I LOVE STATISTICS!
Professional sports and entertainment have seen more millionaires made in short periods of time than ever before. Add entertainment and past legislative programs, and the achievements of some are nothing short of phenomenal.
There are some folks with extremely, highly disproportionate numbers of athletics in both college and professional ranks, compared to the national population demographic. In fact, there are so many more minority millionaires than ever before–including those fighting for civil rights–who have become millionaires due to the cause. Apparently, Jesse Jackson and his son didn’t get the memo that Martin Luther King’s Dream was more about character than anything else. But that’s a different story for another time. http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0401jackson.htm
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a7Hk3ZEF4QyM
The old ploy that ONLY the rich are getting richer is a distraction. Apparently most of us want to rich to get richer, especially when it comes to our favorite sports teams. Why is that all right? And we play fantasy sports, and buy apparel, etc. The fact is, we have more people GETTING rich than ever before. Sports and entertainment are the vehicles. Let’s begin by examining the 2006 list of millionaires by state. How does your state come out?
State Millionaires 2006
| Rank | State | Millionaires | Millionaires per 1,000 households | Avg median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | California | 663,394 | 35.7 | $51,647 |
| 2. | Florida | 369,912 | 33.6 | $42,079 |
| 3. | New York | 368,388 | 33.6 | $46,242 |
| 4. | Texas | 350,727 | 27.4 | $41,959 |
| 5. | Illinois | 243,350 | 33.1 | $47,978 |
| 6. | Pennsylvania | 228,270 | 29.6 | $45,814 |
| 7. | New Jersey | 207,693 | 42.5 | $59,989 |
| 8. | Ohio | 203,404 | 27.8 | $44,961 |
| 9. | Michigan | 190,871 | 30.6 | $45,793 |
| 10. | Virginia | 159,395 | 34 | $54,301 |
| 11. | Georgia | 141,701 | 26.9 | $44,439 |
| 12. | Massachusetts | 141,186 | 37.1 | $54,617 |
| 13. | North Carolina | 140,501 | 25.9 | $41,067 |
| 14. | Maryland | 132,354 | 39.1 | $58,347 |
| 15. | Washington | 118,132 | 30.3 | $50,885 |
| 16. | Arizona | 105,722 | 30.9 | $44,748 |
| 17. | Indiana | 104,539 | 26.4 | $43,735 |
| 18. | Wisconsin | 99,976 | 28.1 | $47,004 |
| 19. | Minnesota | 99,246 | 31 | $56,084 |
| 20. | Missouri | 98,279 | 26.7 | $44,324 |
| 21. | Tennessee | 94,419 | 24.4 | $39,524 |
| 22. | Colorado | 89,896 | 31.8 | $52,011 |
| 23. | Connecticut | 84,508 | 41.4 | $57,369 |
| 24. | Alabama | 72,299 | 24.2 | $38,180 |
| 25. | South Carolina | 68,178 | 25.5 | $40,350 |
| 26. | Louisiana | 64,972 | 23.1 | $36,814 |
| 27. | Oregon | 63,943 | 28.7 | $43,570 |
| 28. | Kentucky | 62,394 | 22.4 | $37,566 |
| 29. | Oklahoma | 53,939 | 24.2 | $38,895 |
| 30. | Iowa | 50,529 | 26.8 | $45,086 |
| 31. | Kansas | 47,855 | 28.2 | $43,802 |
| 32. | Nevada | 42,888 | 30 | $48,314 |
| 33. | Arkansas | 40,756 | 22.8 | $35,591 |
| 34. | Mississippi | 39,270 | 21.5 | $34,508 |
| 35. | Utah | 36,348 | 30 | $53,226 |
| 36. | New Mexico | 30,891 | 25.9 | $32,029 |
| 37. | Nebraska | 29,862 | 26.8 | $46,613 |
| 38. | Hawaii | 29,423 | 43.1 | $57,572 |
| 39. | West Virginia | 27,302 | 22 | $35,234 |
| 40. | New Hampshire | 26,498 | 32.8 | $58,223 |
| 41. | Maine | 22,218 | 24.5 | $42,006 |
| 42. | Idaho | 20,493 | 24.6 | $44,994 |
| 43. | Rhode Island | 20,229 | 30.2 | $48,823 |
| 44. | Delaware | 17,939 | 34.7 | $50,970 |
| 45. | Montana | 14,155 | 22.9 | $36,200 |
| 46. | Alaska | 12,167 | 31.5 | $55,935 |
| 47. | South Dakota | 11,769 | 23.6 | $42,525 |
| 48. | Vermont | 11,390 | 28 | 4$8,508 |
| 49. | North Dakota | 10,163 | 23.7 | $41,869 |
| 50. | Wyoming | 8,708 | 25.5 | $45,598 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, http://www.census.gov, February 27, 2008
Source: Phoenix Marketing International, http://www.phoenixmi.com, February 27, 2008
Let’s turn to a few professional sports. I love statistics and I love athletics! If economics is the realization of the American Dream, then it is safe to say the following sections bear this out. You would be amazed at the disproportionate numbers of athletes in professional sports who have now realized the economic American “dream,” and have reached millionaire contractual status Have a look.
