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Baseball strike...does anyone really care??
Well, baseball may strike tomorrow and I for one really could care less. I love my Kansas City Royals and stand by them even if they are horrible, but Major League baseball just sucks.
Besides, Football is now the American pastime and the season is ready to get underway. College games already have started, my MU Tigers play Saturday, and the CHIEFS get things kicked off in another week. Looks like I know what I am doing every Saturday and Sunday through January :D! |
I can't believe how disgustingly greedy pro players are today...
Matt and I were just discussing a few months ago that if baseball ever went on strike again, that not many people would really care. Baseball has been America's pastime for decades, and back in the day, the players were HEROES for little kids...guys like DiMaggio and Ruth were normal men, but they LOVED the sport, and I bet that they would have played for HALF of what they made then--for the GAME. Sure they weren't fairy tale knights or anything, but they certainly cared more than the overgrown BRATS that are in the league nowadays. I mean seriously...I know a pro player's career isn't as long as a desk job, but come on...you can't tell me MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR isn't enough?? :rolleyes: And that you don't care about your fans enough that you just DON'T PLAY so you can get your money??? **** that, they can play for an empty stadium for all I care. Even at freekin Pep Losers, I would NOT walk out on the job if I knew that a devoted co worker would have to cover my slack, or if a customer really needed my help. Basically these players don't give a **** about their fans, even though the FANS are basically who pay them the money they're striking for!! |
If they strike, I'd rather go see replacement players play the game...
Heck, we've got one guy here in Dallas getting paid 250 Million over several years.... that's right, a quarter BILLION dollars to play baseball.... Sorry, they get no sympathy from me.... |
They make me sick...........What a bunch of losers. They are not worth my effort or I would type alot more.
Later, |
Just people who want 8 mill instead of 7 mill a year.Bastards
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What a bunch of prissy stuck up assholes. I hope they strike and I hope baseball never recovers. Maybe it will lead the way for Major League Lacrosse to get more popular :D :D
I never really liked baseball anyways but it has just gone to crap lately. Later, Nick |
You guys are forgetting about something. While I agree that the amount of money being made by baseball players is rediculous, think how much more money the owners of baseball teams are making to afford to be able to pay these outragous salaries. The owners are basically making the salaries of the players. A-rod didn't ask for the 250 million contract...it was offered to him and him being a smart man took the money. The contract that he was ready to sign was "only" worth 170 million but for a longer term as well meaning less per year. The owners want to cap the salaries of the players so that they can continue to make more and more money and laugh at the players for accepting limits. I personally think that the smart thing for the players to do in this situation is not to strike and to continue playing for the fans. If the owners decide to lock them out next season, at least we can't blame the players since they are being kept from playing by the greedy owners.
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To answeer your question. Nope. They can take the NBA with them too. As long as Football and Hockey are alright, I'm good.
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Baseball
I'm not a real sports fan and no expert so I may have this wrong but I understand that the owners of teams in the smaller cities can't compete with the N.Y., L. A. and Chicago teams for money (TV mostly) and can't pay the huge salaries to obtain the big names so they keep losing money - they claim. I have my doubts as they never open the books to prove their case.
