Is Paying $9 million To a Football Coach Really a Good Use of Taxpayer Money?

[TOP]

I enjoy watching sports. I enjoy watching science fiction. I do not see the point in government providing science fiction. I do not see the social good in entertainment, or at least not a public good universal enough to warrant government takeover.

Now little league soccer or football does have a public good. It helps raise children to be healthier, and with better character. That I do see a public good in, and I am not a soccer mom.

All sports matter

[cawacko]

They really do not want to believe the facts, and nothing will change their minds.

Translation: the premise of your OP is false however you don’t want to acknowledge that and instead have chosen to double down on it.

[leaningright]

Successful football creates revenue...lots of it. States generally like revenue... It means jobs, programs and other things can be added to the budget.

https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/201...cal-year-2018/

Our state school is #7 on the list of revenue generators (2018?) and still does quite well generating more than enough revenue to do a lot of good stuff. The guy who makes that program successful deserves to get paid.

[tsuke]

Ever look at a list of the highest paid state employee in each state? Well in 40 of them the highest paid state employee is a football or basketball coach. The other ten states have deans of medical schools making $250k, but the states with coaches making the biggest amount of money are paying millions, even over $9 million. Many times they are paying to multiple coaches, just one is making the most. In a case 6 cases, the coach had such a good deal that he continued to be the highest paid, even though he is a former coach.

Now I can understand spending taxpayer money on a professor to teach engineering. I can even understand spending taxpayer money on a athletics program that is open to any student who just wants to be healthier. I certainly support a private team spending whatever they want on a coach in sports meant to entertain us. But why should taxpayers be forced to pay for sports entertainment?

https://fanbuzz.com/national/highest...ate-employees/

is paying a gillion dollars to lebron james to play basketball worth it? I would say no but thats the world we live in.

The only thing i can say in these programs defense is in most cases the football or athletic departments bring in the donations while the liberal arts or whatever other departments dont.

[Walt]

is paying a gillion dollars to lebron james to play basketball worth it?

Lebron James is being paid by a private company, so it is none of my business. The private company thinks it will make a profit off this deal, because it thinks that customers will pay money. It cannot force customers to pay money, like a government can.

The only thing i can say in these programs defense is in most cases the football or athletic departments bring in the donations while the liberal arts or whatever other departments dont.

STEM brings in huge amounts of money through research grants. The arts bring in money from donations. Business brings in money from donations of alumni. Social sciences get grants for helping with social problems. All bring in tuition.

But more importantly, there is a general social good that makes it reasonable to directly support them with government.

I can understand government trying to get us medical doctors, but is it really worth while for government to pay for football entertainment?

[Irish]

A public university is a company setup by the state. The students pay tuition, the professors get paid, and the state makes up whatever shortfall. So lets say a poetry professor has a billion dollar salary, but the tuition is only a thousand dollars, the state has to pay nearly a billion dollars. If those numbers are reversed, then the state will actually make a profit.

I can understand why the state is involved with the business of education. Even if it is a money loser in the immediate sense, it is well worth it for the overall economy.

But what is the social good of football? It is enjoyable to watch, but so are many things. Should the state next make sitcoms?

The football games bring in a ton of money to the school. IF the team is good.

So it might be worth it to pay a good coach.

[Walt]

The football games bring in a ton of money to the school. IF the team is good.

So it might be worth it to pay a good coach.

Football can make a ton of money, but only if you spend two tons of money to get that ton of money. How do I know this? Look at all the great football schools, almost all are state schools. Without government subsidies, most schools want no part of intense football.

[Nordberg]

I enjoy watching sports. I enjoy watching science fiction. I do not see the point in government providing science fiction. I do not see the social good in entertainment, or at least not a public good universal enough to warrant government takeover.

Now little league soccer or football does have a public good. It helps raise children to be healthier, and with better character. That I do see a public good in, and I am not a soccer mom.

Dr. Who BBC?

[Walt]

Dr. Who BBC?

You figured out how to prove I am a hypocrite. Damn you... Yes, I love Dr Who, and yes it is paid for by the government. When I was a kid, I liked Sesame Street, but that had educational value, and should have been supported by the government. But no, I cannot think of a good argument for Dr. Who being supported by the government... Though I certainly think it is good for humanity that it is.

[CFM]

Successful football creates revenue...lots of it. States generally like revenue... It means jobs, programs and other things can be added to the budget.

https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/201...cal-year-2018/

Our state school is #7 on the list of revenue generators (2018?) and still does quite well generating more than enough revenue to do a lot of good stuff. The guy who makes that program successful deserves to get paid.

The highest paid football coaches in SC, Louisiana, and Alabama account for the last 5 national championships.

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/sto...tate-employees

[Celticguy]

Lets not forget that revenue sports pay for all the non revenue sports in addition to themselves.
You know, all those chapter 11 teams (gurls), golf, tennis and the like.

[CFM]

The football games bring in a ton of money to the school. IF the team is good.

So it might be worth it to pay a good coach.

The coaches of the last 5 football national champions are the highest paid in their respective states.

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/sto...tate-employees

Even when Swinney wasn't winning national championships, the stadium was at capacity each home game

[CFM]

Lets not forget that revenue sports pay for all the non revenue sports in addition to themselves.
You know, all those chapter 11 teams (gurls), golf, tennis and the like.

Many of those non-revenue or low revenue sports couldn't afford their uniforms if it weren't for sports like football and basketball.

[Nordberg]

Lebron James is being paid by a private company, so it is none of my business. The private company thinks it will make a profit off this deal, because it thinks that customers will pay money. It cannot force customers to pay money, like a government can.



STEM brings in huge amounts of money through research grants. The arts bring in money from donations. Business brings in money from donations of alumni. Social sciences get grants for helping with social problems. All bring in tuition.

But more importantly, there is a general social good that makes it reasonable to directly support them with government.

I can understand government trying to get us medical doctors, but is it really worth while for government to pay for football entertainment?

Pro sports is entertainment. That is why it pays in line with singers and TV stars.

[CFM]

Pro sports is entertainment. That is why it pays in line with singers and TV stars.

Only you would be entertained by a bunch of whiners kneeling.