Sunday, July 22, 2012

An Issue we can all agree on

A common theme in politics across the world is how governments get behind sports programs building arenas. Here in America, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the NFL, NBA, and WNBA build stadiums across the world often with taxpayer dollars. There is a feeling that orbits across this country that if the city doesn't fund it than another city will fund and get the sports team, thinking it will help them make money. Well, NPR's Planet Money which I listen to regularly. http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/02/03/146363292/the-friday-podcast-is-hosting-the-super-bowl-worth-it

In it they talk about how it wouldn't be worth it for Indianapolis to host the Super Bowl by the government building a stadium for the NFL, and they would lose money building it. What has been happening is that there enough cities that are willing the money to build a sports arena to get a sports team that they don't have to spend any money. If one city won't another city will. It would take the mayors of America to come together at their annual conference and decide that they were going to work to not fund the private sports-leagues as a group to change this. I have a counter-proposal, they should fund their sports arenas themselves. They can afford it and cities almost never make back the money they spend. This or the MLB becomes a government agency (like that will ever happen!)! This will not end sports in America and here is why:
1. The sports leagues are multi-million dollar businesses. They can afford to build their own stadiums when cities should be paying for schools.
2. People love sports! People will continue to watch the games and buy the merchandise which will not hurt their revenues. Actually, there are people who get upset at this and would be more likely to watch more sports if they were self-supporting.

I think that would be a better system.

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