Should Pro Athletes Be Paid What They Are?by Tim Lyons, Salem, NHPro athletes are entertainment for most people, role models for children, and sometimes generous people. But why are they so generous? They have more money than they can handle, so they give to charities. They're not the only people who can donate money, but it seems like they're the only ones who have plenty of money to give.Why is it that pro athletes get paid so much to play a game? I love to play sports, but I play for fun. Pro athletes play sports for fun, but they always want loads of money. For instance, take basketball player Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timber-wolves. He is only about 20 years old; he asked for over $100 million, and got it. Shaquille O'Neal of the L.A. Lakers also makes over $100 million. This is absurd; where do the teams get the money?The problem is that athletes have massive egos and think they are the only ones who work hard. They do train hard, but it is something they love to do. Other people have jobs which they don't enjoy as much and work even harder than the pros, but don't make nearly as much money.The athletes can play one year of a sport and make more than a businessman could make in five years. Yet, they ask for more every contract signing. An athlete can have a terrific season and then think that he is so good that he deserves millions upon millions of dollars. It isn't even funny. Furthermore, the salaries the athletes receive raise ticket prices sky high. Fans have to pay $100 to get into a game, including parking and food. Now, this game is only two to three hours long. People pay less to ski for five to seven hours!One thing I like about Michael Jordan is that he isn't really selfish when it comes to money. You can just tell he enjoys playing basketball because it is fun. I wish other athletes would get it in their heads that it's just a game! l