Information, Argument, and Persuasion

In the editorial, "Pro Athletes' Salaries Aren't Overly Exorbitant" you can immediately identify the author's claim just by reading the title.  Choose the best statement that paraphrases the claim of the author.

• Pro athletes get paid too much.
• Pro athletes get paid just right.
• The salaries of pro athletes is fair.

What over generalization does Singletary make in lines 10-13? 

• "professional sports will fail"
• "the players are selfish"
• "professional sports will have to be restructured"

Reread lines 64-69.  Do you think Singletary's statement is a single-cause fallacy?

• Yes, his statement is a single-cause fallacy because fans might want to go to the game for other reasons besides to see the players.
• No, Singletary's statement is not a single-cause fallacy.  why else would people go to a baseball game?

In the article, "Do Professional Athletes Get Paid Too Much?
"Athletes have always made a lot of money" --   that's the argument Hjelm anticipates in lines 6-21.  What is his counter argument?

• Hjelm's counter argument is that "...even role players in professional sports are pulling in an exorbitant amount of money."
• Hjelm's counter argument is that star athletes have always earned a lot of money, but he says that today even substitute players make ten times more than the average worker.

Reread lines 33-38.  What is Hjelm's claim about the salaries of the professional athletes?

• His claim is that "sports are entertainment."
• His claim is that "Entertainment is a necessary thing..."
• His claim is that "athletes are paid far too much for simply playing games."

How does Hjelm support the claim that you chose in the last question?

• Hjelm supports his claim by comparing the 7 figure salaries of entertainers to the salaries of teachers, firefighters, and police officers who make 1 percent of this.
• Hjelm supports his claim by explaining that fans pay to see athletes perform at a high level.  

Reread lines 77-82.  What overgeneralization does Hjelm make about professional athletes?

• The overgeneralization that Hjelm makes is when he says, "Also troubling are the egos of the athletes..."
• The overgeneralization the Hjelm makes is when he says, "players were crying poverty."
• The overgeneralization that Hjelm makes is when he says, "they have no ability to relate to the public."