In recent years, one of the most widely discussed social issues in American sports has been the compensation of professional athletes. Public perceptions tend to view athletes as overpaid. This article offers empirical evidence based on a representative sample of athletes taken from the U.S. Census. Comparing athletes with other professional entertainers, regression analysis indicates that athletes are relatively low paid and that their earnings deficiencies cannot be fully explained by differences in personal characteristics between them and other entertainers.
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