The owners want to put a cap on player salaries, naturally, but the players don't want that, naturally,and so we have the impasse that may well lead to a strike, which is really dumb. It's easy to castigate prima donnas playing a kids game for millions of dollars but who would turn down millions a year to do that...really? Not me. Hey, the players of old were real men, granted, but Babe Ruth was paid $50,000. when he joined the Yankees in 1921 and that was probably worth close to a millon or more in buying power then, when a new Ford cost $450. Babe loved the game but he wasn't playing for chump change, either. I may have missed something here but it seems as if baseball has been ruined - mostly - by owners with their greed; expansion teams and ever-higher salaries to young men who naturally believe they are above everyone else when they are constantly praised as kids, as soon as it becomes obvious they have some talent, held up as 'special' by peers, courted by pros in high school and at 20 years old or so, paid millions to hit a ball with a stick while millions watch them do it on TV. It's hard to be humble with that kind of background and the players show that. The old days of baseball were certainly better in many respects but even then, players were stars and owners got rich. As I said, I'm not a real sports fan and I may have this wrong but as a casual observer of the baseball scene, I think both owners and players are equally at fault here but since most people don't even know who the owners are, we blame the high-salary players who we DO know. They may deserve the blame they get and the disgust expressed by many for their greed as well as their arrogrance but I don't give the owners a lot of slack, either. If the players do strike and the game suffers, so be it. Unfortunately, following the last few strikes, attendance has risen, not fallen. Go figure. This could be different as fans seem to be really disgusted but we'll see. Soon. . |
Baseball shmaseball
Who cares! Thats my vote.:D Baseball is boring as hell to watch. I never understood what everyone sees in the game. Ya, when I was a kid it was fun. But Im not going to watch a bunch of overpaid jerks who work for tyrants stand around and play a kids game. Same goes for golf. I would rather light my *** on fire and run thru traffic. At least people would get entertained. I say let em strike close down baseball and let kids race dirtbikes and go carts at all the stadiums. Give back to the kids. ;)
Just my opinion.:D |
Re: Baseball shmaseball
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As far as the baseball strike, screw'em. |
Well, the owners can't get together to establish salary caps under the table so to speak, because they can't agree on what players are worth. They were guilty of holding players salaries down intentionally several times as more of a salary fixing operation. That being said, a strike will finish off an already weakened sport. The players are idiots for proposing a strike, and the owners are pathetic for not being able to control themselves.
Increasingly, teams are losing money in the sport. Stadiums are ridiculously expensive, and the amount of interest overhead they are paying is absurd. Here in the state of Minnesota we have a crybaby owner named Carl Pohlad. His good buddy, the impotent Bud Selig seem to favor a concept known as retraction. Where they take smaller teams and pull them back because they can't make a profit. :rolleyes: In order to keep the Twins they are blackmailing the state to build a stadium, because that will fix the revenue/loss scenerio. Uh-huh. Take a look at Milwaukee. They built a state of the art new stadium, and they are also a team on the possible retraction board. The biggest problem I can see with their asinine proposal is attendance. They can't fill the smaller Metrodome. Why in the world do they think that a more expensive stadium will solve the problem? It's like not being able to make the payments on a new GT, so you're pushing the finance guys to get you into a Cobra. The owners and commissioner have threatened our state to the point nobody gives a rip. The entire scenerio has been handled poorly, and emphasizes the poor management of MLB. That falls upon the shoulders of the commissioner himself. He's worthless. His concept of retraction doesn't support the fans, and it doesn't support the sport. MLB has not been looking at the market, and it's showing. The NFL has salary caps in place, and you know what? The sport is better for it. You come into a season not knowing who is going to be good. They are beginning to find out some of the less expensive, less known players are just as good as the big dollar guys. Makes for more exciting games, and less expensive ticket prices. Another sticking point on the negotiations from my understanding is the players want revenue sharing. :rolleyes: Give me a break. What the hell do they think their paycheck is? All in all, I could really give a rats *** about Baseball. The sport is nothing more than a bunch of juiced up steriod using freaks like Barry Bonds. Bonds wasn't a psychotic home run hitter until a couple years ago. Now he's hitting 2x the number of home runs he used to, and at 38 years old. Whatever. It's a disgrace to the game, and all