Take a look at the sports page of any newspaper, or watch the sports segment on your local news, and a troubling pattern is emerging. For years many die-hard fans and critics have complained about the stratospheric salaries and endorsement deals that professional athletes have been blessed with.
There is a very legitimate argument that this is a free-market system, and that basically this is what the consumer wants. The sports entertainment consumer wants to see the best athletes on the best teams, and the supply/demand equation means higher prices/salaries.
At what point will there be a correction or back-lash? Is there no ceiling on the amount of money that sports fans will pump into this system? Ultimately, the money that funds these salaries comes from the fans of these sports. When do they become so disgusted that the money begins to dry up?
Look at the effects of this money today:
1. NBA referee Tim Donaghy has been accused of having a relationship with "low-level" mafia contacts in order to alter the outcome of NBA games in such a way as to be beneficial to these gamblers.
2. Michael Vick, the Quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons is accused of organizing a dog-fighting ring which resulted in the barbaric deaths of an unknown number of dogs. While his greed probably didn't lead him to do this, his large salary did subsidize the creation of this organization.
3. Within the past week at least three riders in the Tour de France have been linked to doping. Of course, for years the sport has been plagued with doping allegations, and last years winner was disqualified for testing positive for doping.
4. Barry Bonds is on the cusp of breaking Hank Aaron's home-run record. Most consider this record the most hallowed in sports. Tarnishing this accomplishment are the constant allegations that Bonds used steroids to improve his power, and break the record. Just today a chemist from Balco has identified Bonds directly as having been provided steroids.
I certainly don't know how much more the average sports fan can take before they allocate their entertainment dollars elsewhere. However, these stories and others may have no effect at all. I would expect more and more of this type of story in the future, if the fans don't balk at this. In other words, if the current state of professional sports is not getting the consumer's attention, it likely never will.
Ultimately, these fans control the money, and by extension, they ultimately control the behavior of these sports leagues. You just have to follow the money.
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