Sports is a Business...

Each morning on my commute to work I listen to sports radio and most of the time I listen to Michael Bradley and Glenn Foley's morning show on Sports Radio 950. This morning their guest was Pat Williams, the general manager of the Sixers during their championship season of 82-83 and the current vice president of the Orlando Magic. They were reliving the glory of the last championship a major sports team has seen in the city of Philadelphia. After the interview was over they were taking calls from listeners and as usual everyone was commenting on how the ownership in Philly is awful and never does anything to win a championship. It was the normal barage of whining Philadelphia fans.

Normally I would agree with these listeners. I am as desperate for a championship in this city as anyone else and I am the first to point the finger at the ownership of our teams. But I thought about it for little while longer and I came to a different conclusion this time. The owners of the teams in this city are some of the smartest owners of any sports team in America. They run their organizations for one reason and one reason only and it is the same reason any owner of any organization or company in America runs their business, for MONEY.

Sports had a different meaning in 1983, players did not receive the same ridiculous contracts they receive today. The cost of tickets even after inflation are much higher today then they were back then. Lets face it, sports is a business and a very lucrative one at that. As long as we, the fans, are willing to pay to to watch our teams play and buy the merchandise associated with the teams the owners will be happy. They put a product on the field that is relatively good. Look at the past 10 years, the Eagles have been the dominant team not only in their division but in the less than good NFC. Other than last year the Flyers always make the playoffs. The Phillies season has come down to the last game of the season each of the last three years. They keep our interest all year long and therefore they are profitable all year long.

If you were the head of an organization that is making money hand over fist year after year and profits keep increasing without increasing overhead, why would you change that formula? Why would you increase your overhead (by going out and getting more expensive players and adding to your payroll) when your profits are increasing each year? It doesn't make business sense and whether you believe it or not, sports today is one of the biggest businesses in the United States.

Just my humble opinion...Philly Sports Dude.