here are many other societal figures that are role models. I feel that every person should try to be a role model, and inspire the younger generation to be successful. Professional athletes also endorse items such as sneakers, clothing, etcetera; but they chose to do so, it is not forced upon them. These athletes that do endorsements make money from the products they endorse, thus adding to their income. These athletes cry poverty, meanwhile they have various sources of income, its just ridiculous. Athletes do have to endure injuries, but that is the risk they have to take when they decide to play a professional sport. They should have acquired other skills that will enable them to enter another profession if they are injured while participating in a professional sport. Athletes have higher standards of living by choice; if for example, a single parent can raise three children on an inadequate salary, there is no reason an individual can not survive on well over 100,000 dollars a year. I am not saying these athletes should lower their standards to be equal with the level of an indigent, but they should be realistic when saying they cant survive on several millions of dollars per year. In conclusion, my proposal to this problem is arbitration. Not all of the professional athletes demand outrageous contracts. In many sports there are already salary caps which will help remedy this. The athletes have to agree to settle for less, and in compensation a possible retirement plan or some form of benefits should be assembled. The only athletes that I truly disagree with are the ones that cant differentiate between needs and wants. Luxuries are wants, and necessities are needs; if they could settle for less (yet still reasonable) money they would avoid lockouts and holdouts, and continue to entertain our society, which is their whole purpose....
