Blame The Fans Too

The world of sports is predicated on money and greed. Salaries are sky high, stadium referendums are everywhere, and ownership wants its share of the TV revenue dollar. Who is responsible for this difficult economic climate? The fans of course. Although most fans don't care to admit it the time has come for us to take responsibility for the way things are. Fans don't support teams unconditionally anymore. The difference in attendance between a 12-4 team and a 4-12 team is dramatic. Consequently some owners will do whatever it takes to field a winner and salaries get out of control. Fans don't come to the ballpark and stadiums anymore unless it transforms and talks to you like Optimus Prime. If it doesn't have all the bells and whistles, retractable roofs, and hot tubs no one is interested. Since those ballparks and stadiums are expensive to build and the salaries are high, ticket prices and concession items increase, and your average fan stays home and watches games on TV (if the team is winning). Fans are just as responsible as anyone for this vicious cycle. We only support winners and are easily distracted if our home team doesn't produce. We criticize, hypothesize, and run coaches and players out of town if the don't yield the desired results. Until fans stand up and cheer for teams that give it their best effort just as hard as teams that win championships we will see this trend continue. It's not always about the coaches and players, it's about you too.