I'm watching this press conference Live on FOX Sports. Basically, he's said "Full Speed Ahead" baseball will contract and he said that more revenue sharing will happen, but it will not be unilaterally. Hello Bud, the NFL has done that without the players giving something up why can't MLB do that. Also, he said that baseball is now paying the consequences for 20+ years of "bad economics". I agree that 2 teams need to be dumped, but without revenue sharing, the outlook looks bad. The owners with Selig's 3 year extension are ready to fight it out with the players. *edit* Selig now also mentions that some clubs can't pay the interest on their debt. The more Bud brings up the money the more gloomy I think this picture gets. I think the NHL will be the next league to contract after MLB does its contraction. Selig also just said "there will be no lockout of players". I guess that's one bright spot in this. Rob
http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/1126/1284893.html Reading this ESPN article, Selig says 25 of the 30 teams lost money and that MLB overall lost $500 million on $3.5 billion in revenue. THAT seems beyond belief. He also says a number of teams were given loans to stay afloat. Presumably the DBacks and DRays were two of those teams, I'm curious who else might have needed a loan.
I was in Best Buy the other day looking at Dreamcast games, and I saw "World Series Baseball 2K2". A month ago, I'd have picked it up RIGHT AWAY, but now, I could care less about MLB. Baseball as a sport is still the best, but due to MLB's shady tactics, and Drayton's greedy economics, I really don't care much about the league any more. I didn't mind the first strike, or any of the exorbitant salaries or any of that -- the game was still too good for that, and the antics were bearable. But with the way MLB, and Drayton McLane have acted since the DAY AFTER the greatest world series in my memory has left me feeling jaded and angry at that entire establishment. I could care less what happens to MLB right now. I've been an Astros fan through and through since I moved to Houston, but frankly, I don't give a damn about the team right now. I guess it's just the extreme opposites that come in such close proximity -- great baseball season that was great fun across the board, and then greedy owners eliminate 2 franchises, complain about revenue, then raise ticket prices while lowering team quality (thanks Drayton) in an OBVIOUS money-grubbing fashion. More than likely I'll keep coming back to the game because I'm such a huge fan, but I feel used and unappreciated. As a customer, my business has been shunned. MLB acts like an overbearing, abusive husband, figuring that we will come back anyway and give them another chance.
Apparantly, the Astros made a profit last year, will increase ticket prices this year, and won't be going after any good free agents. If this is all true, I will not be watching the Astros (probably), and I definitely won't be going to any games. MLS, here I come.
Baseball plays too many games. Each individual game means half as much as a basketball game and 10% of a football game. Also, if they are losing money with that much revenue, then the players salaries are way too high. Also, the rosters need to be trimmed by 5-10 players. 8 position players + 8 pitchers + 3 bench players should be enough.