the true players that came before. I don't know where the figures of higher attendance after the last strike came from Mr 5 0, but I do suffice to say the interest, and enthusiasm for the sport were annihilated by the last strike. It took years to get back to where it was, and once again pick up a following of dedicated fans. The players and the players union are seriously dellusional if they think another lengthy strike won't kill the sport altogether. The fans are angry, and they are angry at the players. Way more than the last time. This time, I don't think there will be a recovery as MLB. Maybe a different league with players interested in playing the game, and inexpensive outtings to the outdoor ballfield to watch some guys making thousands, not millions. Other sports: American Football: I like it. Players can be crybabies, many are gangsta-wannabes, and I'm tired of seeing a dance after every single play, regardless of whether or not the play was actually advantageous to the dancing team. :rolleyes: Hockey: Cool stuff, and a blast to watch in person. No other sport is more fun to watch in the arena as far as I'm concerned. Action and excitement every minute or two. A game can leave your heart stopped for 30 seconds where the other sports can only do it for a couple. NBA: Never liked it, never thought it was more entertaining than watching paint dry. Does the season EVER end? It fills up what could be worthwhile television (albeit I don't watch much) space. Golf: Kinda neat to watch once in a while for short times. If nothing else than for the great scenery, and lack of a dance by some sawed off ex-gangsta every time a good shot is made. NASCAR: If I wanted to see a bunch of rednecks race their 1960's engines around, I'd just go to a farm and watch Bubba chase after Ray-Bob when he finds Ray-Bob messing with his wife, Bobby Sue Ann Riley. Might be interesting if the cars were actually used to race each other instead of drivers. Bowling: Ummm... Yeah. That's not a sport, it's a recreational hobby. Soccer: Biggest sport in the entire world... I have yet to figure out why? Yeah, exciting watching 2 goals in 3 hours. Figure out a way to infuse action into the game. Men's Tennis: Ho-hum. Women's Tennis: HELL YEAH I wanna see Anna Kornikova and Jana Dokic play another match! LOL. Drawback? Serena and Venus Williams. No finesse, just brute force. Has anybody tested the neanderthal's for enhancement drugs? Motocross: No speak.. me watching. Jaw drops.... I bet I could do that. HEHEHE. Other forms of car racing: Cool when you have 3hrs of time to waste, hehe. |
I am a motocrosser and trust me it is far more excitning then baseball. Motocross is getting more popular and baseball on strike? Hell yea in my opinion.
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I have always thought that the value of MLB was more than entertainment or sport. Baseball is a beautiful metaphor for life. No other sport has the opprotunity for individual excellence, and team greatness.
Sure other sports keep individual stats. But would Jordan have been as good without Pippen? Kobe with no Shaq? Montana withougt Rice (or that O-line?) What if Tiger had to depend on 8 other people for the back nine? You get the point. The fact that the game is spinning out of control and everyone is playing the victim, mirrors society today. If the people in the sport would wake up and agree that its a game, and it should be enjoyed, not worrying about every penny, things would get better. You cannot buy loyalty, but you can buy a Pennant. Consider that NYY's have the highest payroll in the majors. The fact that my Angels can beat them ever is a good thing. Sorry this is a rant, but they should start the negotiations by watching Field of Dreams. I used to tell the seasons by baseball, and now I wonder how much longer anyone will care at all. |
BASEBALL STRIKE
I REALLY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT BASEBALL, IWOULD RATHER WATCH DRAG RACING:D :D :D :D
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Just like everything else, if you dont understand it, youre probably not going to like it. I think I have a considerable amount of knowledge about baseball, and baseball history. I love the game.
The last MLB strike was in 1994. That year 'my team', the White Sox, were headed far in to the post season. (This year the Sox are 17 games back of the Twins, so as my luck would have it there will prolly be no strike...hehe...) The fans were slow to come back, but they did. The homerun race between Sosa and McGwire has been credited for "saving" baseball, and bringing it back to the fans. If you turn on SportsCenter this week the sight of a sign in the stands saying, "If you strike we wont come back", is just as prevalent as a homerun highlight. I think the people who make these signs are ridiculous. All these people see are dollar signs. They think if a player makes millions of dollars then everything should be ok. It isnt, and it shouldnt be. I dont see the players striking as being any different then when my dad (belonging to the UAW) would go on strike when I was a kid. All the UAW workers wanted was their fare share, and thats all the players want. It just so happens that a players fare share (determined by the market) just happens