| As a kid, most of us will have dreamed about scoring | | | | earning for kicking a ball around a park. The money |
| a touchdown, or landing that crucial dunk. We'll have | | | | used to pay these sportsmen comes from a variety |
| imagined hitting the home run to win the game, or | | | | of sources. Sports clubs take in primarily gate receipts |
| thought about scoring the penalty to win the league. | | | | from spectators in addition to the sale of snacks and |
| We'll also probably have thought about the vast | | | | merchandise at each event. In addition to that, they |
| amounts of money, supermodel girlfriends and massive | | | | secure massive sponsorship deals and additionally |
| houses, right? These things all go together with being a | | | | strike up contract with TV channels to broadcast their |
| top flight sportsman in modern times. | | | | progress. As if this wasn't enough, they also trade |
| It sounds like the dream job, and to an extent it's easy | | | | sportsmen's contracts for millions, and receive financial |
| to see why: playing a sport you love all day and being | | | | rewards along the way for winning competitions. |
| paid through the nose for your efforts. Take the | | | | At the end of the day, sport is a business and players |
| example of soccer star David Beckham and his | | | | are its assets. Without sportsmen, teams could not |
| recent move to MLS - in excess of $200 million over 5 | | | | play, and thus the value paid to sportsmen for their |
| years, which isn't bad. That works out at a total of 17 | | | | services is no surprise. Additionally, the fact that each |
| full days on the soccer pitch over 5 years for all that | | | | sportsman generates large revenues through their |
| money. Not bad going, huh? But why is this the case? | | | | own merchandising for the club or team makes them |
| Why should these sportsmen receive so much for | | | | an invaluable investment for any organisation. |
| doing their job? | | | | Furthermore top skills are always in demand, and like |
| The fact of the matter is that $200 million could build | | | | anything you have to pay for quality. Although it might |
| several brand new hospitals and schools, and could go | | | | seem unjust, the large scale operations of the major |
| some way towards social security. It's not a lot in | | | | sport industry is testament to traditional market |
| national scale terms, but it's a lot for one man to be | | | | economics in our society. |