[Rod_Cloutier]

Today it was announced that the NHL would be returning to my home city. Thousands celebrated, people at work said they would be standing in line to pay $2, 000 a year for season tickets:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ ... nipeg.html

Meanwhile no one thinks of the negative consequences of this development. In the back of my mind I can't help to think this is awful social and economic news. Thousands will pay a small fortune to watch silly people chase a small black piece of rubber on ice. A small minority of owners, players and others will make a fortune. Whereas low income blue collar families in town now suddenly are saddled with another monthly payment to pay for this lunacy. The taxpayers will also be saddled with the inevitable debts to pay for arenas, subsidies, and bailouts. All of this additional financial burden to be assumed just on the threshold of peak oil and social collapse.

The same is true of all professional sports. Woe to you who live in a major city with professional hockey, baseball, football, basketball, soccer or other leagues that suckers revenue from both personal and government pockets! (Even worse off those who have multi-professional leagues of various sports.) How better off are those small rural municipalities with no professional sports to bankroll. No stadiums, arenas and courts to build and maintain. What is really the social and economic viability of paying a small group of people millions, to do essentially nothing of economic value?? All the while real concerns go unfunded and unsupported.

(On a more cynical note; this announcement shows just how far the ongoing commercial collapse has progressed. That major professional leagues have to seek out smaller populations to plunder due to collapsing ticket sales, and advertising revenue.)

Recreational sports for personal fun or exercise fine. Paid multi-million, mafia-casino run sports leagues- not needed!

[Rod_Cloutier]

Insanity is built into our culture. Its a traditional part of our civilization.

[FairMaiden]

$2K is not a small fortune...if you or they can't afford it, then don't buy tickets!

I don't watch my team play live anymore tho. I was just saying today that I can't stand it when some a-hole yells, X you suck! It's not about that but unfortunately some ppl use the "mob mentality" as an excuse to let their base selves out. So I watch at home on TV. I don't mind my $ going to hockey - I play it myself so I understand the level of achievement that these men have reached. It's fast and exciting. Other ppl might want to spend their $ on art (there are TONS of gov't & non-profit art & cultural events funded by my tax dollar and I don't give a hoopla about any of those)...I spend mine on sports. I like the gladiator/truimph story. I love the fact that a guy like Alex Burrows can play in sub-par minor league and be told that he will never make it. Then work hard and achieve a dream...it rarely happens in real life but it's nice to watch it unfold. More so than the highland games or the bicycle art show. Sorry.

And don't diss hockey right now, I've been waiting 17 YEARS for this moment.

[Pretorian]

In the back of my mind I can't help to think this is awful social and economic news. Thousands will pay a small fortune to watch silly people chase a small black piece of rubber on ice. A small minority of owners, players and others will make a fortune. Whereas low income blue collar families in town now suddenly are saddled with another monthly payment to pay for this lunacy. The taxpayers will also be saddled with the inevitable debts to pay for arenas, subsidies, and bailouts.

you can say the same thing about any entertainment venue-- singers, movies,etc.

[Novus]

These Circuses are the only thing that keep the peasants from revolting as it gets out a lot of their aggression. Times are getting rough and the peasants are getting squeezed so they are going to need more distractions from their failing world. If not for professional sports and garbage culture like American Idol then TPTB would have to move to plan B such FEMA camps and the 20 million coffins to cull the overpopulation. You don't want that even as a doomer. Let the lemmings sleep and use this time to prep.

[Pretorian]

Out of curiosity, why do they need coffins? Wouldnt it be cheaper to dig a big hole, fill it and burn a little? Or plastic body bags?

[AgentR11]

These Circuses are the only thing that keep the peasants from revolting

+1

Any of us comfortable enough to be goofing around on a web forum best find something better to do than poke the Bread and Circuses. As the number of people on permanent assistance or unemployment rises; that's also the number of people available to form a mob and do something really destructive. As long as they have something easier and more entertaining to do than turn over cars and break shop windows, that's extra time we get to spend in a civilized environment, which I must say, I'm rather fond of. Stories of very large gangs of teens being rowdy over memorial day ought to give everyone pause. They weren't studying, they weren't relaxing, they weren't getting or holding a part time job; they were on the edge of rioting having both time, and little to lose from being arrested.

[Novus]

Out of curiosity, why do they need coffins? Wouldnt it be cheaper to dig a big hole, fill it and burn a little? Or plastic body bags?

The nondescript boxes can be discretely buried without spooking the herd. One video or good picture of a dump truck full of corpses and the jig would be up. Conspiracy websites can post pictures of the boxes until hell freezes over and nobody would care.

[Serial_Worrier]

What about professional tennis?

[Hawkcreek]

Maybe they are just looking for heros - since no one can find them in leadership positions anymore. People need someone to look up to and if the only ones who seem able to put out 110 percent are sports figures, maybe that explains it.

Me, I think it is dumb to put out trememdous resources to "watch" someone else get fit. I would rather participate in a weekly fun run or walk than watch a millionare chase a ball of some type.

But I do understand the appeal of watching someone put out maximum effort, even if it is just to keep the herd happy.

[dorlomin]

We have had professional sport round here since the 1880s. Hardley new.