sports

“I think it’ll be cool to see it [the new school], we’re the only class here, but I don’t like the traffic.” Jordan 9 Riveron

“It’s going to be great but it would be nice if they finish before I graduate” Ignacio 10 Prera

“We aren’t really going to be able to experience it [the new school]. It’s not really for us it’s for them.” Lazaro 11 Perez

“You have to get here early to get a parking space, if you came late there is none.” Dkaria 12 Alfred

THE WAGE GAP BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES don't hate the player, hate the pay

Joakim Noah, Chandler Parsons and Luol Deng made a combined total of $58,067,004 riding the bench for NBA teams. This represents one of many issues regarding the salaries of professional athletes.

Lately, questions surrounding the salaries of professional athletes have been brought to the forefront of mainstream debates. A lot of people are questioning how much pay athletes deserve based on gender, skill or the sport played.

During the most recent NFL offseason, players such as former Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack, and Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, took part in difficult negotiations with their teams in regards to their pay. The Raiders could not finalize a deal with Mack and shipped him off to the Bears, where he immediately signed a 6-year, $142 million deal,the largest for a defensive player in NFL history.

Many critics debate if Mack deserved the large contract, considering that he refused to participate in offseason activities or play in any preseason games. Miami Palmetto Senior High sophomore, Lucas Mendez, does not believe Mack rightfully earned his money.

“It’s like he was being rewarded for being inactive,” Mendez said.

Over the summer, several female athletes voiced their opinions that they should get paid more than they currently earn. The average salary for a WNBA player is $71,365, while the average NBA player earns $6.4 million.

NBA superstars are paid significantly more than WNBA superstars. Former Cavaliers forward and four time MVP LeBron James signed a 4 year, $154 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers; whereas in the WNBA, Seattle Storm forward and 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart makes $300,000 a year. Her WNBA salary makes up less than half of her total earnings, as most of her money comes from endorsements.

WNBA players like Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner and Dallas Wings guard Skylar Diggins, have expressed their frustration with their salary. Diggins even called out Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes, citing him not having made a single All-Star game and making significantly more money than her (Diggins is a 4-time WNBA AllStar).

Nevertheless, many fans have criticized the WNBA’s complaints about their salaries. Some WNBA critics have pointed out that the average attendance at a WNBA game (7,716 people) is significantly less than the average attendance at an NBA game (17,987 people).

On the other hand, WNBA sympathisers have noted that NBA players earn approximately 50 percent of the league revenue, while WNBA players only earn approximately 25 percent of the league revenue.

MPSH junior and volleyball player Daniela Hernandez believes women do not receive adequate pay since male sports are more popular because of the abundance of television coverage.

“Women[’s] sports are not as hyped as male sports,” Hernandez said.

With all the issues regarding professional athletes’ salaries, it raises the question of which sport should have the highest paid athletes. . The average NFL player makes $2.1 million a year, while the average MLB player makes $4 million a year. Some sports inflict more serious injuries, but others have longer, drawn out seasons.

“All athletes should be paid the same, because every sport takes effort,” sophomore Jayme Roter said.

Some people think athletes are heavily overpaid compared to professions such as doctors or lawyers. However, MPSH sophomore Adrianna Rodriguez actually believes athletes are underpaid.

“They put their hearts and soul into the game,” Rodríguez said.

Athletes’ salaries have always been an intriguing topic. It has sometimes interfered with games and has even led to shortened seasons, such as the 1987 NFLPA strike that caused the NFL season to be shortened to 15 games, or the 2011 NBA lockout that led the NBA season to being cut down to 66 games. But with all the history behind the pay of athletes, it doesn’t look like this debate is going away anytime soon. MLB PLAYERS MAKE $4 MILLION PER YEAR nfl PLAYERS MAKE AVERAGE $2.1 MILLION PER YEAR $6.4 MILLION PER YEAR nbaPLAYERS MAKE AVERAGE Jack Meyer Sports Editor j.meyer.thepanther@gmail.com

unsung At every pep rally, students and teachers alike watch as flags fly through the air. Behind the flags, the chatonettes, a hard-working performance group at Miami Palmetto Senior High. However, the group’s worth goes way beyond their pep rally performances.

“We offer something a bit different in our shows, since we work with equipment like rifles, flags, and sabres,” junior

Amanda Howard said. “We’ve placed second in the last few competitions, which shows others the hard work of the Chatonettes, coach and band director. We bring aware- ness to Palmetto in the community by doing things like performing at the Falls Parade and volunteering at the Christmas Tree Lot.”

The group prepares for a number of unique events, each requiring hours of practice. They practice after school from 2:40 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The dedication they put into their practices impacts both the performances and lives of the members.

“As to prepare for them we have had many rep- etitions for our performances and days of blood, sweat and tears to get to our final product,” senior Ashley Fernandez said. “It has brought me to a reali- zation that hard work truly pays off, and that nothing good comes easy.”

Being a part of the Chatonettes creates a different experience for each of its members. For senior Kylee Greenwald, being a part of Chatonettes meant creating a tighter bond with her sister.

“My sister was a member for three years already so going into my freshman year I knew I wanted to join her in her senior year and I ended up falling in love with it,”

Greenwald said. “It was cool being able to bond with my sister and share something we both loved to do.”

This dedicated group continues to offer something different and entertaining to not just MPSH events, but to the school’s overall spirit.

“I feel that sometimes people think that what we do is easy…

Lots of time and dedication go into trying to get better at tossing equipment,” Howard said. “It’s more difficult than meets the eye. We work really hard to make sure we entertain people and demonstrate our skills.” heros Alexandra Pedroso Senior Design Editor a.pedroso.thepanther@gmail.com