Why Sports Teams are Important

An excerpt from a fantastic column from Florida Today columnist Pete Kerasotis about why sports teams are important to a city.

"How about that game last night?"
It was my mailman, with me standing at the end of my driveway, chatting about the Orlando Magic's dominating Game 1 win against the Atlanta Hawks the night before.
This, I thought, is what a sports team does. It brings people together with a common topic, and even a common sense of pride. It does it in boardrooms and family rooms, at the water cooler and at the checkout line.

The takeaway? Cities should be prepared to spend some money to keep their sports teams happy. Unfortunately, it usually becomes an issue trying to define "some money."