Introduction
Although the idea that there are people with greater talent who are being paid more money seems fair, in reality, it is not necessarily a fact that soccer celebrities possess extraordinary talent. Instead, it seems that in most cases, their accomplishments are only slightly above star players’ recorded exploits, and yet they are paid excessively larger salaries than their slightly less accomplished teammates. Although this practice might seem unfair on the surface, the small difference between superstars and regular players results in impressive revenues for the club, hence the reasons for treating sports stars in the manner described above.
Analysis
Fame as a social phenomenon often leads to unexpected outcomes. This is especially evident in the area of sports and sports celebrities. For instance, the cases in which famous sports figures receive considerably higher salaries than those who play at a medium level can shed a lot of light on human nature, as well as on the way in which people treat celebrities. The phenomenon in question is typically referred to as the ”superstar effect” (Christiansen & Sieversten, 2008, p. 11).
In other words, after specific players are identified as superstars, their accomplishments and the outcome of their efforts are amplified and their wages rise accordingly. From a realistic perspective, however, superstar players’ actual results are only somewhat better than the performance of star and average players, at best. Therefore, the minor difference in the effort one of these athletes makes results in a large difference in the payment provided to the two types of players (Lucifora & Simmons, 2003).
Though the phenomenon under analysis might seem unfair, the Superstar Effect has rather solid reasoning behind it. The key reason for star football players to be treated as they are is that their actions are especially beneficial to the club. As a result, the heads of the football communities heavily endorse sports leaders, so that football celebrities can bring an increased amount of money to the club and its representatives.
A closer look at the subject matter will prove that the Superstar Effect has little to do with basic principles of fairness. It might seem that it subverts traditional ethical values, replacing them with excitement over the people who have, only once or twice, made their admittedly impressive contribution to the success of the team. However, on second thought, one will agree that the Superstar Effect contributes to the general promotion of the sport and the commercial success of the team (Lucifora & Simmons, 2003).
Conclusion
While being only somewhat above average in most cases, football stars are provided with much greater salaries than the rest of the team members. Therefore, the slight difference in the quality of the game causes a significantly larger difference in wages. The Superstar Effect, which manifests itself in football stars receiving incentives and financial rewards that other team members do not, can be viewed as a graphic example of the phenomenon analyzed.
Although it might seem that the concept of the Superstar Effect has an admittedly unfair basis and, therefore, needs to be reconsidered, a closer look will reveal that the phenomenon triggers impressive revenues for the players’ club. Therefore, the further promotion of this phenomenon can be viewed as not only understandable but also reasonable and quite legitimate, both economically and ethically.
Reference List
Christiansen, N. A., Sieversten, H. H. (2008). Superstar effect in Italian football. Web.
Lucifora, C., & Simmons, R. (2003). Superstar effects in sport: Evidence from Italian soccer. Journal of Sports Economics, 4(1), 35-55. Web.