Comments on Advance Indiana™: Professional Sports Teams Do Not Have A Net Positive Economic Impact

Interesting article, the stats are especially info...

2011-05-05T10:56:03.127-05:00

Interesting article, the stats are especially informative. However, I feel like pro sports teams bring so many suburbanites into the city that otherwise would never get there. It's true that many don't stick around after the game, but for pro teams that are quite successful like the Yankees and the Phillies, people really do make a weekend out it. I'm wondering if success of the sports team determines it's economic impact. Do playoff games bring in additional revenue for the city?

Cheers,
Brian
@b_reilly

Good post. But, again, even if the preponderance ...

2010-05-20T11:04:53.728-05:00

Good post. But, again, even if the preponderance of research favors pro sports being a net loss, it doesn't matter if enough citizens don't care.

The rich will buy the votes to get their customized contracts, stadiums, etc., as long as we let them.

Feedback abounds of support for the suppossed benefit of attracting people to a city with pro sports. About as much believable data to contradict real-life experience as the suppossed benefits of illegal immigration or the affordability of national health, but Hey, so goes the argument. Ask Arizona residents how illegal immigration is working out for them. Ask Verizon, John Deere, AT&T, or Caterpillar how much fun it is to keep a company health care plan afloat these days.

If "it" gives your locale at least the appearance of benevolence, or "being civilized", or a desirable living standard- it really doesn't matter if it's fair, moral, ethical, or affordable. If we can imagine it, we can have it.

Right?

Not to mention that NBA games generally are played...

2010-05-20T05:39:33.213-05:00

Not to mention that NBA games generally are played in the winter (when was the last time the Pacers where in the playoffs?) months when most people will not take a vacation. I would say major league baseball draws more people to your town for a weekend. I went to a Reds game last year on the 4th of July weekend and talked to numerous people that came into town to see the Cardinals play the Reds. They were getting hotel rooms and taking the kids to the zoo and Kings Island for the weekend. Tickets were $5.00 (nose bleed section) to see the game so a family of four was only out $20 dollars. There is really no where tp go in Indy in the winter time to justify a family vaction. Tickets to games tend to be extremely higher for NBA games. Was that silly survey they spent 100 thousand (what a waste of money) on truly say NBA franchises are a boom to economy? Or did it throw baseball in to prove their point.

This title could not be clearer, AI. It is our mo...

2010-05-19T19:58:32.526-05:00

This title could not be clearer, AI. It is our moneymasters and professional politicians who benefit.