to be more money in a year than a UAW worker might make in his entire life. I know there are people in the country working for minimum wage who criticize UAW workers for striking when they do. Their arguement is the same as everyones here: "These guys are making $40-60,000 a year with good benefits, what are they striking for? Major League Baseball has been around for over one hundred years. It is not going anywhere in a hurry. MLB has some serious problems, but they are not the fault of any one group of people. Even if the players do go on strike, (which I dont think they will) all will be forgotten in the coming years when Barry Bonds is going after Aarons homerun record. FWIW, it takes more than a pumped up body on steroids to hit homeruns. With that logic, Mr. Universe, or the winner of the Strongest man competitions, could walk on and hit a homerun in every at bat. It takes patience, and for some, years of experience to be able to hit a ball like that. Barry's dad was a major league player. His godfather is Willie Mays for cripes sake! Why does everyone think that steroids is solely responsible for his homerun hitting barrage? I dont think the 'formula' (if there was such a thing) for a good major league hitter gets any better than Barry, steroids, or no steroids. Andy |
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Your argument is a weak one, for the sole fact that "loving the game" IS part of their job...they are BALL PLAYERS...entertainers, heros to the little kids who play in the sandlot down the street...Do you see what I'm saying? And yes, I think it's retarded to betray your followers for $1 million when you already make $5,000,000...Its NOT like a worker striking for fair treatment and wages in exchange for slaving in a factory all day long. When you get to the point that several million a year is not enough to sustain your lifestyle...well...although its their choice how to spend their earnings, you should really stop comparing them to a man who makes $60K to pay a mortgage and feed his wife and 3 kids... |
Let the greedy bastards strike again, and I hope baseball never returns, and those greedy clowns have a hard time finding a job making 10,000 a year coaching little league. Nothing makes me more mad. I haven't watched baseball hardly at all since their first strike.
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hockey rules, my red wing's took pay cut's to get hasek & brett hull just to win the big one, i still like football, but they cant stand any pain, oh i broke my thumb, i'll be back next year, while hockey player's get a 12 inch cut to the face, tape it up & go back on the ice for the next shift, baseball used to be cool, now it's, i want 2 million a year, for a game i used to play for fun, for nothing. spoiled baby's, nascar is starting to really suck, btw unit, most of the driver's are northerner's now, just a fact.:eek: :D :D ;) so rocko & vinnie are the boy's now. lol. oh yea, anna k. yummy.
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Yeah, so when you go from a 20-25hr/yr guy to a 40-60hr/yr guy well after your prime that's normal right? :rolleyes: If you think even for a second steriod use isn't extremely prevelent in baseball you need to up your medication. The idea that being stronger doesn't make for more home runs is absurd. Taking steroids increases a players strength, bat speed, and flexibility during swings. It takes a good player (like Bonds) to a new level without the effort his peers made for this great 100 year legacy for which you speak.
It took YEARS for the fans to come back last time, and that strike is still in the memory of fans this time. If you think baseball will somehow just be like nothing happend, you're crazy. You can kiss the sport goodbye. Take a look at the posts here. I think you'll get the feel for the general public. They're pissed, and I seriously doubt many care about baseball anymore. I'm not complaining that players don't deserve fair market price, if you'll read my post, it's mostly the owners fault. They have the power to enforce their own salary cap. As for the NYY, compare their record, and their payroll to Minnesota. Excuse me if I disagree completely with buying a pennant. I think fans are sick and tired of paying out huge sums to watch a bunch of spoiled brats. You think it's ridiculous to not support an industry that doesn't cater to your needs, that overcharges you, and the employees strike every chance they get? Might want to take a look at real world results from striking. UPS went on strike a few years ago and lost dedicated customers by the thousands. Many never went back. Baseball should be prepared for that, and expect it in fact. Minnesotan's as a general rule could care less about the sport, and the last strike was a HUGE contributor to that. The sport just died here. Around the country it died, for fricken years. Look at the value of baseball cards. Baseballs popularity isn't as high as it was, and another strike is going to kill that popularity as well. Duece, excuse me for being blunt, but football is every bit like your description of baseball. Teams are extremely important, and individual players can make huge differences on the team. Look at Barry Sanders. Soccer is the same way. Again, hockey is exactly the same. Baseball isn't special in the way it works. |
