Sports Fans Yearn For Change Too-But Be Careful

I’ve said a few times in this space that sports (especially baseball) mirror life, and based on talk radio and blogs, I believe that fact is still true. The word “change” is the buzzword that drove Barack Obama’s ride to presidential history. It also put my thinking cap on. The events in our country are far more important than sports-unless you asked the agents who represent overpriced, over hyped, under achieving athletes.

“Change” is the key for many supporters of our local baseball teams. Fans moan and groan if “Omar (Mets GM Minaya) doesn’t improve the bullpen.” The Yankees and Hank “Baby Boss” Steinbrenner “HAVE” to get C.C. Sabathia right now! It’s a fun game to play if you like Monopoly with paper money. Who wouldn’t want to own Boardwalk and Park Place? Honestly, at times I am as guilty as anyone else!

My point is: Remember that all these “things” cost money. All the social programs that we crave are our rights, that we are ‘entitled’ to-like Social Security, welfare, universal healthcare (and let’s face it, most of us are clamoring for that) as well as free agents and winning baseball teams-cost money, lots of it! We live in a society of instant gratification. Don’t believe me? Check out the “U.S. National Debt” sign in Manhattan that tabulates our government’s debt in the TRILLIONS of dollars. Most Americans have EIGHT credit cards. Debt consolidation infomercials and get rich schemes rule the “paid programming” TV shows. It should be no surprise that our federal government spends like its citizens do.

Even in sports, it will always cost YOU the consumer. If you don’t have 50K to pay for a PSL, they’ll hike up your cable bill or the price of a Brett Favre jersey at Modell’s. As soon as a free agent is signed, a Super Bowl won, ticket prices go up.

Most baseball fans think only about their team THIS year. The sellout crowds were barely of out of Shea and Yankee Stadiums when we’re already wondering: “What do we do to make things better?” We don’t worry about the cost, we just want it done. Billy Wagner won’t pitch next year? Bleep him. We’ll just go “get” K-Rod.

Imagine how baseball fans in Pittsburgh or Kansas City feel. It would be great if the Pirates or Royals did SOMETHING to win, right? Well, it’s not that simple. The cost of living in those cities is not the same as the Big Apple. Most Kansas City residents won’t have $2,500 for ONE PRIMO seat at the new Yankee Stadium nest April. Teams in smaller markets must have good leadership to be creative in creating revenue and building a winner. In the business world, money covers up for a multitude of sins. Smaller teams can’t afford mistakes like Carl Pavano or Mo Vaughn. They have to be right ALL the time. That may be too much to expect.

What ever happened to people “living within their means?” What ever happened to sports teams, especially (with NY as an example) the Mets and Yankees spending their money developing young talent to be the cornerstones of a successful team? THAT’s how Gabe Paul and Gene Michael developed the winning Yankee teams of the ‘70’s, ‘90’s and early 2000’s. With George Steinbrenner on each of his two suspensions, players were traded for and developed-and the Yanks won. Now, it sure seems as if the club will try to buy another World Series. Sabathia, Mark Teixiera, Mike Cameron are all on “the short list.” Just like the Yankees, the Mets recent big money ventures (Pedro, Beltran, Johan Santana after his trade from the Twins) have depleted money going to developing talent and hurts the long term prospects of the team. The same holds true with our government: Spending billions of dollars on space exploration (when we can’t take care of the planet we live on) or millions on how cows pass gas is foolish.

We all have to learn to prioritize our spending habits through consistent discipline and rechecking our priorities. Instead of seeing Hank Steinbrenner or the Wilpon family as money machines, maybe we as fans should actively push them to “redistribute” profits to put a good product on the field AND make things fun for fans. The minor league teams do this very well. Kids run on the field, are always given foul balls and plenty of time to get autographs from future stars.

Instead of seeing Barack Obama as a “savior for America” (as a woman claimed Election Night on the CW-11 News At Ten) or “The World’s First President” (as Newsweek suggested) let’s wish our new commander-in-chief well. We have the right and responsibility to praise our leaders and institutions when they are right, and politely dissent when we disagree. That’s the most we can expect. We are after all, only human.

Here’s a novel idea: How about David Falk, Lee Steinberg, Scott Boras and other sports agents deciding that for 1 year they will negotiate the contracts of our nation’s teachers, police, and firemen-and reduced ticket prices at our sporting events? Of course, that would mean that sports and entertainment are NOT the most important aspects of our lives.