But the best takeaway is how Oakland and Cleveland - two cities that have struggled in recent years with attendance - seem to have been hurt by their returns of football:
[T]he A’s most successful era occurred after the Raiders moved to Los Angeles. The Indians greatest success in the last 50 years occurred after the Browns abandoned Cleveland for Baltimore. The Raiders were successful for a period when they returned, and have been mediocre in the decade since. The Browns have been the AFC North’s punching bag since they returned as an expansion team. Both affected baseball teams have been unable to repeat their respective successes since the football teams returned.Obviously, Tampa Bay fans can appreciate the conflict.
Wow, what's news, lol, all people that knows sports knows that unlike 30 years ago & prior, football is more popular then baseball in America. Though Baseball is still king in the northeast, like college is in the southeast, like basketball is in America's heartland & the Pacific, like the NFL is to the north central, like hockey is closer to the Canadian boarder & soccer is in the more prominent Latin area's of the county...
ReplyDeleteAll this has more to do with the shrinking overall economy and disappearing discretionary $$$'s.
ReplyDeletePlayers and owners will have to be able to see beyond their fantasy world bubble and come to grips with holding costs down to remain competitive as a business.
But don't count on it.