The Have'$ and Have Not'$ of the Sporting World - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

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The Have'$ and Have Not'$ of the Sporting World

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by Jared Frank, KHQ.com/SWXRightNow.com - email
© The New York Yankees rank second in the world in total payroll, shelling out nearly $200,000,000 to its players. © The New York Yankees rank second in the world in total payroll, shelling out nearly $200,000,000 to its players.

Thought the salary of the New York Yankees was out of control? Perhaps the NFL pays its stars too much or the Lakers are rich out of their mind?

Well, consider the rest of the world.

ESPN recently released its money survey of 278 teams around the world. Interestingly enough, the teams with the highest average salary aren't even in the United States, and they certainly don't play baseball, basketball or football. No. They play futbol. Soccer.

Read the ESPN Money Survey here

FC Barcelona spent the most on salaries. The average salary on the team is $8.7 million, and the total team payroll is more than $217,000,000. Three more soccer teams are Nos. 2 through 4 on the list. The American team with the highest average salary is not the Yankees, but the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, the Yakees have the second highest TOTAL payroll at more than $197,000,000.

Derek Thompson at The Atlantic pointed out that of the 278 teams ESPN surveyed, total wages equaled $15.7 billion. All that money went to 7,925 athletes in 14 sports leagues in ten countries.