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[–] 69 points 10 months ago (8 children)

There was definitely a time when professional athlete was hardly a career, and certainly not well paid. So for a time teachers and healthcare workers got paid more than athletes.

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  • [–] 31 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    You really have to split it up. Teachers and nurses have always been paid pretty poorly. They were traditionally female only professions, and expected only to work until married or what not. Or they were nuns, and didn't get paid directly. Doctors of course, being traditionally male only got paid a lot better. But I agree that for most of human history, professional athletes were just rich peoples kids. They weren't even getting paid most likely. It would be interesting to try and figure out who the first true professional athlete was. Someone who wasn't born into money, and actually got paid a living wage.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    I mean if you back to the Greeks and Roman's, they also had some big payouts for sporting events.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    They used those events for military readiness. The skills that the athletes trained for were the same ones needed by soldiers.

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