Professional sports salaries influence our hurt economy

Maybe part of America's economic problems is related to the rising salaries of professional sports players. Their salaries are completely wacked. Thus high-level execs of companies feel like they should be making lots of money too. Thus the average worker gets screwed because executives take on higher salaries. It's not the complete cause, it's just an effect; but I'm betting it's an underestimated effect.

Thus I will now become a fan of whichever baseball team has the lowest salary. Let's see. Who is it? The San Diego Padres. I am now a Padres fan.

New York Yankees . . . . $197,962,289 
Philadelphia Phillies . .$174,538,938 
Boston Red Sox . . . . . $173,186,617 
Los Angeles Angels . . . $154,485,166 
Detroit Tigers . . . . . $132,300,000 
Texas Rangers . . . . .  $120,510,974 
Miami Marlins . . . . .  $118,078,000 
San Francisco Giants . . $117,620,683 
St. Louis Cardinals . . .$110,300,862 
Milwaukee Brewers . . . . $97,653,944 
Chicago White Sox . . . . $96,919,500 
Los Angeles Dodgers . . . $95,143,575 
Minnesota Twins . . . . . $94,085,000 
New York Mets . . . . . . $93,353,983 
Chicago Cubs . . . . . .  $88,197,033 
Atlanta Braves . . . . .  $83,309,942 
Cincinnati Reds . . . . . $82,203,616 
Seattle Mariners . . . . .$81,978,100 
Baltimore Orioles . . . . $81,428,999 
Washington Nationals . . .$81,336,143 
Cleveland Indians . . . . $78,430,300 
Colorado Rockies . . . . .$78,069,571 
Toronto Blue Jays . . . . $75,489,200 
Arizona Diamondbacks . . .$74,284,833 
Tampa Bay Rays . . . . .  $64,173,500 
Pittsburgh Pirates . . . .$63,431,999 
Kansas City Royals . . . .$60,916,225 
Houston Astros . . . . .  $60,651,000 
Oakland Athletics . . . . $55,372,500 
San Diego Padres . . . . .$55,244,700 

* source: USATODAY Salaries Database

That also means in other sports I'm now a fan of the Washington Wizards, New York Islanders, and Chivas USA (soccer). Doesn't the NFL have a flat salary cap now? $120.6 million in 2012.

I will use this same salary system to decide who to root for when I watch the MLB playoffs in October.