The Finger Wag – Athletes using Twitter and Social Media to their Disadvantage

Candace_Parker

(Candace Parker)

I can't believe I jus paid 75 dollars for gas..ima need for it to go back down!!!! On 3:33 PM Sep 11th 2009 from mobile web

At first I thought, “Oh boy, another professional athlete complaining about high prices.  Why don’t you just drive on your 24s back to your McMansion…”

But then I realized Candace Parker plays in the WNBA.  How much does she make?

I’m not much for fact checking, but some internet rumors say she made $44,064 in base salary her rookie year.  And she’s a star!

And it also looks like the WNBA salary cap is going to be $804,000 for next year.  For 15 players.  That’s $53,600 a player.

So to put things in perspective, I wanted to stack up what it costs to fill Candace’s gas tank in WBNA terms.  $75 dollars is equal to roughly:

• The total revenue from tickets sales for a WNBA playoff game.
• One fourth the cost of this Houston Comet’s Championship Ring on eBay (1 hour left!).
• The amount Barkley bets on how many Cheerios end up in his cereal bowl each morning.  (The over/under is 650. Always take the over.)

To be fair, I recall reading about lowly ranked MLS players making $16,000 a year while trying to break the starting line up.  The first thing I thought? I’d switch places with them in a second.

So don’t feel bad for Candace and her WNBA sisters because they don’t make as much as male professional athletes.  Feel bad for them because the league will be gone in three years.