TheWiseOldFart

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart                  The largest salary ever received by the man I consider the greatest pitcher in baseball history, Sandy Koufax, was $130,000 per year. The highest salary earned by the greatest hitter of all time, Hank Aaron, was $240,000 per year. Adjusted for inflation, that would be $1.35 million today. The most successful basketball player in history, Bill Russell, was rewarded with $125,000 per year: $1,164,000 today. Johnny Unitas, the greatest NFL player in history, was paid $250,000 in his final contract. The best players in professional sports receive as much as 50 million dollars each year. The average pay for a starting MLB player in 2024 is about $4.5 million in 2024. For NBA players, the average is $9,512,000 per year. NFL players make a minimum of $750,000 per year. The average veteran makes nearly two million dollars per year. PASSING COSTS TO THE FANS In 1970, the highest price of a ticket for NBA games was about six dollars. Today the “

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   I loved all three professional sports when I was young. I was a huge fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. As rule changes, and even the lack of change became realities, I no longer had any interest in professional baseball or basketball, and in 2023 I am losing my interest in the NFL. First and last, as it is for everything else in America, the primary reason: money. All major professional sports have placed profits ahead of the games. No average working man can afford to attend any of the games on a regular basis. I will also discuss free agency, television profits, and salaries which are beyond ridiculous. America is a money cult, not a nation of people. If you are not rich, you can only dream about the American way of life promised in books and movies. The second reason which caused me to lose interest in other sports is free agency. The greed of athletes destroyed the “team concept” forever. The Monday Night