Show Me The Money!!!!

Contracts for professional sports athletes have reached astronomical levels.  You can not blame these athletes for going after an amount of money that someone is willing to pay them.  How do these salaries compare to the income of the average fan?

An increasingly common contract value in Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association is $35 million per season.  In comparison the median income in the US in 2018 was just under $62,000, roughly the annual salary of a school teacher.  I will refer to these people earning that amount as "average fans."

Let the comparisons begin.  One $35M contract equates to 564 average fans requiring 29 rows at 20 seats per row.

Baseball

A starting pitcher pitches one out of five games resulting in 32 games a season.  A pitcher of this caliber will pitch on average 7 innings a game, 100 total pitches and one strike out per inning.  

Comparison:  $1.1M per game (17.8 average fans),  $11K per pitch, $156K per inning or strike out (2.5 average fans).

A fielding player plays roughly 155 games, three at-bats per game and hits 0.300 resulting in a total of 140 hits for a season.

Comparison:  $226K per game (3.6 average fans), $250K per hit (4 average fans)

To put it another way one strike out equals 2.5 years of work, six pitches equals one year of work or one hit equals four years of work.

Football

Quarterback is the position with the highest pay.  There are 16 games in a season.  In a game there are 70 offensive plays, 36 pass attempts, 22 completions, 2 touchdown passes.

Comparison:  $2.2M per game (35.6 fans), $31K per play (half a fan), $61K per completion (1 fan), $1.1M per TD (17.8 fans)

In other words two pass attempts or one completion equals the annual salary of one fan.

Basketball

A star NBA likely will play 80 games out of an 82 game schedule and averages 32 points per game.

Comparison:  $438K per game (7 fans) and $13.7K per point (1/4th a fan).

In other words two 2-point baskets equals the annual salary of one fan.

As I write this there are talks that one NFL quarterback may attain the $50M per season level.  While we have looked at some large dollar amounts lets compare average player salaries.  Major League Baseball $4.4M, National Football League $2.7M and National Basketball Association $7.7M.  These salaries may seem rather lofty for the average fan but when compared with the upper extremes they have the appearance of "normality."

Another interesting comparison is the value of a sports team.  Pro sports teams range in value from one to five billion dollars.  You would have to work every day (365) for three years at $1M per day to be able to afford a bottom end value pro sports team.

The high value player contracts do make for some interesting comparisons.

If You Build It, They Will Come

The amount of money involved in professional sports today is staggering!  The extravagance of stadiums, player contracts, ticket prices and the value of teams is almost beyond comprehension.  Regardless of the high costs we still love to watch our sports, perhaps more than ever before.

There is something to be said about attending a college/professional sporting event in person.  Even if you do not have the best seats there is something about the sounds, smells, electricity of the crowd and the fact that you can say "I was there."

As a spectator I have observed that there are three elements in the evolution of the facilities that host large scale sporting events.

New sports venues over recent decades have increased accessibility, improved comfort features and amenities, created better seats and sight lines and are arguably more aesthetically pleasing.  Comfort control, retractable roof and options to buy gourmet food are all par for the course.  As a spectator I must say that I do not miss old venues with nicknames like "barn" or "dump" regardless of their nostalgic appeal.

A second element in the evolution of sports venues is the shift in philosophy of the game day experience going from fan to corporation.  Simply put, seats for fans have been replaced with corporate luxury boxes or suites.  A good example is Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.



Compare the press box in the before picture in the top photo to the massive block of corporate suites in the photo on the bottom (after renovations).  I do not blame schools/teams for taking advantage of the opportunity for financial gain, more power to them.  Suites offer the opportunity to watch a game in luxurious opulence, but at the price of sacrificing seats for the average "true" fan.

All the benefits of the new venues come at a price.  An increase in comparative cost should be expected as new venues have more/better facilities and features.  Here are a few examples of "nice" stadiums from recent days gone by compared to "nice" stadiums of today.

Houston Astrodome:  1965, $35M ($278 in 2018 funds)
Houston Reliant Stadium (NRG):  2002, $352M
Verdict:  reasonably similar price

Texas Stadium:  1971, $35M ($221M in 2019 funds)
Cowboys Stadium:  2009, $1.2B
Verdict:  steep increase in expense, cost due to ego?

