I often wonder a lot of foolish things when it comes to sports. Today's random thought is who chooses what cities to have pro sport teams in? I know that the owners and the commissioner's of each of the major sports look at expanding their leagues and usually have to vote on cities that get added to their sport. I am just wondering what is the criteria and who picked some of the cities that have teams now? Let me give you some examples.
The New Jersey Nets may be the worse drawing team in the NBA this year and maybe in history. Ever since they got rid of Jason Kidd they have not been the same team. In fact when they had Jason Kidd they did not draw fans and two of those teams went to the NBA finals. Now they have two things against them. Actually three. The Knicks across the river draw fans no matter how good they are. There are New Yorkers everywhere and we will pay top dollar to see the Knicks even if they are playing the Clippers. The Giants and the Jets hurt the Nets because since there is no football team in metropolitan N.Y. fans from New York will commute to Jersey to watch their teams play. No fan from New York is going to commute to see the Nets play especially if they have Giant or Jet tickets. Those tickets already cost too much and adding a basketball game would be foolish especially for the product being shown this year. Lastly, New Jersey is a Devils town. They have championship banners to give them legitimacy. The Nets haven't won sine they had Dr. J. Now I hear they are moving to Brooklyn in the next three years. Jay-z has his hands full now with this mess. They are not going to get Lebron so this franchise is doomed. For all that New Jersey has to offer, I wonder why it is not a destination that free agents want to go. They have Atlantic City, great colleges and Universities, and great places for amusement parks. They have the best view of New York and great little affluent towns where a lot of celebs live. Basketball is King in in all places Connecticut. They should put a pro team there. The Hartford Civic Center could be the place for the games to be played.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are not drawing crowds either. Each week I keep hearing that their games are being "blacked out" and that is a disaster for the NFL. They have a couple of great players and have been a pretty consistent contending team over the past decade. Who chose that city? What is the big sport there? They have a University there but they have nothing else. Jai Alai? A friend of mine was an assistant coach of the soccer team. I am sure they could have gone to Orlando if they were smart. DisneyWorld is there. Tim Tebow is from Jacksonville so the rumor now is that the owner of the team wants to draft him next year. What a coup? The people of Jacksonville have not supported the team as well as they should have. The funny thing is that the N.F.L needs a team in Los Angeles and settles for city like Jacksonville. There is a team in Sacramento. They just decided to disband their womens pro team. Seattle just lost its N.B.A. team. There are great college cities in the country that would love to have an N.F.L. team. Lincoln, Nebraska, Norman, Oklahoma off the top of my head. The fact that San Diego is not drawing this year is sad too. The have a great product. Maybe the players rub the people there the wrong way. Prices may be too high for tickets but the average N.F.L fan would pay no matter the price if the really want to see a game. The Lions went 0-16 last year and still drew crowds.
What we don't want to happen is already happening in sports. Teams are dumping salaries to clear space for once in a lifetime players. The Knicks, Nets, think they are going to attract Lebron James. In baseball, the owner of the Red Sox made a great point yesterday that highest taxed teams are giving way too much money other teams. For example, the Yankees and Red Sox pay this luxury tax and the money is getting divided up amongst the teams that don't spend money and those owners are just pocketing the money and not spending the money on players. They Royals had a payroll a couple of years ago that was less than A-rod and Jeter's salary combined. The Florida Marlins payroll in 2007 was less than A-rod's salary that year. We don't want a system where teams just let their best players go to the richest teams and instead of the owners getting players, they are pocketing the money.. That would destroy all sports. I find the N.F.L.'s system most interesting because the trade deadline just is another day not like it is in baseball. Free agency usually gets figured out in the off season in football and the players don't always work out. Washing Redskins spend money like it is on fire and they haven't won a thing in 18 years. They signed Deion, Bruce Smith, Jason Taylor, and have no rings to show for it. This off season in the N.F. L will not have a salary cap. The best draft in the N.B.A. in the past 15 years all have contracts ending this year. What is going to happen.. Wade, Bosh, Anthony, James, Stoudamire all free agents. This baseball off season is going to be quiet just because everyone knows that the Yankees will let you know when the market is open. With Roy Halliday already proclaiming that New York is where he wants to go, why have a season. Matt Holliday could be a Yankee too.
In short, I think that teams should be in place where they have an infrastructure of great fans who will support their teams through thick and then. If teams are going to start dumping salaries just to get unrealistic players no league will survive. I saw today that Hofstra dropped its football team after being in business since 1937. Where is Wayne Chrebet when you need him...
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