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Almost all Americans are involved with sports in some way. They may play basketball or volleyball or go swimming or go
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. They may watch football or basketball games on a high school, college, or professional level. Sports may seem like an
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pleasure, but it is important to look under the surface. In reality, sports have reached a point where they play too large a part in daily life. They
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too much media time, and give too much power and prestige to athletes.
The overemphasis on sports can be seen most obviously in the vast media coverage of athletic events. It seems as if every bowl game competition, race, and match is
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on one television channel or another. Many daily papers such as
USA Today
are
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more and more space to sports coverage, often in an attempt to
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circulation. The paper with the biggest sports section is the one people will buy. Our sports craziness is
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in the prestige given to athletes in America. For one thing, we reward them with
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salaries. In 1980, for example, baseball players averaged $150,000 a year; the average
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salary in America was $15,000. Besides their huge salaries, athletes receive the admiration, and sometimes the votes of the public. Ex-players become senators and congressmen. Americans
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sports, and the sports scene in this country is more popular than ever.