On the Jim Rome show yesterday? I was driving down the highway with t tops off so I didnt catch it perfectly but the gist of it went something like "Fans dont pay the players, there are other ways players are paid for besides tickets like merchandising, appearal, and mostly the TV deal." Email comes in claiming that John knows absolutely nothing about business, because it is the fans who buy the merchandise, and appearal, and if fans dont watch then there is no TV contract John then states "If there are no players, then there would be no fans" Ummm this is why even though I dont believe the owners in baseball, I tend to detest the players much more. This attitude right here. This arguement doesnt hold water. So without fans we know that players would not get paid, but without players fans wouldnt have to what....NOT shell out for tickets? So you mean without players fans would actually not spend money. What a terrible loss. Ill live without baseball for 2 years, lets see some of those baseball players live without their salary for 2 years. Anyhow, Im paraphrasing, and couldnt hear really well being that it was AM, but this is the gist. I know a tad late now that the labor talks have ended,.
What a ridiculously stupid thing to say. I have always liked John Kruk...but my respect for him has dropped significantly after hearing that. What a moron.
Why? Did he say a lie? If there were no fans, there would be no players. But to be a fan, there must be players. Do you expect Kruk to understand the symbiotic relationship between fans and players? Players get their money from corporations....until their is a major league baseball fans union, fans will be too powerless individually to show this relationship to players. As far as entertainment options go, I consider baseball and other sports to be very cost efficient. If I have money I can see games in person. If not, cold beer in front of the idiot box. Movies cost 8 dollars now versus 15 for a baseball game. I enjoy being a fan. But its football season so I don't care as much.
To be a fan there must be players...true, but what you fail to realize is that without fans players have nothing...period, end of discussion. Without MLB fans can go to other sports, or even watch High school or college baseball. Is it the same, nope. Would it be all but the same for the serious fan. Sure, baseball is trancends who is playing it. Does a perfectly executed Double Play end any different from a college player and a pro? I understand that pros are better blah blah blah. Point of the matter is that at least this former player doesnt understand that fans do indeed make the TV contracts possible, the merchandise, not only the Ticket receipts. Everything that is generated off the side for players is ALL fan based. Commercials, endorsements ect ect ect.
Dreamshake...exactly...one can only guess what fat Kruk would be doing without baseball fans willing to pay to see him swing a bat.
I realize that, but I don't expect a baseball player to understand that concept and Kruk has demonstrated that he does not. If you played ball well, try to be nice, try to be fair and are honest; I'm not going to hold a lack of economic knowledge to hurt a person's rep. Was Kruk showing malice towards the fans or was he just defensive? I would say it would be different if someone like Bonds or Hundley said these comments.
I don't buy the "players owe the fans" stuff at all. Yeah, we pay their salaries, but as consumers and tax payers, we pay lots of people's salaries. Hell, if you are a fan and mow a players lawn, build his house, his car, produce his food, isn't he paying your salary? Everybody in the world is connected that way and I think it's unfair to put that only on the players' heads. How many of you get mad when the people who build the cars you drive strike? Does that guy on the line owe you anything for doing his job? Somebody is bound to come with the "Players don't count because they make so much money" argument. All I can say is that if you were talented enough to make ridiculous amounts of money to play a game, you would try and cash in too. I don't care what anybody says, deep down inside everybody feels that way. I don't want to here the, "I'd play for free" crap either. If you could be a pro player, I doubt you wouldn't mind living in a box near the stadium as long as you could live out your dream. How come nobody gets pissed when the Screen Actors' Guild strikes? They make more money for doing less work than any pro player. How come nobody mentions that the players are trying to prevent contraction? Everybody thinks that they were asking for more when they were trying to keep things the way they are. Most fans just don't care and don't even know what's really going on. It was basically a case of the Owners wanting too much and the players not wanting to give enough. Doesn't matter now though since a deal was reached, but I think that had more to do with 9/11, unfortunately, than anything else. I'll tell you one thing though, the person I blame for the problems in baseball is neither a player nor an owner(technically). It's all Bud Selig's fault. He's one of the worst commisioners of all time. He's a walking conflict of interest since he still owns the Brewers. The Commish shouldn't take sides, he should be someone who works purely for the interest of baseball and the fans, somebody with the strength and character to force both sides to give in. When somebody like that comes along, baseball will be fine.
I heard the comments made by Kruk yesterday, and basically, what he said in his own defense is, the fans dont really pay the salaries, the owners do, and his example was Montreal, with the amount of fans they field, they draw low numbers, but the players still get paid. He has a point, but I dont agree with him, if there was no one to watch baseball, if there were no market for baseball, there would be no baseball.
I personally blame Donald Fehr and the player reps and agents more than Selig. Granted Selig sucks as a commish, but this is all on the players needing to win.
but he's wrong here...they don't get paid in Montreal like they get paid in other markets. so the fans do mean something. the owners don't have money to pay without revenues from fans.
How are women's softball players paid? They don't make much because there are no fans, yet they still play. STICK THAT IN YOUR PIPE KRUK...YOU FAT BASTAGE !! DD
Initially to me Kruk was souding off with tons of disdain towards the fans who were complaining when he made the comments. Then the email comes in basically making Kruk look like a complete idiot and he softened greatly in taking his stance. To me he came off like a complete ass and idiot. Ive pretty much stayed away from arguing either side of baseballs problems. But if Kruk even remotely sybolizes what players think then those guys are seriously brain dead.