Here’s the NFL in the year 2009:
*2005 Census USA Population as a reference: 67% W-EUD, 12% B-AFD, 15% H/LD, 4% ASD
NFL Total: 31% W-EUD, 67% B-AFD, 1% H/LD, 1% ASD
99% National, 1% International
NFL By Position: (H/LD and ASD less than 1% per position)
QB – 79% W-EUD, 21% B-AFD
HB – 10% W-EUD, 90% B-AFD
WR – 10% W-EUD, 90% B-AFD
TE – 56% W-EUD, 44% B-AFD
OT – 45% W-EUD, 55% B-AFD
OG – 56% W-EUD, 44% B-AFD
C – 76% W-EUD, 24% B-AFD
CB – 3% W-EUD, 97% B-AFD
S – 15% W-EUD, 85% B-AFD
LB – 23% W-EUD, 77% B-AFD
DE – 23% W-EUD, 77% B-AFD
DT – 19% W-EUD, 81% B-AFD
W-EUD = White-European Descent
B-AFT = Black-African Descent
H/LD = Hispanic/Latin Descent
ASD = Asian/Pacific Island Descent
How about the 2009 MLB (Baseball)? Baseball seems to be more proportional, given the statistics of national demographics? Yet, minorities have a higher proportion of players to their demographics. Add more millionaires, with several in one demographic who are not of American citizenry, as well. So, athletics in the USA have also assisted in the making for some foreign-born, non-citizens to become millionaires. Interesting.
*2005 Census USA Population as a reference: 67% W-EUD, 12% B-AFD, 15% H/LD, 4% ASD
MLB Total: 60% W-EUD, 9% B-AFD, 28.5% H/LD, 2.5% ASD
70% National, 30% International
MLB By Position:
Pitcher – 68% W-EUD, 3% B-AFD, 26% H/LD, 3% ASD
Catcher – 61% W-EUD, 1% B-AFD, 37% H/LD, 1% ASD
Infielder – 50% W-EUD, 9% B-AFD, 39% H/LD, 2% ASD
Outfielder – 49% W-EUD, 27% B-AFD, 21% H/LD, 3% ASD
W-EUD = White-European Descent
B-AFT = Black-African Descent
H/LD = Hispanic/Latin Descent
ASD = Asian/Pacific Island Descent
Consider the 2009 NBA:
*2005 Census USA Population as a reference: 67% W-EUD, 12% B-AFD, 15% H/LD, 4% ASD
NBA Total: 20% W-EUD, 76% B-AFD, 3% H/LD, 1% ASD
81% National, 19% International
W-EUD = White-European Descent
B-AFT = Black-African Descent
H/LD = Hispanic/Latin Descent
ASD = Asian/Pacific Island Descent
http://www.prosportsdaily.com/forums/showthread.php?t=405797
Interesting statistics, huh? So what were the average salaries for athletes in the NFL, MLB, and NBA? Here is a nice little calculator for you to check for your favorite, and most-despised NFL teams. My Jets have a combined annual payroll of over 120,000,000 annually, in 2009. The average salary is about 800,000 per year. http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/default.aspx
2009-10 NFL Salaries by Team
| TEAM | TOTAL PAYROLL | AVG SALARY | MEDIAN | STD DEV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | $ 138,354,866 | $ 2,470,622 | $ 890,000 | $ 3,718,306 |
