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Extreme athleticism (and correlated risk of eating disorders) is as self-destructive as amphetamines. No one buys tickets to watch people use drugs though ;) I
by mslate 8y ago
Extreme athleticism (and correlated risk of eating disorders) is as self-destructive as amphetamines. No one buys tickets to watch people use drugs though ;)
I wonder what the author's lifetime earnings from athletics have been though...
- djrogers 8y ago> as self-destructive as amphetamines Not sure if you meant to be hyperbolic, or if you actually believe this, but I feel it important to find out that the life expectancy of a full blown amphetamine addict is only 5-10 years. It is MUCH more destructive on average than almost any other lifestyle. While there may be some athletes whose pursuit of improved performance kills them, every meth addict will kill them selves if they don’t stop.
- maneesh 8y agoAmphetamines or methamphetamines? Very different...
- darkerside 8y agoIn the article, the author indicates an income that was close to the poverty line. It could be a one sided perspective, but I think it's safe to say it wasn't terribly lucrative.
- paulmach 8y agoWomen's cycling is far from lucrative. They also lack a union and pay their own health insurance. Minimum salary for men at the highest level is about 30k euros per year. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/minimum-wage-increase-for-worldtour-and-pro-continental-riders/ http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/minimum-wage-increase-for-wo...
- Latteland 8y agoThe article is interesting. I worry that by watching football I'm participating in something bad for the athletes (even though they want to do it of course, for money). I guess it's true for all pro athletes, it is bad for them physically in the end.
- LanceH 8y agoThey're also playing football for a living and not attending their 4 HIPAA and document retention guidelines training in 18 months.
- darkerside 8y agoFootball has evolved into something much more insidious. Physical breakdown is something to be expected at the highest level of sports, but concussions that end in dementia and suicide is something else altogether.
- nickbarnwell 8y agoI haven't followed the sport closely in a few years, but the economics of cycling mean most riders, men and women alike, are paid poorly relative to athletes in other sports; it's more comparable to sailing than football. No one is paying to line up alongside the Tour de France route, and the teams are usually sponsored by corporate interests who don't see a huge return on their investment.
- captain_perl 8y agoMost US "elite" female athletes are just Title IX beneficiaries, who otherwise would not be in sport at all: http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/inclusion/title-ix-frequently-asked-questions http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/inclusion/title-ix-frequ... So for most female athletes, like the cyclist in the article, to expect a paid career in sports after college is unrealistic, as they were subsidized by government mandate in the first place. However, there is a market for sports-related models like Danica Patrick and the US women's Olympic soccer team where their athletic performance is really an after-thought. (Danica lost her ride recently because she couldn't win.)
- acct1771 8y agoThey would if it were legal. And likely will.
- was_boring 8y agoBut there's shows on TV where you can watch people use the hardest of drugs. I saw one where I watched a couple shoot up, and under them was a text saying one of them had died within weeks of this event. How is this different then me turning on a sporting event? After all, most of there revenue comes from advertisements and TV deals.
- winningcontinue 8y agoyou can make the case that you're watching the people shoot up as an educational entertainment. There's a good group of people who don't know what drug abuse it like up close, watch it and learn from the experience of others. Also maybe the series doesn't create recurring seasons/episodes every year/week like sports leagues.