for hundreds of years，americans were told “do your best insports，whether or not you win.”part of this “sports ethic”comes from the bible's teaching that no matter what you do，godexpects you to do it “with all your might.” another statement ofthis ethic is expressed in the olympic creed ：the most importantthing in the olympic games is not to win but to take part，just asthe most important thing in life is not the triumph but the strug－gle.the essential thing is not to have conquered but to havefought well.
however，as various sports have become ways to make money，this earlier sports ethic is being replaced by the need towin，tor winners make more money than losers.professionalplayers are now paid unbelievable salaries，more than the presi－dents of the biggest companies and much more than the presidentof the united states.
for example in 1944，some huge american sports contractswere signed：in baseball ，the san francisco giants baseball teamagreed to pay barry bonds almost forty－four million dollars to playfor six years，over seven million dollars a year for playing base－ball！in basketball，larry johnson will be paid eighty－four milliondollars by the charlotte hornets for playing twelve years，sevenmillion dollars a year for playing professional basketball.thecleveland browns will pay bernie kosar twenty－seven milliondollars for playing american football for seven years，almost fourmillion dollars a year for playing football.
在过去的几百年里，美国人都被教诲“在体育比赛中，不论输赢都要尽最大的努力。”这一“体育道德标准”部分来自圣经的教诲，即不论你做什么，上帝都希望你 “全力以赴”。对这一道德标准的另一个陈述在奥林匹克的纲领中有所表达：奥运会最重要的事情不是获胜，而是参与，就如人生最重要的事情不是胜利而是奋斗。首要的事情不是征服而是拼搏。
然而，由于各种体育运动已经变成赚钱的途径，所以，这一早先的体育道德宗旨正被获胜的需求所替代，因为优胜者要比失败者赚的钱多。职业选手现在被支付的工资令人难以置信，比最大公司的总裁挣得多，比美国总统挣得也要多得多。
例如在1944年，签订了一些庞大的美国体育合同——棒球方面：旧金山巨人棒球队同意向巴瑞·庞兹为该队打棒球6年支付4千4百万美元，即每年超过7百万美元！篮球方面：夏洛特·霍内兹将向拉里·约翰逊支付8千4百万美元，作为其为该队参加职业篮球比赛的12年的薪水，合每年7百万美元。克里夫兰·布朗兹将向伯尼·考沙支付2千7百万美元，作为其为该队参加美式足球比赛的7年的薪水，几乎每年4百万美元。