What can possibly account for the strange state of affairs in
professional sports today? There are billionaire owners and
millionaire players, but both groups are constantly squabbling over
money. Many pro teams appear to be virtual "cash machines,"
generating astronomical annual revenues, but their owners seem
willing to uproot them and move to any city willing to promise
increased profits. At the same time, mayors continue to cook up
"sweetheart deals" that lavish benefits on wealthy teams while
imposing crushing financial hardships on cities that are already
strapped with debt. To fans today, professional sports teams often
look more like professional extortionists.
In "Hard Ball, " James Quirk and Rodney Fort take on a daunting
challenge: explaining exactly how things have gotten to this point
and proposing a way out. Both authors are professional economists
who specialize in the economics of sports. Their previous book,
"Pay Dirt: The Business of Professional Team Sports, " is widely
acknowledged as the Bible of sports economics. Here, however, they
are writing for sports fans who are trying to make sense out of the
perplexing world of pro team sports. It is not money, in itself,
that is the cause of today's problems, they assert. In fact, the
real problem stems from one simple fact: pro sports are monopolies
that are fully sanctioned by the U.S. government. Eliminate the
monopolies, say Quirk and Fort, and all problems can be solved. If
the monopolies are allowed to persist, so will today's woes.
The authors discuss all four major pro team sports: baseball,
football, basketball, and hockey. "Hard Ball" is filled with
anecdotes, case studies, and factual information that are brought
together here for the first time. Quirk and Fort devote chapters to
the main protagonists in the pro sports saga--media, unions,
players, owners, politicians, and leagues--before they offer their
own prescription for correcting the ills that afflict sports today.
The result is an engaging and persuasive book that is sure to be
widely read, cited, and debated. It is essential reading for every
fan.
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