Waste of time and money?

[Wästed The Great]

I have a couple of questions:  Does anyone else think that this whole ordeal with US congress chasing sports atheltes and teams is a huge waste of time and money?  Or does anyone even care?  (ok, 3-- Does any one know much about this?)

I am an avid sports fan, I enjoy baseball, (American) football, and the like.  However, I do think it is a huge waste of the taxpayers money to chase around steroid users and cheating videotapers, just so one Congressman or Senator can look better than another.  Most people that I know feel the same way-- I haven't met anyone that approves of this use of resources.

There may be someone like that out there, and I'd be happy to hear the other side of it.

I also wonder if people outside of the States just look at this topic and think we are just too stupid to keep procreating for even paying attention to this whole affair.

 

[Onhell]

I think it is an even worse waste of money to pay them multimillion dollar salaries. They seriously shouldn't be making more than 400,000 a year and that's being VERY generous. $80 dollars or more for tickets? WTF? $15 hot dogs? HOLY SHIT, just because Mr. Hot Shot and company are making 5 mil a piece or more? Fuck them. It is a PRIVILEGE  to be a pro, if they don't like it there are hundreds of hungry minor leaguers waiting for a break that can take their place. They can still make their millions through sponsorships with reebok, nike, canon and the like.... THAT is what is a real waste.

As for the hearings, sad that it is congress that has to do it, but fuck it man, it is about time someone calls them on it. Players (like rock stars) think they can lie cheat, steal, rape and get away with it because of their "star" status, well fuck them, they are no different from the average citizen in that respect, stardom does not (well, should not) make you immune to justice...

 

[Wästed The Great]

Ok, I'll buy that argument.

I totally agree on the part where they need to be held responsible for their actions, I just wish there was a different way to do it.  And I'm with you on the price of tickets, etc.  I can't hardly take my kids out to a game anymore, but what we do instead is go watch AA baseball.  $5 tickets, $1 beer or soda and hotdogs, and you see players that really want to play the game.  Its pretty fun.

 

[LooseCannon]

If Congress wants to end steroid use in baseball, pass a law forbidding any single one of them from making more than $750k/year.

 

[Albie]

I'll wad in with an answer to the Does any one know much about this? question. No.

But from you responses, I can gather what you are saying. And I'll make a couple of points:

As stated by me elsewhere - keep politics out of sport.
If a sports-person is suspected of cheating (be it drugs, gambling, or whatever), let the governing body of that sport deal with it.

I could go on about how we should not really care how much sports stars earn, but I need to be a bit more sober. In short, I could not give a monkeys if Steven Gerrard gets paid £20k (or whatever) per week at Liverpool - or not. It's their money and Liverpool FC can spend it how they see fit.