The Puzzling Economics of Sports

http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2004/Sandersonsports.html

I agree with the author on a lot of the things he mentions in the article. I don't think its fair that people complain about Alex Rodriguez making $25 million a year and not complain about Ray Romano making $50 million a year. They are both in the same type of industry, which is the entertainment industry so how come we cannot treat them the same? Many people would probably try and make the argument that Alex Rodriguez is simply playing a game and Ray Romano is doing much more. But i really do not think that it is much different at all, they are both in the entertainment industry. I also agree that it is not fair that we complain about baseball players driving up the cost of ticket but not movie stars for doing the same. I think we should critic all these movie stars and people the same or not critic them at all. Another issue is that of athletes using performance-enhancing substances and movie stars getting cosmetic surgery. I do not agree with the author on this part, because he is suggesting that if it is alright for movie stars to get cosmetic surgery then it should be okay for athletes to use performance-enhancing substances. Cosmetic surgery and performance-enhancing substances are two very different things. Although cosmetic surgery may be dangerous and it can hurt you steroids will hurt your body and they will have long-term damage. The believe the author is correct in saying that it is unfair we critic basketball players and other athletes for leaving college early but we say nothing about movie stars not even finishing high school. I also agree that it is ridiculous of college athletes are exploited and no one really says much about it. As the percentage of what these student athletes are to their bosses they receive less than anyone else in the country. Then we they do leave college early they are frowned upon. The U.S. Justice department frowned upon 51 private colleges and universities discussing students' financial situations and then making similar aid awards to admitted applicants. They said it was because it would represent collusion and restraint of trade, but they didn't mind when they gave full collusive cooperation to over 300 universities giving financial aid to every scholarship athlete in the country. I think that we need to treat all the people in this entertainment industry the same because they are all doing pretty much the same thing, entertaining us.