Reading Unit: Sports

top-earning American athletes, click here.

1

David Beckham

Los Angeles Galaxy (Soccer)
Great Britain

Last Year's Rank: 3

$48,200,000

2

Kimi Räikkönen

Auto Racing
Finland

Last Year's Rank: NR

$46,000,000

3

Ronaldinho

FC Barcelona (Soccer)
Brazil

Last Year's Rank: 2

$37,500,000

4

Lionel Messi

FC Barcelona (Soccer)
Argentina

Last Year's Rank: NR

$35,800,000

5

Roger Federer

Tennis
Switzerland

Last Year's Rank: 3

$35,130,620

6

Fernando Alonso

Auto Racing
Spain

Last Year's Rank: 1

$35,000,000

7

Valentino Rossi

Motor Sports
Italy

Last Year's Rank: 4

$34,000,000

8

Yao Ming

Houston Rockets (NBA)
China

Last Year's Rank: 6

$31,762,775

9

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United (Soccer)
Portugal

Last Year's Rank: NR

$30,300,000

10

Ichiro Suzuki

Seattle Mariners (MLB)
Japan

Last Year's Rank: 7

$27,602,149

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/index.20.html#ixzz0SWqbI0F7
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Show me the money! Do pro athletes make too much money? - includes related information on sports heroes of the past, Babe Ruth and Wild Chamberlain - Brief Article

0 Comments | Current Events, May 5, 1997

MIAMI, Fla. -- Hit a ball with a bat. How much is that worth?

If your name is Gary Sheffield, it's worth a fortune. On April 2, Sheffield, a right fielder with the Florida Marlins, agreed to a $61 million, six-year contract. It's the richest contract in baseball history, paying Sheffield, age 28, more than $10 million per year.

Albert Belle, an outfielder for the Chicago White Sox, however, remains the highest-paid player this year (see graph below); Sheffield's contract will not go into effect until next year.

Millionaires at Play

Sheffield's contract is only the latest in sky-high salary contracts for athletes. Stars in other sports are also raking in the big bucks.

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Every time running back Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys scores a touchdown, he receives $45,000. Seattle Mariners slugger Ken Griffey Jr. takes home more than $100,000 for each home run he hits. Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan receives about $200,000 for every basket.

* The average salary in the NBA is $2.2 million per year; the minimum starting salary is $220,000.

* The average salary in major-league baseball is now $1.37 million per year; the minimum starting salary is $109,000.

* The average salary in the NHL is $892,000; the minimum starting salary is $125,000.

* The average salary in the NFL is $795,000; the minimum starting salary is $131,000.

In contrast:

* The average pay for classroom teachers in the United States is $38,000 per year.

At that rate, a teacher would need a little more than 27 years to make $1 million -- less than half what an NBA player makes, on average, in just one year.

* The average pay for firefighters in the United States is around $40,000.