Are big name skaters too Greedy?

If skating is in demise, have the big earners in the sport, eligible and pro, contributed toward it with salary demands?

Bijoux said:

If skating is in demise, have the big earners in the sport, eligible and pro, contributed toward it with salary demands?

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Where is the evidence of any salary demands? I haven't heard any skaters holding out for more money, refusing to compete, going on strike. If there is a demise in skating, it most certainly has nothing to do with salary issues.

Eligible skating is not in demise. I can understand for people who started watching the sport after the Nancy/Tonya saga that it appears that way. What's occurring now is part global economics (which is not the fault of any sport) and a natural decline from that unnatural boom in 1994. But the reality is that skating is a "niche" sport that has a sporadic schedule of events. I am old enough to remember the days when there were Nationals, Euros, Worlds...and THAT's IT.

Pro skating is in demise BECAUSE of what happened after the boom. There was a free-for-all among pros with no regulation at all. Pro skating had an opportunity to become legitimized with it's own GP style series culminating in the World Pros, but they lacked a cohesive governing body to seize the opportunity. Instead, promoters were throwing together any excuse for an event and we saw the same skaters over and over take the money and skate in these events (who could blame them?) But pro skating is not in demise because of any skaters salary demands. I would wager pro skaters would take anything that they can get at this point.

I don't think there's fault anywhere with anyone. Just a failure for someone to step up and recognize an opportunity when it was in front of their face. 20/20 hindsight now.

When you compare what someone like Kwan makes to other famous athletes, it's a joke! I'm talking about her actual earnings in skating. The bulk of her earnings - like 75% - come from endorsements that have nothing to do with skating. Skaters demanding money? Uh-uh, that's baseball players, football players, golfers, etc. Not skaters.

I don't think skaters make unreasonable demands. If you look at SOI or COI -- well, that's a lot of hard work! Compare the skaters' salaries with those of more established sports, and you see that skaters really don't make much. Also, it's an individual sport, so they have a lot of expenses -- coach, choreographer, costume designer/ seamstress; some may also need someone to mix the music, a physical trainer, a psychologist... you can see how it all adds up.

Well, you can't demand money that isn't there. Owners of pro teams in other sports are not idiots. If the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers pays Shaquille Oneal a hundred million dollars, it's because he expects Oneal to bring in two hundred million at the box office.

I think it's the same with figure skaters. Their value is determined by the marketplace. Butts in seats.

Mathman

Skating is an expensive sport, and I really wish there were more ways to help families with up and comming skaters (begginng at the Juv. level) pay the costs.

Compared to teachers, office workers, etc. skaters make TONS of money. Most of the skaters who skate regularly for COI/SOI are living very comfortable lives. Not saying they didn't have to struggle to get where they are today. Just that most are making good money.

Of course compared to sports like Basketball, Baseball or even (I assume) Tennis, FS make very little money.

But as Mathman said a lot of it has to do with $$$$$ and making a profit. If a show like COI or SOI can be gaurenteed X revenue because 'so and so' skater is going to be skating for them, then they'll pay them a bit extra.

Compare the skaters' salaries with those of more established sports, and you see that skaters really don't make much.

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Exactly my feelings... compared to Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, what skaters normally get ain't nothin'

What's a real shame is, in pro skating shows at least, non-N. Americans don't get the same salaries.....

This is a free world, supply and demand sort of thing.

Is AnnKornikova too greedy because she receives $ millions or is is $ billioins with her commericals? What has she won?

Is Tiger Woods worth the $2 mil appearnace fee for a tourny?

I have no problems with athletes trying to ask for the max amount, we do the same in our jobs.

How about athletes who sell T shirt, slacks, golf balls, personal autograph pictures in their official websites?

I have not problems with that either.

Define "greedy". I think that anyone who has put 20 or more years toward reaching the pinnacle of a sport, deserves to be compesated generously. What I think "greedy" is these kids coming straight out of high school into multi-million dollar contracts in the NBA, without even proving themselves in the "big leagues" yet. Skaters like Kwan, Yagudin, Plushenko, Boitano, Hamilton, Browning, Witt, etc...they have proven themselves many times over, and in my mind, deserve what they earn.

Kasey

ana kournikova is the perfect example of someone getting millions for her looks instead of her talent. she has not won a single title as a tennis player. what a shame and waste of talent.

Great post, Skate Sandee! That is exactly how I feel about the situation. The pro world cheesed itself to death. "Too Hot to Skate"? "Ice Wars"? Come on. If you include Downtown Julie Brown as a judge you know things are starting to go down hill.

[COLOR=C000FF]Although household names like Kwan and Yamaguchi rake in tons of money on product endorsements for Campbell's Soup and Entemenn's Chocolate Deserts (respectively), neither of them probably make as much at their profession as their boyfriend and husband (respectively). I'm not sure how accurate this statement is, but I've heard from more than a few sources that the lowest paid hockey player makes much more than the highest paid figure skater.[/COLOR]

All figure skaters perform because they love it. Most would do it for free, if they had to. Money was never a factor in why someone chose skating as a career in the past - it was the love of skating.

Of course, now skaters do receive a better sum for what they do. Even the amateurs are able to earn a living from skating while they are still in competition certainly something unheard of in Barbara Ann Scott's day!!

I don't think elite skaters are greedy. They deserve to earn a decent living. A lot of them made sacrifices when they were competing and their families spent a lot of money in order for them to skate. It's only fitting they should earn a good living from what they love to do.