| Miami Dolphins | $ 126,383,421 | $ 2,256,846 | $ 978,290 | $ 3,206,135 |
| Houston Texans | $ 122,258,610 | $ 2,037,643 | $ 848,640 | $ 3,159,274 |
| New Orleans Saints | $ 121,552,424 | $ 1,992,662 | $ 870,000 | $ 2,580,010 |
| Chicago Bears | $ 120,672,110 | $ 2,154,859 | $ 820,616 | $ 3,353,848 |
| New York Jets | $ 120,634,420 | $ 2,079,903 | $ 762,750 | $ 2,776,685 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | $ 119,292,960 | $ 2,056,775 | $ 792,500 | $ 2,761,268 |
| San Diego Chargers | $ 117,458,935 | $ 2,025,154 | $ 927,880 | $ 3,540,888 |
| Green Bay Packers | $ 113,959,603 | $ 1,931,518 | $ 812,500 | $ 2,647,804 |
| Tennessee Titans | $ 113,494,050 | $ 2,141,397 | $ 1,010,000 | $ 2,099,092 |
| Carolina Panthers | $ 112,963,398 | $ 1,947,644 | $ 823,700 | $ 3,120,365 |
| Oakland Raiders | $ 111,527,250 | $ 2,065,319 | $ 830,000 | $ 2,634,432 |
| Buffalo Bills | $ 111,253,126 | $ 1,765,922 | $ 771,000 | $ 2,014,947 |
| Arizona Cardinals | $ 111,138,646 | $ 1,984,618 | $ 812,440 | $ 3,074,368 |
| Baltimore Ravens | $ 109,503,397 | $ 1,795,137 | $ 735,760 | $ 2,667,159 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | $ 106,879,214 | $ 1,875,073 | $ 817,450 | $ 2,596,032 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | $ 106,493,095 | $ 1,804,967 | $ 1,017,280 | $ 2,412,917 |
| San Francisco 49ers | $ 103,738,952 | $ 1,957,338 | $ 1,177,280 | $ 2,259,187 |
| Indianapolis Colts | $ 103,360,985 | $ 1,782,085 | $ 542,280 | $ 3,159,957 |
| Denver Broncos | $ 101,658,735 | $ 1,918,089 | $ 1,016,370 | $ 2,125,478 |
| Washington Redskins | $ 99,953,611 | $ 1,784,885 | $ 901,500 | $ 2,098,759 |
| Detroit Lions | $ 99,910,434 | $ 1,693,397 | $ 896,040 | $ 1,783,126 |
| Minnesota Vikings | $ 99,802,010 | $ 1,919,269 | $ 952,665 | $ 2,309,590 |
| St. Louis Rams | $ 99,707,892 | $ 1,661,798 | $ 537,990 | $ 3,016,850 |
| New England Patriots | $ 96,913,133 | $ 1,642,595 | $ 857,280 | $ 1,664,966 |
| Atlanta Falcons | $ 95,062,952 | $ 1,728,417 | $ 877,280 | $ 2,198,487 |
| Cleveland Browns | $ 93,932,182 | $ 1,647,933 | $ 870,000 | $ 1,789,584 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | $ 93,840,588 | $ 1,617,941 | $ 623,965 | $ 2,179,741 |
| Dallas Cowboys | $ 90,340,939 | $ 1,613,231 | $ 818,265 | $ 2,339,350 |
| Seattle Seahawks | $ 89,075,820 | $ 1,649,552 | $ 917,875 | $ 1,750,118 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $ 84,592,822 | $ 1,458,496 | $ 735,880 | $ 1,774,029 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | $ 81,829,650 | $ 1,410,856 | $ 560,000 | $ 2,596,781 |
Let’s look next at the average salaries of MLB.
