One additional detail about pro sports. . .
In a post yesterday, we talked about major-league sports and the venues they need. Whenever there is discussion about such things, the same argument is always made:
Why should we build a playground for millionaires? Why shouldn’t the fat-cat owners build their own arena/stadium?
Well, it sounds good. But I have to say in the modern era, there aren’t very many owners getting rich off sports franchises. Before long, we’re going to see work stoppages in major-league sports because the owners need to bring salaries back to earth or these leagues are going to fall apart.
A good many owners are losing their shirts. Do you think Paul Allen (a guy who DID build his own arena in Portland) is getting rich off the Trail Blazers? I’d guess he’s lost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Yeah, I know. You don’t feel sorry for Paul Allen, he’s still worth billions. Well, it wasn’t my point to get you to feel sorry for him — it was to understand that if citizens, on the whole, see a value in major-league sports for their city, they should be willing to pay part of the cost for them just like they pay for trolleys, aerial trams, transit malls, convention centers and everything else.
Yes, I know. We buy the tickets. But that’s not enough — you still have to buy a ticket to ride MAX, but that didn’t pay for constructing the system.
The Rose Garden wasn’t built for Paul Allen. The man doesn’t even live in Portland. That arena serves the citizens of this region in a very broad manner and whether you watch basketball games there or Barry Manilow concerts, you’ve benefited from it being there. It’s not Paul’s arena, it’s OURS.
Me, I’m obviously bias. I’ve always seen much more of a benefit to Portlanders in a ballpark than a trolley car. Or even a convention center. But that’s just me.
Trail Blazers, small-town Portland | Dwight Jaynes | March 4, 2009
Dwight Jaynes, Paul Allen, Portland, Portland Trail Blazers, Rose Garden
The Rose Garden is a legitimate venue for a variety of things besides the Blazers – I’ll agree with you that there’s some public benefit there. But else what can you do with a ballpark?
Trolleys, aerial trams, transit malls, convention centers….all are (where) huge burdens on the tax payer. And as you know Dwight, it’s never enough for these spendoholics.! And all of the items listed above serve a very small percentage of the population, much like trying to bring in an additional team with tax dollars. Already they are talking about keeping the kicker refund just to keep the schools open and the police force staffed ( don’t get me started on that issue ). I think if it were put to the vote of the people, which in my mind it always should be, it would get shot down in flames.
Barry Manilow concerts ?!?! Are you a Fanalow Dwight ???
On the other hand, you never see Barry Manilow and Barbra Streissand in the same room together do you ????
Asking sports writers about development choices that involve new sports venues is the equivalent of asking crack dealers about drug enforcement policy.
You might as well ask a bunch of lawyers if we need some new laws while you’re at it.