Forbes 100: Not a single NHL Player

[Voight]

The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2020

I mean we all knew NHL players make little when it comes to endorsements and even salary, but I seem to recall a few years ago when Sid + Ovy made the list, even if they were near the bottom.

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[gstommylee]

i find athletes being paid too much imo.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Not surprising.

NHL salaries are nowhere close to the other leagues.

Highest paid player this year is Marner at 16 million. Lowest athlete on that list is at 21.8 million. No chance for NHL players to make up that difference in endorsements.

I find it odd that Sid/Ovi were ever there, tbh.

 

[Albatros]

i find athletes being paid too much imo.

Maybe compared to other workers who run the business, but giving the owners a bigger slice still wouldn't be any more just.

 

[LeHab]

The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2020

I mean we all knew NHL players make little when it comes to endorsements and even salary, but I seem to recall a few years ago when Sid + Ovy made the list, even if they were near the bottom.

McDavid is reportedly earning 4.5m from endorsements + 15m in salary (disregarding escrow) who I believe is the highest earning NHLer at the moment. With 19.5m he is still a little short of Ramos reported 21.8m total @#100.

 

[LeHab]

i find athletes being paid too much imo.

I have to pay to be an "athlete". :/

Only very few are fortunate to make big bucks. Just like relatively very few CEOs earn millions.

In many leagues salaries of the very best are actually artificially suppressed via CBAs.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Athletes are highly specialized technical experts of their body and sport and are part of an economic model that makes billions annually, with a smaller window to earn said money than most other occupations. They put years honing their craft and are at the top of a pyramid with a near infinite number of other players that aren't nearly at their levels.

Sorry, I don't buy the argument that athletes are paid too much unless you're simultaneously saying that consumers are spending too much on sports.

If you compared the top thousand paid athletes with the top thousand lawyers, surgeons, engineers, etc., I think you'd find a lot of overlap in pay scales there. Highly skilled people earn high wages, be that physical skill or mental proficiency, when the revenues they generate are massive.

As for the topic at hand here, I guess I'm not too surprised. Canada isn't a huge marketing spot compared to other larger wealthy nations and in the USA the marketing opportunities are logically prioritized to players from more profitable and popular sports.

 

[Voight]

Athletes are highly specialized technical experts of their body and sport and are part of an economic model that makes billions annually, with a smaller window to earn said money than most other occupations. They put years honing their craft and are at the top of a pyramid with a near infinite number of other players that aren't nearly at their levels.

Sorry, I don't buy the argument that athletes are paid too much unless you're simultaneously saying that consumers are spending too much on sports.

If you compared the top thousand paid athletes with the top thousand lawyers, surgeons, engineers, etc., I think you'd find a lot of overlap in pay scales there. Highly skilled people earn high wages, be that physical skill or mental proficiency, when the revenues they generate are massive.

As for the topic at and here, I guess I'm not too surprised. Canada isn't a huge marketing spot compared to other larger wealthy nations and in the USA the marketing opportunities are logically prioritized to players from more profitable and popular sports.

Exactly. If fans decided they didn't want to overpay for concessions and jerseys then athletes would not make so much. Even the absolute worst NHL or NFL player puts thousands of hours into training every year. I don't get mad when some players are massively overpaid because who would say no to that much money?

If anything the pandemic proved (a lot of) people need sports as part of their life, like as a release or a way to disconnect from reality for a few hours.

 

[joelef]

well when you have sport and a fanbase who thinks there morally superior because there atheltes dont "act like clowns " like other sports dont be surprised when your not that popular

 

[Hoser]

Eh, every NFL player on this list needs an asterisk next to their earnings. Forbes is specifically counting June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020, so it includes their 2019 salaries, 2019 bonuses and any 2020 signing bonuses are counted entirely upfront. Lots of guys on this list are just beginning new contracts for the 2020 season, so they "made" a ton of money in signing bonuses but will disappear off this list next year, and likely never reappear on it again.

E.g. Quinnen Williams at #94 on the list. Rookie defensive end for the New York Jets. According to the list he earned $22.2M in salary. In reality he signed a contract with $21.7M in signing bonuses in August 2019, and was paid $495,000 salary; his "salary" earnings were really about $5.9M last year, they're just inflating the number by counting his entire signing bonus upfront. He will be paid the signing bonus over the length of his four-year contract, not all at once.

EDIT: If you counted NHL salaries the same way Connor McDavid would have appeared at #6 on the list last year, for signing a new contract with $86M in signing bonuses, $2M salary and about $5M in endorsements.