What do I have to feel guilty about, again?

Over at Slate there’s an article with this (kind of misleading) subhed: “Should fans feel guilty about all of the injuries in professional football?” I say it’s kind of misleading because the main thrust of the argument seems to be that yes, pro football players tend to live their later years in pain but they chose to do so and would do so again.

But to answer the subhed’s question: No. No we should not feel guilty aobut the injuries in professional football. I say this making one assumption: that we don’t complain about how “overpaid” professional athletes are. Professional athletes are most certainly NOT overpaid. They rake in billions upon billions of dollars by entertaining us, the consumer. They’re not underpaid, either (and the NFLPA would do well to remember that before authorizing a strike).

So the next time you hear someone complain about a guy performing physical feats impossible for a normal man being overpaid, remember to smack them once for me. But don’t devolve into a self-loathing lump because those same guys are going to wake up stiff for the rest of their lives. A lifetime of monetary security comes at a price.