

There's a lot of comment in the media today about the amount of money earned by celebrities, with particular reference to top sportspeople such as football players. They certainly do get very high salaries, in some cases far more in a week than the average person could ever hope to make in a year, and this may seem grossly unfair. If you put into the equation though, the risks they run of getting an injury that will put paid to their career altogether, plus considerations of the age at which they'll probably have to hang up their boots, it may not seem quite so absurd. Then there's the amount that the top clubs make in a season from ticket sales, broadcasting, merchandising and so on. A lot of that profit derives from the 'big names' that attract the fans and lead to the array of silverware in the trophy cabinets. So you could argue that the players deserve a significant proportion of that income. What disturbs me more is the impact on these young players of such a sudden change in circumstances. Are they equipped to deal with it wisely or will they just fritter it away and be left with precious little to show for it at the end of their careers? Should the clubs be providing more guidance? Whatever the rights and wrongs, there's little likelihood of a drastic overhaul of the current situation, and anyway perhaps we should leave it to the market to regulate itself.
A woman is talking about top football players. What is her attitude to the amount of money that they make?
$A$. She is in favour of a radical change to the current situation.
$B$. She believes current criticism of their salaries is well founded.
$C$. She is dismissive of arguments that their short careers justify it.
$D$. She is concerned that they may not be able to cope with their wealth.
A woman is talking about top football players. What is her attitude to the amount of money that they make?
$A$. She is in favour of a radical change to the current situation.
$B$. She believes current criticism of their salaries is well founded.
$C$. She is dismissive of arguments that their short careers justify it.
$D$. She is concerned that they may not be able to cope with their wealth.