The money in pro sports.....
Goot
Posts: 3,496
in Sports Talk
I've always been amazed at the amount of money involved with sports, but never turned off by it. However, during those previous occasions of extreme spending (A-Rods signings, sneaker contracts, etc.) the nation was not in the economic state that is in today.
$160 million for ONE PERSON to play baseball? Shouldn't that go to something more worthwhile like, I don't know.......education?! To put it into perspective, the state of Florida called for budget cuts to the board of Education that will topple $180 million over the next year for a state that's education was already poorly funded.
Mayor Bloomberg just ordered all city agencies to cut spending to the tune of $1.4 Billion over the next year. Makes that $1 Billion Yankee Stadium look pretty silly especially when they had a fine and historic ballpark just across the street. And the ticket prices they're charging to get in that place? Give me a break man!
Or the fact that the NFL had to lay off 100+ workers while the players in it's league are making a combined $4.5 BILLION this year!
What about the list of teams, posted here the other day, that are RAISING ticket prices for the upcoming season?! Sports should be a getaway for people, to escape the real world for 3 hours at a time, and now most will not be able to afford going to as many games.
Nothing is about to change, but in a time when bailout plans, layoffs, and economic frustration are the opening stories on the news, how can these teams justify such actions?
Am I just overreacting or is anyone else surprised/disappointed by these happenings in pro sports and their continuously limitless spending power while the rest of the nation faces recession?
$160 million for ONE PERSON to play baseball? Shouldn't that go to something more worthwhile like, I don't know.......education?! To put it into perspective, the state of Florida called for budget cuts to the board of Education that will topple $180 million over the next year for a state that's education was already poorly funded.
Mayor Bloomberg just ordered all city agencies to cut spending to the tune of $1.4 Billion over the next year. Makes that $1 Billion Yankee Stadium look pretty silly especially when they had a fine and historic ballpark just across the street. And the ticket prices they're charging to get in that place? Give me a break man!
Or the fact that the NFL had to lay off 100+ workers while the players in it's league are making a combined $4.5 BILLION this year!
What about the list of teams, posted here the other day, that are RAISING ticket prices for the upcoming season?! Sports should be a getaway for people, to escape the real world for 3 hours at a time, and now most will not be able to afford going to as many games.
Nothing is about to change, but in a time when bailout plans, layoffs, and economic frustration are the opening stories on the news, how can these teams justify such actions?
Am I just overreacting or is anyone else surprised/disappointed by these happenings in pro sports and their continuously limitless spending power while the rest of the nation faces recession?
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Comments
<< <i>Nothing is about to change, but in a time when bailout plans, layoffs, and economic frustration are the opening stories on the news, how can these teams justify such actions? >>
Because we're dumb enough to go to the games, buy the food and drink, tune in on TV, support the sponsors, wear the licensed apparel, collect the cards, play the video games, etc.
The power is within you. Just say no.
As long as people are willing to put their money into tickets and sports merchandise, those salaries will be there.
A lot of people despise the players for making that much, but would it make them feel better if the owner pocketed the money instead?
THe only way that salaries go down is that if thousands of tickets go unsold...at ALL stadiums.
<< <i>A lot of people despise the players for making that much, but would it make them feel better if the owner pocketed the money instead?
>>
I don't want the money pocketed by the owners either.
I know what you mean Goot, it really is sickening.
If CC could get by on $80 million, and Arod with $126 million, and every other play made half of their astronomical salaries, couldn't they cut my ticket price, parking price, and beer price in half too?? It doesn't have to go to the owners.
THe owners have no need to cut the prices in half to save fans money....as long as this many fans are willing to spend what they are.
Maybe one day UNICEF will get into the MLB business, until then the owners are the people to see. LOL. Gotta love Joe Dirt.
The money in sports [except the money you pay into it, which is yours only until you pay it out of your pocket, afterwhich it is no longer yours and belongs to someone else] is not yours. In a free market capitalistic society each person is supposedly free to spend their money on what they choose [or save it], without anyone else telling them what to do with it.
Do you really want to have "Big Brother" getting involved in "the money in sports"? Government is getting bigger at all levels. Perhaps to make it "fair" for everyone, perhaps a $160 million salary to a pro baseball player should be outlawed, set a maximum salary of $200K and give the other $159,800,000.00 in money to "Big Brother" so that Big Brother can take that money and set up a "program" to provide monetary assistance to other baseball players who fail to make it to the Bigs. I mean, equality should not only be:
1. equality of opportunity for all [which I agree with]; and
2. equality of outcome for all [which means everyone, regardless of talent level, regardless of work ethic, etc. gets the same things in life, so everything is "Fair", except of course for the dedicated public servants (who are Big Brother) who, due to their superior everything and their willingness to take care of everyone else deserve to be much more equal than the masses.
Do you really want Big Brother determining where the "money in sports" goes or would you prefer to let the free market determine same? For me, I vote for the free market.
Sorry about my rant.
I understand your position completely. But until the day comes where the Yankees play the Red Sox in [new] Yankee Stadium and the seats are [virtually] empty, the salaries will stay where they are.
One quick question. When athletes make $20 million a year, huge backlash. When actors and actress make $20 million for one film, no backlash at all. Why? Do we assign some inherent value to the Tom Crusies and Will Smiths of the world, but not to ARods, Jeters and now C.C's?
To me, it's all the same. Nothing but entertainment that the masses crave.
/s/ JackWESQ
If anything I was just pointing out how ironic it is that while the rest of the nation is cutting back, sports (other than the AFL) seem to keep spending the same, if not more. However, I did hear Goodell say that the NFL would cut it's spending by 20% next year but that's for another thread..... I don't have a hard time supporting these guys that are getting paid that amount of money, but if my dad were to get laid off I'm pretty sure I wouldn't harbor those same feelings.
The reason we don't act this way towards actors and actresses is because actors and actresses that have those fat contracts don't get the same amount of attention for signing the contract as a pro athlete does. On our local papers website, there's a link with Sabathia and "$161 million" in the title (this is the East Coast of FL, btw). I couldn't tell you the last time I saw one that said "Tom Cruise signs for $20 mil. with Warner Bros". Once a movie comes out and flops, nobody questions whether or not Fox should've picked up Angelina Jolie's contract like they would in pro sports if a team flops. (If they do maybe I'm out of tune with Hollywood.....but then again, I don't really like movies at all so it wouldn't surprise me.)
<< <i>Yankees management is a bit out of control - I guess they think the bad economic conditions won't affect them - They are wrong. >>
It's tough even getting tickets to a Yankees game most times. There are probably more rich people in NYC than rich people in some entire states. They will continue to fill seats with ease. Unless you have something for me to read that convince me on that statement, it just doesnt make sense.
<< <i>
<< <i>Yankees management is a bit out of control - I guess they think the bad economic conditions won't affect them - They are wrong. >>
It's tough even getting tickets to a Yankees game most times. There are probably more rich people in NYC than rich people in some entire states. They will continue to fill seats with ease. Unless you have something for me to read that convince me on that statement, it just doesnt make sense. >>
It's a no-brainer that there aren't as many "rich people" in NY as there used to be only months ago...and I would have to think that one of the first expense cuts for a desperate corporation would be something such as season's sports tickets....we'll see how the bad economy winds up affecting the Yankees.
Baseball might be more affected by a severe economic downturn due to them playing so many more games than other sports leagues.
The upcoming baseball season could be a real test, especially in a city like Detroit.
thousands of high earners in the financial industry have lost their jobs. If people go to one or two games a year instead of 10-12 it is still
going to have an effect.