America: The Hotspot for Athletes

In class we have read articles on Yao Ming and Sammy Sosa. Both athletes left their native countries to come to America to peruse their professional sports careers. Having a few foreigners come to America to play professional sports may seem normal due to the world becoming a more global and diverse place, however, over the past few decades America has been a hotspot for foreigners to migrate to peruse their professional sports careers. By being a sports fan I know that professional athletes migrating to America is a trend.
Dozens of professional hockey players are from Russia, baseball players migrate from the Caribbean, soccer players come from Europe, and football players come from Samoa – a small island in the South Pacific. The reason that so many foreign athletes are migrating to America to play professional sports is because of the money professional athletes earn in America. Unlike in many countries, professional athletes are rich and idolized in America. In Europe or China if you are a professional basketball player you are by no means “rich”. Professional basketball players in Europe and China make average salaries and are not considered celebrities just because are talented basketball players.
The sports culture in America is much different than it is in the rest of the world. Fame, money, and the spotlight are all things that come with being a professional athlete in America. Many athletes who grew up abroad, like Sammy Sosa, did not grow up in the best conditions. Sosa grew up in a poor family that struggled to pay the bills but when Sosa took his professional career to America, he made millions and was able to send money back to his homeland to help out his friends and family in need. Athletes from abroad come to America for reasons like Sosa; they want a further pursue their professional careers and help provide for their loved ones back in their homeland.
This tend of foreign athletes coming to America to play professional sports makes me question if America is paying their professional athletes too much. Is Sosa really worth millions of dollars more when he plays baseball in America? Is Yao Ming only a worthy basketball player in America? The salaries that professional athletes area getting paid for simply doing their job is getting ridiculous. I do not mind professional athletes making money and being famous but it is only appropriate to make sure their salaries grow out of control. Something needs to be done to control the salaries of professional athletes.