Los Angeles Rose Bowl:  1922, $272K ($3.4M in 2018 funds)
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: 1923, $1M ($14 in 2018 funds)
Los Angeles Rams/Chargers stadium:  expected opening fall 2020, estimated cost $5B
Verdict:  staggering increase, hard to grasp

Modern sports venues are a pleasure to patronize with their features and comforts.  A high ticket price may be the price you pay (no pun intended) for the improved experience.  The choice of attending or not attending an event is up to the individual.

"Lions, Tigers and Bears...Oh My!"

Sports nicknames are an untapped educational resource gold mine!  As an early primary school age child I had a social studies foundation without attending any class.  Knowing the teams I had a good idea geographically where teams were located and by their nicknames I often knew something about the city/region.  As evidence here are some things I knew/learned growing up.

Canadian Teams:
Edmonton Eskimos:  Canada's "northernmost" major city, approaching the edge of the tundra and land of the Inuit
Edmonton Oilers:  Alberta is Canada's oil capital
Calgary Stampeders:  home of Canada's largest stampede and one of the most famous in the world.
Swift Current Broncos (junior hockey):  western/cowboy/ranching area
Steinbach Wheelers:  Steinbach is also known as "The Automobile City" because of it proportionally high number of automobile dealerships
Kleefeld Stingers:  Manitoba's honey capital
University of Manitoba Bisons:  beast of the prairies, Manitoba's official symbol

American Teams:
Local animals:  Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Phoenix Roadrunners, California Golden Seals
Midwest/plains ag scene:  Nebraska Cornhuskers, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies
Industrial connection:  Pittsburg Steelers, Hartford Whalers, Indianapolis Racers, Houston Oilers, Milwaukee Brewers
Geographic features:  Miami Hurricanes, Phoenix Suns, Colorado Rockies (NHL), Minnesota North Stars, New York Islanders (located on Long Island)
Wild west:  Dallas Cowboys, Oklahoma Sooners (I didn't know what a Sooner was but recognized the "wagon"), Denver Broncos, Houston Colt .45's
Cultural heritage:  Minnesota Vikings, Boston Celtics, Penn Quakers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, New York Yankees
Indigenous heritage:  University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, Florida State Seminoles

The above illustrates what I knew/learned as a school ager and not meant to be an exhaustive list.

Being familiar with sports nicknames helped me on the civics portion of my naturalization oral exam.

Sports team nicknames are a readily available educational resource with the bonus being that many students follow sports thus connecting the classroom to the "real world.".

Tickets Getting Out of Reach

I started attending sporting events around 1980.  As a sign of my increasing chronological existence I have fallen into the stereotypical pattern of referencing "the good ol' days."  One of my beefs has to do with the cost of tickets to professional sporting events.  My complaint is not that the ticket prices have gone, because that is to be expected but it is the disproportional increase in ticket prices that upsets me.  Rather than just rambling on about how much better the past was I present some numbers comparing the average income for fans, average baseball ticket and average salary for a professional baseball player.  I have chosen baseball as for a long time it took pride in offering an affordable family entertainment option (i.e. ample availability of "cheap seats" often less expensive than movie tickets).

1980:  average income $13500, average baseball ticket $4.50, average player salary $20000
2018:  average income $62175, average baseball ticket $72, average player salary $4.2 million
Increases:  average income 4.6X, average baseball ticket 16X, average player salary 210X

Numbers don't lie, sports ticket prices have increased at a rate disproportionally higher than inflation and the cost of living.  Old guy theory/complaint:  validated.  Player salary increases:  that's another rant.

Going to The Game

Going to a professional sporting event as a youngster was special, for me it was the CFL, NHL and MLB if I was travelling.  There were fewer teams.  We were not flooded with television coverage as all we had was the local channel's "game of the week."  Watching a game whether on TV or in person was a treat.

Going to a game meant following your favorite player and/or team.  Concession and souvenir options were limited and other than a fan shooting a puck through a hole in a sheet of plywood to win a medium pizza there were no forms of entertainment or distractions.  We went to the game because we loved the game, plain and simple.

