by Mj Ferruzza

Created on: January 08, 2009   Last Updated: January 11, 2009

With the New York Yankees signing 3 highly paid pitchers in the off season, one would think that the franchise or major league baseball was in a boom financial era. Basketball contracts are at an all time high. There are even two players, Stephen Marbury of the New York Knicks and Jamaal Tinsley of the Indiana Pacers, who are being paid millions just to sit on the bench or stay away from their respective teams. Punished for their bad influence on the team, but rewarded financially for being a pro sports star. You would think that pro sports has money to burn, but that is not the case.

The Seattle Supersonics (a long time NBA fixture) refused to be strong armed by the league and build a new mega million dollar basketball arena using tax dollars. Their reward? They lose their franchise. before that, Vancouver languished in fan apathy and the whole franchise was moved to Memphis. Of course, the Vancouver Grizzlies never once fielded a competitive team and the fans had nothing to watch but cellar dwelling play, the powers that be in the NBA head office wanted seats filled.
The Indianapolis Colts played in a dome in downtown Indianapolis. They were strong armed by the NFL and the NCAA, with help from the city's convention center's call to expand, to build a 800 million dollar stadium. It came with a $200 million dollar retractable roof which may or may not be opened for 2 or 3 games a season. The Colts receive revenue from luxury boxes and concession contracts, as well as ticket sales. But had the pressing need for such a new stadium come about with our current economy during its planning stages, the Colts would probably have moved and be playing in Los Angeles.
TV contracts are the bread and butter for every major league sport. No matter the wave of fans that fill the stands, financial gaps are filled by TV revenue. That is until the product is tarnished. During the hey day of basketball at the tail end of the 20th century, the NBA boasted such popular stars as Michal Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The sport was visible and viable for network television attention. These days, with the exception of the Finals and some playoff games, NBA ratings are lower than UFC fighting matches and even the WWE.
The NBA still claims that it is a growing world product! Of course you pitch your product and brand name overseas when you have seen interest in your product go over the hump and start a downward spiral. There will be a time when more people in China will care about

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