It's definitely a very controversial topic, but it basically boils down to one of your sentences:

"Everybody and everything is worth what a fool wants to pay for it. "

Which is exactly what I meant, we should stop being such fools and serve them as much money, the less we pay, the less the TV contracts pay and the less the players get.
And gaps can still be percentages.

And

"But athletes are and should be seen as entertainers. Without a doubt they bring joy in the lives of the fans. They should be role models and some of them are."

Some of them are, but 90% are not.
And even worse, they even try to find ways to negate taxes even though they earn as much.
And we, even pay taxes for parts of the infrastructures their using.