Play for Pay

Jeff and I were talking the other day about corporate sponsored athletes. I had heard that it varies from sport to sport in terms of what is covered by the US Olympic Team. Certainly with major spots like Figure Skating & Hockey, it is a full ride to Sochi. But in other lesser sports like Skeleton or Biathalon - some athletes are left on their own, even in a major country like ours. I had read that a female US athelete raised her transport to Sochi via a Social media campaign. Seems totally wrong for a nation like ours much less a struggling country like Ukraine right now. How much of a national stage is the Olympics?

So it was interesting that I found this feed to the 5 richest participants in 2014. Dazzling discrepancy there. I seem to remember conversations in my youth about what deemed a professional vs an amateur. At that point the Olympics was not open to professionals. Now we have players from major hockey and basketball teams on country's teams all over the world. We have X Sport players that have their names on everything from snowboards to chewing gum. Eating yogurt, using credit cards, driving expensive cars with incomes I will never approach in my lifetime. A cloudy perspective and I am not quite sure where I fall on the curve. Here are the 5 wealthiest - and this is prior to their Sochi medal count. I am sure it will shift considerably after they stand on the podium or crash on the slopes.

Lindsey Jacobellis = $1 Million; Sprint/ Visa/ Paul Mitchell/ Dunkin' Donuts/ Chobani Yogurt
Hannah Teter = $1 Million; Samsung/ Burton Snowboards/ personal Sweet Cheeks underwear line
Ted Ligety = $2 Million; Audi/ 2XU/ Slytech/ personal Shred Optics ski goggles
Bode Miller = $8 Million; Nike/ Head
Shaun White = $20 Million; Target/ Red Bull/ Oakley/ Air & Style