Mixer #1 | Low-Intermediate 4

Athletes and Pay

Today footballers and basketball players make millions of dollars. Is it too much?

Jeannie, United States

I do think professional athletes do make too much money, just by comparison

with other professions, for example teachers, who I think are a lot more important with
the job that they do. They don't get paid enough and then you have people who are just
playing a game and they get paid so much money and I think it's a little unfair.

Kate, New Zealand

I think athletes, they don't make too much money, because they're playing
exactly what, their favorite sports and they enjoy what they do. However, I heard about
the NHL in Canada, the hockey, and their asking for more money, and more money, and
I think it's, they should just take the money that they have because they get a lot of
money already. They shouldn't keep asking for more money.

Jim, England

I think athletes make far too much money, especially footballers. This is soccer
players for those people who speak American English. I think that people like nurses,
doctors, teachers, they should be getting more money, not people who play sport.

Rina, Canada

I think professional players do deserve the money they get. They're protraying
their image publicly and risking their bodies to entertain us and there's a lot of money
that goes into it, why shouldn't they reap the benefits. Why should the owners, or the
people that are making profits in other areas, when they're doing all the work, reap all
the benefits.
Al, England
Yes, I certainly think, especially professional footballers earn much too much money.
One guy called Rio Ferdinand just singed a contract for 100,000 pounds, per week and
that's more money than I'll ever earn in my entire life, so I don't think that's fair.

Todd, United States

Ah, no, I don't think they make too much money. I think athletes deserve all the
money they get. I mean they make a lot of money, and it seems crazy that they make so
much money, but the bottom line is so many people watch their games buy their jerseys.
Buy tickets to follow them, listen to them on radio, so they bring in a lot of revenue, and
they are the reason that people watch them so they should get all the money that they
earn. Maybe they should give a little more to charity, or give some of the money back to
the communities, but yeah, they deserve the money they get.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

by comparison with

Athletes do make too much money just by comparison with other professions, for
example teachers.

You can use this phrase to specifically compare two things. It is also common to use the
phrase 'in comparison with.' Notice the following:

1. Tiger woods is poor by comparison with Bill Gates.

2. The moon is very near by comparison with Mars.

portray

They're portraying their image publicly.

To 'portray' something means to present it. In this case it is referring to how athletes
present themselves to the public. Notice the following:

1. Rappers like to portray themselves as bad, but that's not always true.
2. The public image he portrays is far different from reality.

reap the benefits

They reap the benefits.

To 'reap the benefits' means to enjoy the results of one's hard work. Notice the
following:

1. Save money now and reap the benefits later.

2. He reaped the benefits of his hard work with a vacation abroad.

the bottom line

The bottom line is that so many people watch their games.

There can be many opinions about the same thing. Notice the following:

1. There are many things you can do to improve your health, but the bottom line is,
eat less and exercise more!
2. When learning English, grammar is important, but the bottom line is to
understand and be understood.

revenue

They bring in a lot of revenue.

'Revenue' is money that you earn from working or investments. Notice the following:

1. Beckham is expensive, but he earns a lot of revenue for the team.

2. Because of a losing season, team revenue is down for the year.

Answer the following questions about the interview.

1) Jeanie says ________ do not get paid enough.

a) athletes
b) firemen
c) teachers

2) Kate says _______ make too much.

a) hockey players
b) most atheletes do not

3) Jim talks about _________ .

a) American soccer players

b) nurses and doctors
c) policemen

4) Rina things athletes should _________ .

a) reap the benefits

b) earn less
c) risk their lives

5) One player makes 100,000 pounds _______ every.

a) year
b) month
c) seven days

6) Todd thinks the athletes _______ the money.

a) deserve
b) do not deserve