Taxpayers, fans pay for sports salaries

Kris Bryant, the Cubs fine young first baseman, just got a raise. He will be paid $10.85 million to play baseball this year. I don't begrudge professional players making a lot of money if they are good, and clearly Bryant is very good and appears to be a stand-up guy both on and off the field. But this is just one example of what is wrong with professional sports. I don't blame any player for taking the huge amounts offered. If the millionaires and the billionaires who own professional sports teams are willing to shell out the money, then why not take it? The problem is, who is really paying for it?

It costs a lot of money to go to a ballgame these days. A lot of fans can't afford the price of admission, not to mention the ridiculous price of food and beverages.

I suppose owners would say they have to get these high prices in order to pay the high salaries commanded by the players. Of course if a player hadn't heard of these multimillion dollar salaries, I'm sure most of them would be ecstatic with a startling salary of $500.000 or so, especially if he might even work his way up to a million during his career.

All professional teams seek and get subsidies from local government and it's nothing to be sneezed at. So athletes play the game for millions of dollars. Owners gouge fans for tickets, merchandise and snacks. Taxpayers pay even if they can't afford to go to a game.

Ron Flowers

Elk Frove Village