Secondly, it could be partly because athletes tend to represent an entire area. It takes a lot for a city to turn on a star athlete. For some fans, there is a mentality of, "I don't care what he does as long as our team wins."
Lastly, when a crazy paparazzi cameraman is hiding in the bushes, or standing outside a restaurant trying to get a picture, it's my personal opinion that those photographers feel more threatened by professional athletes, and for good reason. Many of these people are very popular, but still not at the level of Michael Jackson, at least in the realm of paparazzi stature.
Jackson, could not leave his home without an entourage of people and security guards. That was going on since he was 8-years-old, and playing with the Jackson Five. He was getting quarter-million dollar checks when he was 11-years-old. Even our biggest athletes have not had to deal with that type of public scrutiny.
However, in the last 100 years, we have seen our games turned into giant marketing schemes. In many ways, that is great. Both for the sports themselves, and especially for the athletes. The innocent games we played as children, have become big business as adults.
Of course, I am only 27-years-old. This goes back way before my time, but in light of recent events, it's hard not to speculate on the growing amount of sensationalism attached to our celebrities. I think the stress that comes with playing in a major league, especially in a big market city, like New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, directly contributes to the way contracts are negotiated, and to the way money is spent.
Is that wrong?
No, not always, and I do understand the business of sports. The real question I am posing is, "How do you feel the sensationalism of the media has affected professional sports in your lifetime?"
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete