Are athletes workers?

[spartan]

Yeah so are athletes workers being exploited for their special ability?

I was thinking about this and i thought that it would be odd if they were workers as alot of the biggest athletes at the top of their game earn millions of pounds a year.

But then i thought of all the struggling athletes who are so dedicated to there chosen career that they often live in harsh conditions with the hope that one day they will get noticed and make it big.

[Marsella]

Are cowboys workers?

Are taxi-drivers workers?

Are writers workers?

Are veterinarians workers?

No offence spartan, but this seems fucking inane to me.

[Die Neue Zeit]

^^^ He's got a good point, though. :confused:

There's the "labour aristocracy" that comprises a significant minority of professional athletes (the drug-fraud Bonds comes to mind :glare: ), but on the other extreme there are amateur athletes like most in the Olympics.


Amateurs

Personally, I think it's really high time to emphasize the functioning and money- capitalists here. The latter are "sponsors" (corporate AND government), while the former are the bosses of the big-time athlete organizations. There's also the fact that athletes draw an audience. A cut goes to the athlete organizations after the initial cut goes to building owners. Some of the money from the sponsors and audiences then goes to the athletes themselves. :)

Pros

This one's more obvious. Guys like Tiger Woods aren't employed, so they're petit-bourgeois. On the other hand, there's George Steinbrenner (bourgeois scum) vs. Derek Jeter (labour aristocrat) in American baseball.

[Luís Henrique]

Are cowboys workers?

Yes.


Are taxi-drivers workers?

If they don't own the taxi, yes.


Are writers workers?

Who are writers?


Are veterinarians workers?

Usually, though they can certainly be bourgeois or petty bourgeois. Or members of the landed oligarchy, which is quite fitting.


No offence spartan, but this seems fucking inane to me.

It's the kind of question we see all the time here.

*************

Do athletes sell their labour force? How much does their labour force value?

I think it is clear that some athletes at least are paid amounts of money that are incommensurable with their labour force, and that allow them - at least in theory - to become owners of means of production.

Luís Henrique

[Marsella]

It's the kind of question we see all the time here.

Yes, I know Luis. I apologise for my lack of patience and poor manners. :(

[Die Neue Zeit]

^^^ What's with the name change? :confused:

[Luís Henrique]

^^^ What's with the name change? :confused:

Love is beautiful.

Luís Henrique

[Die Neue Zeit]

^^^ Why would she post a pic of her boyfriend on RevLeft? :confused:

[Or am I pop-culturally deficient?]