[gampy]

Well, one more harbringer of the doom at hand.

At least we won't see the A-Rod type pro-sports salaries for too much longer.

Eugene Melnyk is confident that the Ottawa Senators can come to a contract agreement with winger Daniel Alfredsson, but is cautious about the type of deal that's reached.

"We sat down and we had a conversation maybe an hour, hour and a half about a wide range of possibilities," said Melnyk. "It's just going to take some time that's all. There's a lot of things to consider from both sides - it's a little nerve racking in what happened in the global financial markets in the last couple of weeks. We need to see what that's going to do to attendance numbers across the league and how that will affect the cap. That's the key."

Like any other businessman, Melnyk, who founded Toronto-based pharmaceutical giant Biovail nearly 20 years ago, is keeping a close eye on Wall St. and Main St. in the United States and how it may affect his costs in running a pro sports franchise like the Senators.

"I think the global economy affects every dollar that everyone spends right across the board," he told TSN. "And that includes the entertainment dollar. It's not just going to affect hockey but every entertainment dollar. Don't kid yourself - these are serious things that happened in the last couple of weeks and people are going to be affected by it and where they spend their money is going to be very wisely. Now what that does is puts a challenge to hockey in general."

from TSN

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=251761& ... dlines_nhl

[Armageddon]

I have been wondering over the past couple years when attendances will start being affected due to the economic crises.

[gampy]

I have been wondering over the past couple years when attendances will start being affected due to the economic crises.

Yeah, I think professional sports is a telling economic indicator.

Number 1, it reveals the extent of discretionary income available to Joe Six Pack.

Number 2, it's useful in seeing what aspects, and sectors of the economy are suffering the worst. Many professional sports cater to certain sub-groups of the socio-economic spectrum.

Nascar caters to a certain group, basketball to another, hockey to a certain sub-group as well. It is also tied to geography. One area of the countyry may be hurting more than another. A serious downturn in revenues for teams, or certain sports from the northeast, or say the southwest can indicate problems that are not readily apparent.

It could be a good barometer for the overall health of the national, and local economy.

I think it's a better barometer than the movie, music, and video game industry.

I thgink you will see more than a few sports franchises folding within the next 2 years. Or contractions of leagues.

[Armageddon]

I have been wondering over the past couple years when attendances will start being affected due to the economic crises.

Yeah, I think professional sports is a telling economic indicator.

Number 1, it reveals the extent of discretionary income available to Joe Six Pack.

Number 2, it's useful in seeing what aspects, and sectors of the economy are suffering the worst. Many professional sports cater to certain sub-groups of the socio-economic spectrum.

Nascar caters to a certain group, basketball to another, hockey to a certain sub-group as well. It is also tied to geography. One area of the countyry may be hurting more than another. A serious downturn in revenues for teams, or certain sports from the northeast, or say the southwest can indicate problems that are not readily apparent.

It could be a good barometer for the overall health of the national, and local economy.

I think it's a better barometer than the movie, music, and video game industry.

I thgink you will see more than a few sports franchises folding within the next 2 years. Or contractions of leagues.

Good post.

[sicophiliac]

This is a tragedy indeed when the economic implosion now threatens people who get paid millions upon millions of dollars to throw or bounce a damn ball around a field or court. The hell with medical researchers, engineers, physicists or anybody else actually contributing to society we had better tack on sports funding to the next bail out bill if we know whats good for us.

[idiom]

You mean like NASA for athletes?

[hubbertspeak7777777]

This is a tragedy indeed when the economic implosion now threatens people who get paid millions upon millions of dollars to throw or bounce a damn ball around a field or court. The hell with medical researchers, engineers, physicists or anybody else actually contributing to society we had better tack on sports funding to the next bail out bill if we know whats good for us.

I agree, I never understood how a person could enjoy watching someone get paid millions for playing a damn game. Some prick ends up getting paid $20mil/year because he was lucky enough to be 6'10" and having natural athletic ability, while most people end up getting get shit wages for working difficult, stressful and boring jobs.

I'll admit I watch cage fighting once in a while, because it's fun to watch two people beat each other half to death and get covered in each other's blood, but all other sports are a boring and pointless waste of time. Especially basketball... that has to be the most boring game ever invented. And don't get me started on Nascar, I can't believe people actually pay to see some moron drive 500 laps around a track.

[Snowrunner]

I agree, I never understood how a person could enjoy watching someone get paid millions for playing a damn game. Some prick ends up getting paid $20mil/year because he was lucky enough to be 6'10" and having natural athletic ability, while most people end up getting get crap wages for working difficult, stressful and boring jobs.

