As each day passes, it is becoming increasingly clear that the only thing that matters now in the sporting world is the bottom line. From the world’s most prestigious leagues to the most amateur of college programs, the dollar reigns supreme over the fans.
Last year, we saw both the NFL and the NBA endure lockouts. This year, the NHL decided to join in on the action.
“What we hate the most is how this hurts the fans! They’re what keep us going!” is the mantra of both owners and players, but is that really true? Surely if the fans were the most important aspect of the sports industry, professional athletes would be willing to settle for a salary more along the lines of what most Americans make so that they could get back to doing their jobs as soon as possible.
Instead, we see players who demand no less than multi-million dollar contracts in order to play their respective sports, and owners who are unwilling to honor said ridiculous contracts despite record profits.
What about college sports? Surely college athletes and athletic programs are able to avoid the seductive lure of big money and are playing simply for the love of the game…right?
If the current conference realignment is any indication, college athletics may be worse than professional sports in terms of concern for the bottom line. Teams are constantly trying to make the jump to a better conference (see: Maryland and Rutgers to the Big 10, Louisville to the ACC) for a bigger piece of the pie, i.e. lucrative TV deals and high-paying bowl games.
But somehow, all of this is in the best interest of the fans. Rest assured that we, the “Average Joes”, are being thought of in all of these secret meetings and during all of the inane bickering.
If you’re able to believe that, you are certainly more optimistic than I am about this whole money mess. Until commissioners and athletic directors make it clear that the fans are the livelihood of sports, there is little reason to believe anything other than cash is king.
Samantha Ouimette is the sports editor of The Crow’s Nest. She can be reached at sports@crowsneststpete.com.
