Expanding Leagues, Expanding Cities

Expanding Leagues, Expanding Cities

Sports have always played a major role within societies. The area of Rome was

the most populated area of the world during the time of the Roman Empire. The form of

sport most demanded by the large population was watching two men fight till the death.

These Gladiators were personified as larger than life beings and were able to captivate

tens of thousands with a swing of a sword.

People flooded to cities where they could watch these Gladiators fight. The

popularity of these events grew so immensely stadiums were built that were able to hold

over 80,000 screaming fans. Daily these fans would pack these massive arenas to watch

the Gladiators fight. Not much has changed today. Though today’s sport entertainers

aren’t referred to as Gladiators, but rather professional athletes. Society today, now more than ever, is driven by professional athletics.

As cities grow in population, there becomes an increasing demand for more

teams. League expansions have been occurring just as population expansion has

occurred. Cities look to gain a sense of community through athletics by bringing

professional sports to their city.

Expansion is beneficial to both leagues and cities. Leagues benefit financially,

mainly from television deals, and cities grow in popularity and population. It is because

of this mutual gain that leagues continue to expand.

Before a city can take on the responsibility of starting a franchise, it must prove a

demand for the product. A high-ticket sale is the main aspect a professional league looks

for when deciding where to go next. Just like in any business, both sides don’t want to

get themselves into an unprofitable arrangement where millions can be lost. For...

... middle of paper ...

...fans seem to enjoy having more teams, everyone does not want

league expansion. There are traditionalists that feel that league expansion dilutes the

talent around throughout the league. Instead of teams being able to have 3 or 4 “star”

caliber players bringing competitive games each night, expansion keeps most teams at

around 2 “stars” with mismatched competition being the result.

Regardless whether league expansion is liked or not, as long as there is money to

be made the trend will continue. Cities with a growing population and improving

business and industry sector give the best chance for high revenues to be made. As

private investors continue to see expansion as a profitable venture, leagues will continue

to expansion.

Bibliography

www.census.gov, 12/5/01.

www.NFL.com, 12/6/01.

www.NBA.com, 12/6/01.

www.MLB.com, 12/6/01.

www.NHL.com, 12/6/01.