Have the large salaries of professional athletes had a negative impact on the athletes or the sports?

The short answer is that it depends on the person. Some people are able to handle the wealth and some people change and give in to its’ temptations. In athletics there are plenty of stories of athletes who have behaved badly once they become rich and forget what is really important in life. Tiger Woods even gave in to the temptations and lived the fast pace party life even cheating on his wife (and family). The sports themselves can be affected too. Sadly, sometimes it can attract more attention as people live through the excitement and day to day news of the latest scandal. “To whom much is given, much is expected” and there are plenty of stories of athletes helping their community and many different causes as well.