the best, but then I'd go on and cheer for their replacements to outperform them when we play them the next season.

And more often than not, if you get a great player to build a franchise around, and your front office isn't filled with idiots, they'll stick around for a long time.

But what you're saying, about home-town pride and all, is one reason why it's great to be a Bulls fan from Chicago atm. Derrick Rose is a top player in the NBA and was born and raised here, watching Jordan.