It's an outcropping of our prosperity. People always went and cheered on the local team, now it's based on marketing and no "loyality" really, teams move as they are bought and sold.

No worries, this will end sooner rather than later.

[hubbertspeak7777777]

No worries, this will end sooner rather than later.

Hopefully, that way I won't have to listen morons ramble on and on about sports statistics while I'm at the bar.

[Snowrunner]

No worries, this will end sooner rather than later.

Hopefully, that way I won't have to listen morons ramble on and on about sports statistics while I'm at the bar.

Haha, yeah, or how the Canucks are doing / will be doing / who got traded. I seriously couldn't care less, I don't even know their names.

[gampy]

I'm glad you all had the opportunity to get these rants out of your system.

I am no fan of overpaid athletes either. Or the gouging that goes on by the concession stands at these events.

Can we go back to the topic at hand now?

Or should I change the title of the thread to
"I hate professional sports, and the people who enjoy them"?

Or how about you just make a thread about it yourself? There is a button called "New topic".
Try it, it's much more fun than hijacking other people's threads.

Temper tantrum over.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like them or not, professional sports are a huge part of the economy and culture ( for better or worse.)

Anyone notice any real downturns in attendance since the summer?
I have a feeling that by Xmas, you will see sports team revenues (or lack thereof) in the business section of the papers as well.

[hironegro]

Like them or not, professional sports are a huge part of the economy and culture ( for better or worse.)

Anyone notice any real downturns in attendance since the summer?
I have a feeling that by Xmas, you will see sports team revenues (or lack thereof) in the business section of the papers as well.

Not really in America. At least the major team sports aren't really economically profitable. They rely subsidies, publically financed stadiums, and socialized developmental leagues (ncaa).

[gampy]

Like them or not, professional sports are a huge part of the economy and culture ( for better or worse.)

Anyone notice any real downturns in attendance since the summer?
I have a feeling that by Xmas, you will see sports team revenues (or lack thereof) in the business section of the papers as well.

Not really in America. At least the major team sports aren't really economically profitable. They rely subsidies, publically financed stadiums, and socialized developmental leagues (ncaa).

Oh, I don't know...I would beg to differ. Sports, and professional sports have a quite large spinoff effect on economies, especially local economies.

While arenas, and stadiums are usually built with taxpayer dollars, and subsidies, they are not dissimilar to infrastructure spending, in that they do provide quite a bit of economic activity, and stimulus for the local economies involved. it's debatable whether said infrastructure is a wise investment, but highways, and suburban strip mall road works could be called wasteful, as well.

Bread and circuses, indeed.

[hironegro]

Like them or not, professional sports are a huge part of the economy and culture ( for better or worse.)

Anyone notice any real downturns in attendance since the summer?
I have a feeling that by Xmas, you will see sports team revenues (or lack thereof) in the business section of the papers as well.

Not really in America. At least the major team sports aren't really economically profitable. They rely subsidies, publically financed stadiums, and socialized developmental leagues (ncaa).

Oh, I don't know...I would beg to differ. Sports, and professional sports have a quite large spinoff effect on economies, especially local economies.

While arenas, and stadiums are usually built with taxpayer dollars, and subsidies, they are not dissimilar to infrastructure spending, in that they do provide quite a bit of economic activity, and stimulus for the local economies involved. it's debatable whether said infrastructure is a wise investment, but highways, and suburban strip mall road works could be called wasteful, as well.

Bread and circuses, indeed.

I disagree, if there wasn't forced parity and revenue sharing all our major team sports leagues would contract. The European sports club model is a lot more sustainable.

[hubbertspeak7777777]

I'm glad you all had the opportunity to get these rants out of your system.

I am no fan of overpaid athletes either. Or the gouging that goes on by the concession stands at these events.

Can we go back to the topic at hand now?

Or should I change the title of the thread to
"I hate professional sports, and the people who enjoy them"?

Or how about you just make a thread about it yourself? There is a button called "New topic".
Try it, it's much more fun than hijacking other people's threads.

Temper tantrum over.

If you don't like what I say, then put me on ignore.

[gampy]

I'm glad you all had the opportunity to get these rants out of your system.

I am no fan of overpaid athletes either. Or the gouging that goes on by the concession stands at these events.

Can we go back to the topic at hand now?

Or should I change the title of the thread to
"I hate professional sports, and the people who enjoy them"?

Or how about you just make a thread about it yourself? There is a button called "New topic".
Try it, it's much more fun than hijacking other people's threads.

Temper tantrum over.

If you don't like what I say, then put me on ignore.

Lol, you are correct. I don't like what you say. And I told you so.

You don't like it? Stay out of the thread.