Pay for athletes is disproportionate

It seems that the world population has their priorities so badly mixed that we are digging ourselves into a deeper abyss than we will ever get ourselves out of.

We wonder why we have a shortage of family doctors, a shortage of educators for our children’s needs or why we have extended waiting lists for much-needed surgeries. Yet we think nothing of paying thousands of dollars for family tickets to watch hockey, soccer and baseball, as well as other sports each year.

Let’s stop and think for a moment: Why should an ambitious young man spend his time and money to go to university, spend more time interning and settle for making maybe $200,000 to $400,000 a year when he can as a mediocre player be making a few million a year when he is in his early 20s?

I realize that our professional sports teams are owned by corporations that can afford to pay these wages, but it is time that we the fans stopped paying these exorbitant ticket prices. Then maybe we could get our priorities straightened out, and our doctors and teachers would be on the same level playing field they used to be years ago. Maybe our family doctors would be more ready to return to private practice.

I have not attended a professional sport in more than 20 years. Jesse Battle Victoria