2010 MLB Salaries by Team
| TEAM | TOTAL PAYROLL | AVG SALARY | MEDIAN | STD DEV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | $ 206,333,389 | $ 8,253,335 | $ 5,500,000 | $ 9,267,187 |
| Boston Red Sox | $ 162,447,333 | $ 5,601,632 | $ 3,750,000 | $ 5,100,972 |
| Chicago Cubs | $ 146,609,000 | $ 5,429,962 | $ 2,125,000 | $ 6,625,154 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | $ 141,928,379 | $ 5,068,870 | $ 2,750,000 | $ 5,362,862 |
| New York Mets | $ 134,422,942 | $ 4,800,819 | $ 1,375,000 | $ 5,850,033 |
| Detroit Tigers | $ 122,864,928 | $ 4,550,552 | $ 1,500,000 | $ 5,770,275 |
| Chicago White Sox | $ 105,530,000 | $ 4,058,846 | $ 2,500,000 | $ 4,400,865 |
| Los Angeles Angels | $ 104,963,866 | $ 3,619,443 | $ 2,050,000 | $ 4,080,627 |
| San Francisco Giants | $ 98,641,333 | $ 3,522,904 | $ 910,000 | $ 4,556,395 |
| Minnesota Twins | $ 97,559,166 | $ 3,484,255 | $ 1,800,000 | $ 4,027,577 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | $ 95,358,016 | $ 3,531,778 | $ 1,000,000 | $ 4,595,826 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | $ 93,540,751 | $ 3,741,630 | $ 1,000,000 | $ 5,075,085 |
| Houston Astros | $ 92,355,500 | $ 3,298,410 | $ 1,325,000 | $ 4,847,410 |
| Seattle Mariners | $ 86,510,000 | $ 3,089,642 | $ 1,118,750 | $ 4,193,128 |
| Atlanta Braves | $ 84,423,666 | $ 3,126,802 | $ 1,150,000 | $ 4,096,206 |
| Colorado Rockies | $ 84,227,000 | $ 2,904,379 | $ 1,300,000 | $ 3,798,234 |
| Baltimore Orioles | $ 81,612,500 | $ 3,138,942 | $ 1,325,000 | $ 3,399,398 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | $ 81,108,278 | $ 2,796,837 | $ 1,287,500 | $ 3,331,815 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | $ 71,923,471 | $ 2,663,832 | $ 1,800,000 | $ 2,958,069 |
| Cincinnati Reds | $ 71,761,542 | $ 2,760,059 | $ 485,000 | $ 3,940,122 |
| Kansas City Royals | $ 71,405,210 | $ 2,644,637 | $ 1,700,000 | $ 3,214,399 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | $ 62,234,000 | $ 2,074,466 | $ 825,000 | $ 3,108,950 |
| Washington Nationals | $ 61,400,000 | $ 2,046,666 | $ 725,000 | $ 2,861,545 |
| Cleveland Indians | $ 61,203,966 | $ 2,110,481 | $ 427,500 | $ 3,408,500 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | $ 60,718,166 | $ 2,335,314 | $ 1,416,666 | $ 2,369,465 |
| Florida Marlins | $ 57,029,719 | $ 2,112,211 | $ 550,000 | $ 2,691,680 |
| Texas Rangers | $ 55,250,544 | $ 1,905,191 | $ 510,000 | $ 2,751,240 |
| Oakland Athletics | $ 51,654,900 | $ 1,666,287 | $ 420,000 | $ 2,884,030 |
| San Diego Padres | $ 37,799,300 | $ 1,453,819 | $ 421,750 | $ 1,751,078 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 34,943,000 | $ 1,294,185 | $ 452,000 | $ 1,479,520 |
Millionaires abound! http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/baseball/mlb/salaries/team
Now the NBA. What so players earn there. Remember, there 13-14 players per team considered in this listing?
2009-10 NBA Salaries by Team
| TEAM | TOTAL PAYROLL | AVG SALARY | MEDIAN | STD DEV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | $ 116,902,727 | $ 5,082,727 | $ 2,644,231 | $ 5,699,573 |
| New York Knicks | $ 114,338,560 | $ 5,716,928 | $ 2,975,520 | $ 6,502,783 |
| Houston Rockets | $ 92,713,977 | $ 3,863,082 | $ 2,216,157 | $ 4,557,657 |
| Dallas Mavericks | $ 88,312,340 | $ 5,887,489 | $ 4,700,000 | $ 5,387,320 |
| Boston Celtics | $ 84,815,811 | $ 4,989,165 | $ 2,500,000 | $ 6,616,121 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | $ 84,469,848 | $ 3,839,538 | $ 3,855,408 | $ 3,512,009 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | $ 83,230,241 | $ 4,623,902 | $ 3,310,898 | $ 5,137,811 |
| Orlando Magic | $ 82,329,491 | $ 5,880,677 | $ 3,419,704 | $ 5,973,445 |
| Phoenix Suns | $ 79,428,800 | $ 4,412,711 | $ 1,755,900 | $ 5,766,456 |
| Chicago Bulls | $ 78,469,779 | $ 3,566,808 | $ 2,103,080 | $ 3,509,114 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $ 77,455,197 | $ 3,367,617 | $ 2,630,000 | $ 2,849,410 |
| San Antonio Spurs | $ 77,276,044 | $ 3,359,828 | $ 855,189 | $ 5,824,768 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | $ 77,203,679 | $ 5,938,744 | $ 4,159,200 | $ 6,573,957 |
| Miami Heat | $ 77,135,159 | $ 4,059,745 | $ 1,187,686 | $ 6,045,704 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | $ 76,227,006 | $ 3,811,350 | $ 2,134,260 | $ 4,236,766 |