Today the quality of the game is diluted because of the increased number of teams and subsequent demand for less talented players.  The myriad of sports programming on cable/satellite TV makes it easy for the viewer to yawn and move on because it is just another game.  Those in attendance at a game may not be fans and need noise and shiny things to keep their attention while true fans sit at home often unable to afford the egregious ticket prices.  Games are more about the sizzle than the steak.

On the flip side of the coin more teams and more television exposure gives greater opportunity to develop a new/expanding fan base.  More television options allow fans to follow their team if it is out of market.  If you are interested in international sports they are now more readily available to watch.  Haveing team ambassadors shoot t-shirts into the stands is more entertaining than watching the zamboni flood the ice.

Hats off to European soccer fans.  The big time European soccer experience is more on the old-school side.  Fans are in their seats while the game is on.  No popcorn/soda sales people walking up and down the isles.  No fans going to the bathroom during play.  Concessions and souvenirs are limited.  Fans are at the game to watch and cheer.  While the frills are limited the passion is high.

Back to the Future

As a sports fan I find the older I get the more my thoughts go back to "the good ol' days."  If I try to be objective I need to ask whether things really were better back in the day or are they better now  Let's compare the past and present of a sports fan.

Ticket prices:  As a high school student earning roughly $5 an hour I could buy a "fun zone" ticket between $10 and $15, the equivalent of two to three hours of work.  Today a student earning a $15 an hour wage would have to work four to five hours for a $60-$75 "cheap seat."  Winner:  the good old days.

Brand identity and loyalty:  With a few exceptions team when I was growing up rosters had minimal change from year to year.  Each team had two sets of uniforms.  You knew the players and had a loyalty to the team and its players.  With free-agency, more teams in the league and a different uniform each game day currently it is tough to keep track of your team.  If you like team identity and loyalty the winner is the gold old days.  If you like fluidity and change the winner is today's sports world.

Food:  Back in the day you could get luke-warm coffee, flat sodas, hot dogs and stale pop corn.  Current sports venues offer food fare rivalling exotic and gourmet restaurants.  The clear winner is the present era.

Concessions and souvenirs:  Selection of sports merchandise in the past was limited to two t-shirt styles (in adult and youth sizes), two cap styles, pennants and a mini hockey stick/baseball bat.  Today you can purchase anything and everything for you, your car, your home and your pet.  Clear winner is the present.

Stadiums and arenas:  Many of the old venues had limited amenities and would violate current safety and accessibility regulations, but they had character.  Modern sports venues are architectural wonders with all the amenities one could imagine but one could argue they often lack character and atmosphere.  You decide the winner, do you want character and heart or do you prefer beauty and amenities?

The past had its glory, but also its weaknesses.  As times change so does the sports and entertainment world.  The only choice we have is to cherish the past and embrace and enjoy the present.

Incredible Amazing Season

The Saskatchewan Roughriders hosted the 101st Grey Cup.  As good fortune would have it they also played in the game verses the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.  One of the story lines through the week was the number of players/coaches on each team that had at one time been a part of the other.  The Riders established the tone of the game by early in the second quarter.  The Tiger-Cats did manage to pull within two scores late in the third quarter but the final outcome was never in doubt.  Final score:  Saskatchewan Roughriders 45, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 23.

The aerial view of the game showed a sea of green.  Tom Hanks and Martin Short were two of an almost non-existent fan base.

There are many teams that are known for their fans and for having a unique fan experience at their games, but nothing compares to the Rider Nation.  The Riders are the largest draw as a visiting team and games involving the Riders get the highest television ratings.  There have been away games where Rider fans have outnumbered the home team fans.  I have attended games where 25,000 (yes pre-stadium expansion days) were louder than some NFL games I attended.  There are no words that completely describe the emotion for Rider fans witnessing such a great win at home against a team filled with so many "turn-coats."  The effects of the win will resound throughout the province until next seasons Grey Cup game.  The Roughriders are a part of the fabric that makes the province.  The Riders are a way of life.  I have met former CFL players and when I mention Saskatchewan the immediate response is that the fans are dedicated, knowledgeable, and crazy.  Either you are a Rider fan, or you wish you were.

Congratulations Roughriders and congratulations to the province of Saskatchewan!  Enjoy the spoils of victory and soak in the rewards of being champions.