now underwater basketweaving or synchonized swimming....phew! those are REAL sports! no one asking for another million dollars there... ;)
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i never watch baseball anymore, anyway, till the world serie's then i could care less, it has become boring, hockey rule's.:D :D ;)
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I will say it again.... Baseball sucks lacrosse is better!!! :D :D
Or to qoute the shirt my friend has..... "Lacrosse: The sport that MEN play during BOYS Baseball season" :D :D :D :D :D :cool: :cool: Later, Nick |
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Unit There is no doubt in my mind that Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire were (or are still) taking some kind steroids. But to say that they are the reason Barry is hitting so many more homeruns is just not right. First of all, this is a dumb arguement because theres no way to prove anything. Barry has gotten noticeably bigger, so has Sosa, and McGwire did too. You ever look at Frank Thomas? I have been within 10 feet of both Thomas and McGwire, and they are both big SOB's! Frank has to be everybit as strong as all 3 of these guys. Why isnt he hitting 60 or 70 every year? Its sure as hell not because he isnt taking steroids. Its in his mind. I dont know if you have followed Bonds' career or not, but he has not been the most mature player to ever step on the field. Especially when he was with the Pirates. I'm saying the real reason Barry is hitting more hr's is because he is (or feels) more mature. He is starting to come into his own. The situation in Minnesota is terrible. They have a great team! They are they youngest team in the AL (or possibly a close second to TB) and they also have the lowest payroll. Yet they are on their way to winning the AL central for the second straight year. Thats quite an anomoly in todays game. Its absolutely absurd that MLB wanted to retract a winning team. Hell, they just expanded again 2 years ago, why dont they make up their minds! Oh yeah. The people here who have voiced their opinions on MLB, and at the same time said they are not fans and dont even like baseball: Those peoples opinions mean nothing to me. Andy |
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No offense, but this thread wasn't created to mean something to YOU...it was an open discussion on a NON-BASEBALL forum, so you should have probably assumed not everyone here was going to be a fan :rolleyes: This isn't some argument over batting averages or game rules...It doesn't take an avid game watcher to realize the shortcomings of players that put their paycheck before their JOB...entertaining Americans. |
Ahh.... theres nothing too miraculous Belle, the american public will believe anything.. hehhe...
Quite the contrary Belle, this thread really didnt mean anything to me, nor did I think it was created for me. I just like to talk baseball!:) Andy |
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The reason they are having this fight is not becuase they don't think they are getting their fare share now. That is what Arbitration is for. The reason they are striking is because of the revenue sharing and luxury taxes the owners are discussing to keep the game on a more even playing field. The players are sticking their noses into this duscussion within management for fear that a conclusion will be reached they don't like. Why? Because a luxury taxes is just a fancy name for a Salary Cap. Players are afraid that they won't be able to negotiate huge salary increases like A-rod got, and that mediocre middle aged players will suffer the brunt of this. I work at a CPA firm. It is mine and my co-workers work that gets the partners paid mostly. We cover the overhead and our own paychecks. Then the partners get paid. They take the risk of ownership and get rich of us. They all have BMW's I have a Ford. I do the work, they get the big check. Same with players and owners is baseball. Can we form a union and demand more money? No. We'd all get canned and replaced by people who got laid off at Andesen. Bonds makes 90k+ a game. The idea that he will not be able to make 100k+ a game in three years is the theory behind the strike. I grew up watching baseball and I think its crap. I'd play the sport for what he makes in a game a year. And I'd be happy. Players need to pull their head out and realize there are thousands of guys busting their asses in the minors who would kill to get the chance to stand in the batters box at Fenway. I say let the 'pros' walk, and call up some rookie ball players. I'd pay money to see that. They still LOVE the game. |
Well as for me I hope they strike! What better way for these guys to hurt their wallets and their egos? I think a strike will be great for the sports fan , I too like Baseball but the prices are insane , not only the stuff they call 'food' but the ticket prices are out of control! After this season we will no longer support the overpaid salary of the enitre league in itself . Our season tickets will be up for grabs, Edison Field Section - F121 , Row M, Seats 4,5,6,7 @ $45.00 each is just a lil too much ta pay when these guys wont play with a hang nail !
