Money and Sports

U.S.A.  -  PROFESSIONAL SPORTS SCENARIO

Professional sports are generating billions of US Dollars annually.  They also possess the potential to generate even more revenue.  The paying Fans and their preferred – nay, revered teams - enjoy exceptional relationship over more than a Century now!

Today the Fans have been jolted and numbed to observe in silence the evolving total commercialization  - the invasion of big business with their uncompromising “bottom-line” motives – slowly spreading their tentacles into their beloved sports!  Fans, by and large, are becoming disenchanted and the fierce loyalty once they used to display for their chosen Sports, and Icons, is rapidly dwindling.  Players once used to play the game for the love of it, often spending money from their pockets, are now increasingly demanding a Compensation package befitting a CEO of a large multinational Corporation!  Greed!  Professional Sports, today, assumed the role of an Octopus with many tentacles, each capable of generating millions and millions of Dollars!   The Corporate jargons “revenue generation”,  “high decibel marketing”, “Bottom-lines” are now being increasingly heard in Sports!  It is becoming very, very big.  Are we, creating a Frankenstein?

In the USA, according to the existing records, there are less than 110 Teams of the 4 main organized professional sports, viz., basketball, baseball, hockey, and, football participating in the main League level fixtures annually.   There are less than 90 Stadiums spread over 25 States!