I have never really understood why some people lash out at athletes and professionals simply because they make a lot of money. This is a free market society. The goal is to make as much money as you possibly can. Professional athletes are doing something that less than 1% of the population can do. They sacrafice their bodies in the process, and they bring in millions of dollars for the owners of the team's the play on. Hell yeah they should make a lot of money.
This isn't just with athletes either. This applies to doctors and lawyers as well. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say "That doctor/lawyer makes too much money." You can't make too much money!! When I get through an orthopaedic residency, the plans are already in place for me to walk into the largest orthopaedic practice in the mid south. This practice brings in $8 million a year for the hospital on surgery patients alone. If I bring home $800,000-1,000,000 a year from that practice, I believe it is well worth it.