As we already know "WE" do pay their salary and can do somthing about it, Yes I know that it will take several seasons to hurt them to the point of doing something about it but I have all the time in the world do they?, As Belle said, " let them play in a empty park for all I care" This may just be the pill to cure if not only sedate the sickness that is baseball today. I enjoy the game and as a family we have fun at the ball park, But we have found another and less expensive way to enjoy baseball, We simply drive 30 min into Rancho Cucamonga and see the minor league teams play, I have to admit I have had a much better time there then at any major league park. The players , officials , employees, and the fans are some of the nicest people at 1/4 of the price. They let you know as soon as you get in the parking lot that you are a big part of what they do and where the want to go. An autograph for the kids ? hell yes from all the players if you want and it's free!! What you dont have a tailgate and you wanna BBQ? Great no need to Have a tailgate They supply the picnic tabels here! |
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I enjoyed the barrage of baseballs, toilet paper, beach balls, and other throwing items at the Angel game tonight. it was quite fun.
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Tax implications asside, it is very likely that the owners of these teams ARE in fact sustaining a year to year loss. Try explaining the operations of a business to an uneducated ball player and you may very well acheive the Nobel Prize for it. These morons are good with a stick and a ball, not understanding the complex structures and operations of a business...... Finally, these team owners are holding out for the final SALE of their asset for the investment to be worthwhile. It's not the yearly profits that have produced dollar signs in their eyes, but the end pay-off when they finally dump it off on some other unsuspecting Jewish bastard. :D |
More Baseball
Andy669:
I'm not a fan, just a casual observer but as baseball is a large part of the American sports scene and much in the news right now, some of us take a mild interest in it. I haven't memorized 100 years of stats and don't know any of the players except the big names but I see, as others do, a bunch of mega-millionaires - on both sides - killing what was once a great sport. Too bad. Unit: I heard it said on a radio sports show that attendance went up after the last strike. I can't prove it and it doesn't sound logical but since when have most sports fans been logical? I agree with most of your acid observations on various professional sports. I have always believed that sports - in general - are given way too much importance in America (and elsewhere). However, that's what people want and so, they shall have it, including the juiced up near-middle-aged mega-millionaires posing as athletes, the basketball gangstas, etc. Then we have Mike Tyson. Well, I commented on the strike to see what response I would get and I made no pretense to having any real knowledge of the fine points and while I learned a bit more, it still seems stupid and both sides appear as greedy as I assumed they were. Hey, I'm a capitalist and I have no trouble with players raking in all they can get...owners too...but the abuse of the paying fan (absurd ticket prices, drugged up arrogant players who think they are gods) is simply stupid and deserves the criticism it receives here and elsewhere. . |
The company I work for made 150,000 a month 5 years ago. Now
we make 600,000 a month but I am not making 4 times more money. Maybe we should all strike too.:rolleyes: |
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These ballplayers are too busy hiring hookers and snorting coke to take the time to understand the elementary concepts of business.....:p |
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This season
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Well, there was an agreement made, so there will be no strike, but I want to make a few points that were kinda brought up throughout the thread. Most people won't agree with what I am saying, but the owners are completely full of **** on this whole revenue sharing and luxary tax issue. They claim that they are losing money and say that small market teams can't compete with the big market teams, which isn't exactly true. The Twins and A's are two of the lowest paying teams in baseball yet they are in first place in their divisions. The Ranger's and the Mets are two of the highest paying teams yet they are both in dead last in their division. Money doesn't solve the problem...it's recruiting and scouting. The owners just want to make more of a profit which is why they refuse to show their books to anyone. If they were losing so much money, why not prove it by opening their books. Minnesota is a perfect case. They want a new stadium because they claim that is why they are losing money in the old stadium, yet when Gov Ventura asked them to open the books so he can verify, they wouldn't do it. If the owner's were really losing money like they claim, the average salary in the league wouldn't be 2.4 million. The teams that are "poor" would constantly lose players and their payroll would continue to decrease. If you look at most of the teams payrolls over the past few years, they have gone up, not down which tells me that they are obviously making enough money to pay more money to their players. The players are making millions, but the owners are making even more....and they want to make even more profit by keeping salaries under control.
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I dont care much for baseball I am a football and hockey girl myself!!! I just wish these baseball players would stop whinning about their not getting enough millions to run their fat arses around the plates!!!
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Ill get back to you on the other things , after i talk to the big guy k |
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