This morning I caught a bit of the Mike and Mike Morning show and the topic was “Why do fans have so much anomosity towards athletes’ salaries and none for entertainers who make nearly the same.”  I have a few reasons for why I think this is so.  First, the average sports fan is much more passionate about their team and their players than the average fan of movie stars or rock bands.  Sports fans look at their team and players almost as family.  We (I am an avid sports fan) follow religiously every game, every play, thus we become personally attached. 

 On the other hand, as a movie and music fan I don’t follow every move and step of say my favorite band (Smashing Pumpkins) or my favorite actor (Robert DeNiro).  Although I do keep up with there work and critic their preformances, I wouldn’t say that I take a bad or good preformance to heart.  I simply say “that sucked” or I say “Wow that was off the chain.”

Second, the thrill of competition further complicates the matter.  With entertainers we can debate “who’s the best.”  We all know we have had some heated discussion over which band is better.  Except with the few irrelevant award shows entertainers don’t go head to head in an arena of battle.  It will always be abitray as to who’s the best band or actor.  With sports fans choose sides. We like the fact that it’s “my team” v. “your team.” We love the finality of the big game.  At the end of our experience there’s a definite winner and loser.  So with athletes there’s more at stake at the end of the day.

The other aspect that makes us more critical about athlete’s salaries is the fact that they can go to the other team.  When an athlete leaves “your team” to go to another or even worse a rival, we feel betrayed.  It’s hard for us to except that for a mere million or two dollars, an athlete would betray our loyal following.  We think now our team will suffer and there will be no more victory celebrations.  What do I do with that $85 dollar jersey with his name on the back, he’s no longer on the team?  There’s just not as much involvement outside of their performance with entertainers.  If I buy a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt, even if the band breaks up or if Billy Corgan starts a new band, now that shirt is a collector’s item.  That jersey with my favorite players name on it that is no longer on the team is useless.  Its a little embarassing to wear it to the game. 

So my point is, the reason I think we are more critical of athletes who sign for big money is that sports fans are much more involved in interactivity of sports.  The dymanic between a sports fan and the athletics he or she follows is more indepth that then music or movie fan.  Not to say that music and movie fans aren’t just as passionate, I believe that sports fans have a personal relationship with their favorite sports team and athletes.  

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