It's an interesting question after reading about the transfer fee that the Soccer* team Manchester City might pay AC Milan for their player Kaka. (The British and the Americanlinks.) Not to go all "shocked and all" but they are willing to pay £108 million to Milan to get him and then pay Kaka £500,000 a week.
Let's think about the amount for a while. £108 million to the team. For one person** to move from Italy to UK. And then pay that same person £500,000 a week. That is roughly $750 000. Per week.
The coach of Arsenal says that Man City doesn't live the in the real world Well..... I guess one of the richest men in the world might have another real world than the rest of us poor people. Because, to him, I am sure I don't exist.Nor you. Not really. We are, if I am positive, small cogs that make the wheel turn. Seriously, that probably scares me more than anything since it is a "I want, I get" and come to think of it - maybe it is a scary place... not trusting anyone apart from someone who has as much money as you?
(I am sure I can manage that if someone were to hand me £1 000 000 000 .... trust my present friends, not gain too many new and try to keep on the low down... or what do you really do with all that money? Buy the lovely hockey team? Cure cancer? Put some money into fighting starvation and help clean water? But since it is even less likely for me to get the money than me getting an offer to pose in Playboy [what would I say? "No, I am a feminist and don't like the concept and don't want everyone to be able to see my nakedness. It's for special people only". Or "Yes, instant fame for 15 mins and can I please bring the pipette and an agar plate to show that scientists can be sexy too"?] I don't think I have to think about the implications for that either... since it's not likely to happen.)
I disgress (into Playboy of all things....). Let's go back to the salary question. The general American houshold income (according to NPR yesterday on my drive home) is $40 000. That is about a twentith (nineteenth) part of that salary for the player, but per year. I know, you can't compare but really, it makes it all a bit more crazy to think about. (Both that the average American house hold is not earning that much, although I wonder what the median income is.... )
Anyway, this was leading up to the discussion (the much more interesting one) about how much did the Canucks really pay for that Sundin? Considering that even WITH Luongo in the goal last night they lost. And they have lost the last four games they have played. And, to add insult to injury, they have been at home doing this.
Really not good. I hear the sniggering in the back already "why, not even one of your teams.... [trust me, the word teams is very well articulated] made it to the play offs. I am so sorry"... sure. (I'm sure the Red Wings will roll into the play offs but as stated before, not really more than eye candy at the moment. The REAL interest lays elsewhere. Or should it be "lays elsewhere", ah well....)
With these words I have to go to work and make good for my salary. Although it is not near the $750 000 a week, it is still very needed for me in order to pay the bills.... Maybe one day I will be able to say that I have earned $750 000 but my guess is it will be in total, before taxes, after working for about 25 years... wow! I am so happy I know math :)
*I realise that I use the term soccer... football should be written instead. And I should, if I ever would write about American football write AF. I guess it might happen after this weekend when the Superbowl is about to happen?!
**Furthermore, I guess one can ask - is this a new form of slavery? Since you are bound by contracts and can't move to a place you choose. And in that case, isn't a cage a cage even if it is in gold? (deep thoughts a morning like this.) I guess it is not called a slave when you get paid? Or does it? (I think I will leave this pondering for another day. It feels a bit post modernistic/feministic/leftish to wonder about the artificial freedom of the [labour] worker who has to please the boss who pays the salary the worker need... oh the joy of philosophy and power discussion. But as I said, another day. this is the day of writing research abstracts and solving the bacteria problems. And, more importantly, it is the day that Battlestar Galactica resumes and we get to see what happens after the found Earth!! Sci fi channel, tonight!
11 comments:
David Beckham was born within a few weeks of me, grew up within a few miles of me. And makes 50,000 times more than me.
For kicking a fucking football.
Please stop mentioning the Canucks until they start winning again ;)
The amount that these players make is criminal. My Dad likes to tell stories of going to see Newcastle play, in the days when the star player (Jackie Milburn, from my Dad's and my own birth town of Ashington) used to take the public bus to the game, along with all the fans. Everyone who travelled down to the game from Ashington would try and get on to "Jackie's Bus".
These days? They drive their fancy shiny cars into the ground and don't even have to look at the fans if they don't want to. There are still some good guys out there who go into schools and hospitals and whatnot, but no-one deserves the kind of salaries they're making.
Except maybe Alan Shearer in his hey day. He is a god, after all.
ooh, don't mention the games....
ok, no mentioning of any ice related sports.
On another note I am dying to talk about BSG... I had it figured out, some of it anyway, but seriously... I am a bit scared that it will be strange.... and not in a good way.
Isn't football and science the same in this regard, though the football players burns a bit brighter and faster?
The same damn tournament. Someone that is 1% better, or has a bit more luck, makes it to the top and get to reap the reward all the rest just dream about.
Now granted, getting the cash amount of a Nobel every week might make it sound like this really are two separate worlds. But on the other hand, the football players do burn out young. Going to interesting conferences, getting to "play" with what you love all life, and having bright young people do most of the actual work, is not bad. It does seem like there are quite a lot of bright, young people willing to fight for that chance. Though perhaps not as many as those who fight to stand on the green pitch?
Ummm, what is BSG?
Mattias: eh... I would not compare football and science that much, but maybe?!
If nothing, football is "fighting another team" very openly and easily to defend/offense whereas science is more a fight in the dark and not really knowing who you are playing...
Scientistmother: Battlestar Galactica. :) A little favo of mine... and the show started back up Friday and now there are 9 episodes to go and then it is over. for ever.
OOOH BSG rocks!!! I haven't been able to watch it for a variety of reasons (child, times keep switching etc) but we've rented season one to watch this week, and are going to watch it all! please give me spoiler alerts so I don't read
"Battlestar Galactica. . . . 9 episodes to go and then it is over. for ever."
And I'll say thank goodness, because man that show turned out to be crap.
I was hooked at first, but
Meh.
In football you are competing against your teammates, and other players, for the great transfers and big bucks. This obviously requires a bit of skill (being 1% better than others at kicking the ball) and a bit of luck (being on a team where you can show your skill).
In science you are competing against your fellow scientists for ever diminishing number of positions, the higher you get along on the career path. This obviously requires a Machiavellian mindset, quite a lot of luck and perhaps some science aptitude as well?
Hmm, peer-review takes on quite another meaning when you think about matters this way. Perhaps even-your-worst-enemy-could-not-find-errors-review would better explain the robustness of the process?
SM: Do not worry. I would not do revealing posts, but if I do - I will have spoiler warnings... I usually just say "tonight BSG is on" and last night spending in front of BSG made me think about..." which does not give away polt line.
Rpg: it might not be for everyone. I like it. Especially the larger scheme of "is there a God or Gods and does it really matter" and other of these age old questions... what is human? It helps that there are some eye candy in here but mainly it is the show I like. Then again, I like Buffy and Angel too ;)
Mattias: I understand that you would compare the "step bu step" process in science as football players (maybe AF is better as an analogy) hwhere plenty guys play high school fb, then fewer play in college and ever fewer play in NFL... and then the are more or less gods or forgotten.
sure.
But I think for me the analogy fails since Football is exciting for "people outside the field" and generates more salary and have an easy measuring tool to compare players (no, I personally do not think How many publications" is as easy and standardized as "how many goals/sacks/defense yards").
But I like the last sentence! If you only knew when it was your worst enemy... usually I see it as the peer review is someone from the outside trying to challenge my hypothesis.
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