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Christopher Young
Mrs. DeBock
English 4
28 October, 2015
Service Annotated Bibliography
Essential question: Are professional athletes overpaid?
Thesis statement: Professional athletes are not being overpaid because of the regulatory systems
in place.
Refined thesis statement: Professional athletes are not being overpaid due to regulatory systems
in the NFL, MLB, and BPL such as salary caps, luxury tax, and club restrictions.

Anastasia, Laura. "Are pro athletes paid too much? Supersized salaries spark debate over player's
pay." Junior Scholastic/Current Events 2015: 20.Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web.
28 Oct. 2015.
This article presents the average salary of a professional athlete in every major American
sport. It then compares these salaries with the average salaries of public service workers such as
policemen, firemen, and professors. It effectively shows the salary gap between professions
deemed unproductive to society with professions that are bettering our communities. This article
then presents two argument; one for, and one against the immense salaries by professional
athletes. I will be able to utilize this article in both the argument for the overpayment of athletes

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as well as my rebuttal for professional athlete salaries. There is also valuable data that I will be
able to cite in my paper regarding sheer numbers.
Dietl, Helmut M., et al. "Salary Cap Regulation in Professional Team Sports." Contemporary
Economic Policy 30.3 (2012): 307-319. Business Source Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
This article discusses the positive and negative effects of a salary cap. It describes how
salary caps inhibit a players ability to earn as much as they deserve. It also shows that some
players who dont earn the large salaries that the stars earn are seriously harmed by the salary
cap. It provides data tables and references to defend its argument. Data from the effects of salary
caps is collected from the NFL and European Football Leagues. I will be able to use this article
to defend my argument by providing evidence that the salary cap can be harmful and that
professional athletes are not overpaid.
DiLascio, Tracey M. "Counterpoint: Salary Caps Should be Abolished in Professional
Sports." Points Of View: Salary Cap (2015): 3. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 28
Oct. 2015.
This article is a brief description why the salary cap should be abolished in professional
athletics. This article uses examples of counter measures that could be put in place instead of a
salary cap that would allow a similar effect with less devastating results. The article directly
references the luxury tax in baseball, in which teams spending over a certain amount recruiting
have to pay a luxury tax that goes to the less profitable teams in order to balance out spending.
This does not affect the players and maintains equality on the playing field. This article also
argues salary caps limit the payment of the lesser known players by giving more to the stars of

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the team. I will be able to use this article in my essay to disprove the effectiveness of the salary
cap and provide examples of what could be used in place of it.
Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
This article presents a list of the 100 top paid athletes as of 2014. It can then be
categorized into youngest athletes will be very effective in my article by showing just how much
some of the youngest superstars in the world are making. It can also be categorized into oldest,
showing how much some of the oldest superstars are still making today. Finally, it can be
categorized into women to show how many women are in the top 100 paid athletes. I will be able
to use this in my article to show payment diversity as well as data proving or disproving that
athletes are making as much or more than they deserve.
Llindholm, John. "The Problem with Salary Caps under European Union Law: The Case against
Financial Fair Play." Texas Review of Entertainment & Sports Law 12.2 (2011):
189. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
This article provides a unique perspective to financial fair play. It compares financial
restrictions in America to financial restrictions being places in Europe. This article uses examples
from the rugby league and the European Football (soccer) League. By comparing these
restrictions for athletics from both sides of the Atlantic creates a new perspective and allows the
author to show what restrictions were most effective and where. In the European Football League
that is far larger than American Football some salary restrictions are unable to be placed and
more effective means of restriction have to be thought up. I will be able to use this article by
citing effective means other than the salary cap to restrict professional athlete salaries without
underpaying them.

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Simmons, Rob. Overpaid Athletes? Comparing American and European

Football. Workingusa 10.4 (2007): 457-471. Business Source Premier. Web. 28 Oct.
2015.
This article will likely be most effective in my article because it directly asks the
questions, Are athletes overpaid? By comparing salary restrictions in both the NFL and the
European Football League it decides whether athletes participating in either of these sports are
being overpaid. This article analyses the salary cap and well as player spending regulations and
offers revisions that could be put in place in order to make these more effective. The article also
goes over the roles of free agents in marketing and how they affect the amount of money spent
on players. I will be able to use this article to prove that athletes are not overpaid as well as
providing examples of restrictions that are in place already restricting payment.