On October 20, the discussion of sport and economics brought out the idea that while money has become the primary foundation for all sports, it is also well known that in order for professional leagues and franchises to obtain that money, they have to be able to co-exist with the surrounding community. In reality, fans are the whole reason that these players, coaches, and owners have their money. In order for these individuals to make their money, the exploitation of markets has become an all too common ordeal.
The article above is a link to a specific market that is being boosted and exploited thanks to the relocation of the National Basketball Association franchise, New Jersey Nets, from Newark, New Jersey, to Brooklyn, New York. Real Estate Developer Bruce Ratner has been planning the layout for the Nets' brand new home which includes a Pantheon of a sports arena along with the promise of plans for re-development in order to create more jobs in the growing area. Not to say that Mr. Ratner shouldn't be applauded for his hard work in developing this area, it's just that we've heard this story before with many other different areas being re-developed thanks to a pro franchise and then nothing really happening after it.
Coakley displays the argument in his text describing that many fans are lead to believe that owners will abandon the city if the they're not given what they want. It's like holding a city hostage with something they love in order for them to give them what they want. We've seen it before with the Seattle Sonics moving to Oklahoma City and the Sacramento Kings threatening to relocate to Anaheim. Owners know that fans love sports and they use them to their advantage. Sure they may promise that this new arena will create an economic buzz throughout the city and re-development plans around it will create new jobs as well. However, are we really suppose to believe that owners care about the re-development process? I mean don't get me wrong, there are some owners who have come through with these promises, but those owners still took alot of public money in order to build these areas.
Our beloved franchises are controlled by those who want our money. We could say "forget about you" and just keep our money, but then again, your beloved basketball or hockey or football team is relocating. It sucks to be a fan sometimes.
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