Liverpool FC Forum

[Santa]

In the NBA (National Basketball Association in USA), the top 10 salaries averages out to be US$15 million per person per annum. Roy Keane would not even made it to the top 30 there.

Cuz 90 000 pounds = US$ 167 000
$167,000 x 40 weeks (I assume they are not paid in offseason?) = $6,680,000

So the salary in soccer is not that obscene compared to pro basketball.

Of course I wish that salaries could be much lower so that we, the consumers, will not have to pay monstrous prices for game tickets and merchandise. But that's fat hope of course.

But the market and TV rights for NBA is much more lucrative than Premier League. (I don't have the numbers but until Premiership has penetrated the US market, we cannot compare like-for-like with the NBA in term of financials)

...although I am not a big fan of NBA but I believe the teams have a smaller squad compared to football (that's soccer to some of you), yes? hence bigger share of pie for the top player.

[XSD]

Yeah the teams are like half the size.

[Redrider]

The real earners in UK football are Owen and Beckham, based on their own personal deals with sponsors, like Jaguar Cars and Rolex watches. Their actual wages are pale by comparison.

[SouthernScouser]

I agree that it's us who are the mugs
We Finance these obscene wages - but through our love of the game
I do think fans can be a bit fickle at times though
People seem to be shocked about what Kewell gets - but nobody has said that Stevie G isn't worth it !!!
If they are playing out of their skins - we sometimes forget the astronomical wages they get, their lifestyles etc
but when they are gash - we start going on about the wages - can't have it all ways
Would be good if we could have some universal capping on wages - then the top players would still make millions from sponsorship/advertising
Might be the only way to make players start playing for their money again - in order to get the pay day - they have to be the best

[Santa]

Not capping on individual wages, but to put a celling on how much each team can spend on total salary. This needs to be put in place so we can have a more level playing field and not create a few elite clubs who's salaries spiral skywards and probably exceed the gate receipt of some of the lesser clubs.
NBA runs a succesful salary cap scheme, otherwise teams like Lakers, Knicks, Heats and the other well-to-do franchaises will corner all the best players in the league. Which is why Shaq and Kobe has to be splited up as kobe only commands half of Shaq's salary. Teams are then forced to play rookies, which in football terms will mean the need for clubs to have a successful academy...which then mean a stronger national team. That should be the way to go so we will not see sh-ite players being paid obsene amount of money for doing...sh-ite at the expense of the academy and put clubs at the mercy of the sports agents. Just my rambling...

[SouthernScouser]

it's not rambling mate - I agree with what your sayin
to be honest - I reckon things are heading that way - certainly something needs to be done to try and get a hold on things - at the moment money is making the game spiral out of control - at the expense of the academys, the lower divisions and the National side.

[Santa]

Yeah the teams are like half the size.

Right. Teams typically have a squad of about 15 players.
Which explain why Shaq get paid a whopping £270,000 per week!!! Sorry off-topic...

[XSD]

Yeah the teams are like half the size.

Right. Teams typically have a squad of about 15 players.
Which explain why Shaq get paid a whopping £270,000 per week!!! Sorry off-topic...

Doesn't tell us much without knowing what his teammates are earning.
I don't really give a ****** about NBA and it's not a suitable comparison anyway, as the markets each sport appeal to are very different.

[spion_kop2]

if it winds you up so much, write to jimmy hill it's his fault.