| Toronto Raptors | $ 75,601,958 | $ 3,600,093 | $ 2,304,240 | $ 3,829,496 |
| Denver Nuggets | $ 75,580,222 | $ 4,723,763 | $ 1,968,455 | $ 5,449,124 |
| Utah Jazz | $ 75,213,100 | $ 5,014,206 | $ 2,000,000 | $ 5,470,994 |
| New Orleans Hornets | $ 74,250,064 | $ 4,950,004 | $ 3,630,000 | $ 4,641,604 |
| Charlotte Bobcats | $ 73,084,292 | $ 3,846,541 | $ 2,374,680 | $ 3,743,340 |
| Golden State Warriors | $ 70,639,719 | $ 2,716,912 | $ 1,802,780 | $ 2,975,226 |
| Indiana Pacers | $ 70,516,057 | $ 3,917,558 | $ 1,976,400 | $ 3,542,507 |
| Atlanta Hawks | $ 70,198,210 | $ 4,129,306 | $ 2,071,680 | $ 4,286,950 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | $ 69,926,347 | $ 4,113,314 | $ 2,105,400 | $ 4,188,053 |
| New Jersey Nets | $ 66,383,879 | $ 3,493,888 | $ 2,416,067 | $ 2,649,663 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | $ 66,171,801 | $ 2,450,807 | $ 1,318,920 | $ 2,380,692 |
| Washington Wizards | $ 63,456,429 | $ 3,339,812 | $ 1,496,640 | $ 4,439,718 |
| Detroit Pistons | $ 62,757,140 | $ 3,922,321 | $ 1,950,000 | $ 3,722,419 |
| Sacramento Kings | $ 61,120,985 | $ 3,216,893 | $ 1,262,275 | $ 3,367,389 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | $ 32,158,856 | $ 2,473,758 | $ 797,581 | $ 3,591,271 |
If we look at entertainment, music, and the work of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and other civil rights groups/individuals in the United States, it is safe to say that a large group of new wealthy have hit the charts in the last 20 years–many of which are minorities, especially blacks. There is no getting around the statistical fact that these millionaires are such because of athletics and that per capita, the numbers of minorities in the professional ranks earning millions are disproportionate to the other racial groups. And you know what? I find nothing wrong with that–unless of course one of my children happens to be denied something, in order to correct a past injustice, or to achieve a political agenda. As a parent, that was not right in the past, and it is not right now.
Do the numbers posted above, in-and-of-themselves, mean that we no longer have issues between races in this nation? No, not at all. But the numbers do justify the argument that some folks should cease the complaining about “racism” and accept the fact that things are different today than in the past. We have made significant progress and that should be celebrated. Do you know how it sounds to most Americans, when the wealthy complain about economics? We think you are spoiled. In some cases, i would not doubt that money has spoiled some wealthy–including athletes and entertainers.
Martin Luther King’s dream consisted of much more than economic parity. I have heard his speech probably one-thousand times. What strikes me still, and what most civil rights leaders and minorities seem to overlook, is that Jesus Christ and God are an integral part of the equality message. Character is equally as important. But character based on who and what? Of course, the character of Christ. King was first and foremost a Christian, which enabled him to preach that “ALL GOD’S CHILDREN . . . with be able to sing the words of that old Negro spiritual . . . ” You remember those words, as do I. These impacting messages seem lost in today’s culture of social justice, radicalism in churches, and shakedowns by minorities threatening lawsuits, unless they get their ways for members of their groups.
So, while economically some minorities have achieved a dream, or two, it is nothing more than a materialistic vapor without the rest of King’s message. Regardless of race, materialism is materialism.
Yet, economics is a start. What other nation in the world could ever hope to achieve such a dream, but America? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is the “Declaration.” But let’s not bite the hand that feeds us, folks. Let us also not blame the past, or people of today for the past. For, in so doing, I would hope those who would blame, would also spout thanks for the current new millionaires among us. Opportunities abound. Close your eyes and move forward. With eyes closed, joined by faith, we are all the same . . .
GO JETS!
The Education Grandpa 
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