Maybe The Economy Isn't So Bad After All?

Everywhere you look, people are losing jobs, companies with incompetent and insensitive leaders are looking for government handouts politely called bailouts. Yet, our sports teams go about business as usual. Right now, that business is shutting out the little guy.

Example #1: The NY Football Giants issued a press release today that all more than 70-thousand PSL's (personal seat licenses) had been sold for its new stadium, one they'll share with the Jets starting in 2010. I'll never understand why people will pay thousands of dollars BEFORE they pay for tickets just to reserve the right to go buy a ticket to a game. If you went to a car dealer and he told you, "Other people may want this car. Give me a few grand and I'll make sure you have first shot at the car", you'd walk away laughing. But that's what people do nowadays in the NFL. If you have enough disposable income to be a Giants or Jets regular at the new venue, God Bless you, and thank Him for such blessings. But the hardcore fan who studies the game and loves his team, has to watch at home.

Example #2: When the Mets open Taxpayer, er, Citi Field (I guess it still bothers me that a company that needs the feds (at the public's expense) to secure its existence is spending $400 million to have its name on the Mets' new home while laying off 50,000 employees. Talk about disgusting) they will once again have tiered games. Yankee games and other supposed 'good' teams' will cost more to see than the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals of the world. Also, if you can afford to go to games, where you sit will determine what restaurants you can visit. The more money you spend, the more amenities. That's as elitist as Augusta National, snobby home of the Masters Golf tournament. Every year the PC police rightly blast Augusta for its supposed racist and sexist policies. Where are they when the average Joe wants to go to a game?

Make no mistake: Big Blue and the Amazin's are not the only culprits here. But whatever happened to first come/first serve and a game being a game? When I was a kid, everybody, rich or poor alike, knew he could get a hot dog and a beer at the game. Cash was good for any of the games on the achedule. Today, the poor still can drink a beer-the 'official suds of the stadium-while the rich guy (probably just a casual fan) eats steak and sushi with white wine to wash it down and the Yankees on the field. The poor guy? He gets to see the Triple A Pirates in two weeks for a lot less.

Looks like, even in supposedly (to hear the press tell it) the worst economic times since the Depression, money makes the world go 'round-whether we like it or not.