On the TunneySide of Sports July 15, 2019, #752 Meritocracy
After further review… ”Meritocracy?” Huh? You can look it up! But, let me save you some time. Meritocracy: “A social system, society, or organization in which people get success or power because of their abilities, not because of their money or social position.” Some are challenging the unequal pay of women vs what men are paid in the same sport. This is not new. However, it has gained strength with the recent surge of women in the sports world.
In my history from the world of education, I have not experienced pay inequity. Teachers’ pay in the public-school business was based on the amount of tenure and education credit earned. In the world of officiating, pay is usually equal for men and women in the same sport at the same level. Different levels paid different wages.
The United States women’s soccer victory in the World Cup brought the issue of equal pay front-and-center. I am not privy to what the pay level is for each gender in soccer, but one writer indicated that since the women have won the World Cup championship and the men have not, women should receive at least equal pay. Should pay be based on winning?
Having said that, it is quite evident that the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors T*E*A*M has undoubtedly received a greater reward than the eventual WNBA champion will. Why the discrepancy? Has meritocracy failed here? Or is because there is more money invested in the NBA than in the WNBA? Do corporate sponsorships play an important part? Why does the men’s PGA champion get a greater paycheck than the women’s PGA champion? Is that fair?
On the other hand, who can – or should – determine how much a champion/winner receives? Can the idea of equal pay be forced on someone or on some entity? Since it is their money, do companies have the right to determine? Some NBA players, playing in the same position, e.g., power forward, receive a greater salary than others. Should all power-forwards be rewarded with the same game salary? Who and how determine this? Is winning part of this equation?
I have always believed: there is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequal’s! There are many questions to be resolved in this equal pay discussion.
Will you log-in your thoughts regarding equal pay in the world of sports?
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