Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Hot Stove

Well, the Yankees have dominated the Hot Stove this year by snatching up Sabathia, Burnett and Texiera (Texiera from right under the noses of Boston). There is moaning in Red Sox Nation over that. There is also a sort of forced apathy or cheer from some.

It's the emotionalism of the response to moves like this which keep the game at the forefront. People like to paint Scott Boras (Texiera's agent, as well as the agent for many players) as the devil incarnate. Sites like bostondirtdogs.com help to reinforce that image with photoshopped graphics.

Hey, it's all fun.

But it's all business, too.

What player isn't going to look for the deal that benefits them them most?? The same holds true for management of professional sports teams. Everyone in the business is about bottom line.

Sports is sort of like politics. Spectators (citizens) pay the ticket prices (taxes) to watch the teams and team owners (politicians) do their things. And the spectators are often upset or irritated by it. Then they go home and look to the next game.

The teams (politicians) make promises to the spectators (citizens) throughout the season and the off-season that they are working to get better, often wtih no discernible results.

So, by this line of thinking, it appears that politics is really a spectator sport.

That's too bad. .