Price Out

When most people talk about the economic recession, they speak of bad mortgages, ever-shrinking bank accounts, and a tumbling stock market; and rightfully so. These are the things most important to the majority of Americans.

One of the often overlooked industries that we are being priced out of, however, is professional sports. An industry that takes a backburner to more pressing issues is one that many of us care (oftentimes too) deeply about.

The average fan can rarely afford tickets anymore, and the tickets they can afford are often in the furthest nether regions of the stands. For many people it becomes nearly impossible to justify spending the money on decent seats.

For those of us that spend hours watching Sportscenter, playing fantasy sports, and surfing the web for the latest info on our team, we are blindly following an industry that seems to not care if we exist. We make the industry tick by buying merchandise and attending games. So why don’t they care that we can no longer afford to do so?

The New York Yankees, for example, will be opening a new stadium in the spring. Notorious for their rabid fanbase, they will charge $2,500 to sit behind home plate. Yes, $2,500 for one ticket.
They expect $2,500 for one ticket when many people can’t even afford to spend $25.

At some point we will stop showing up. We will draw the line in the sand, and just stay home to watch the games on TV.

We may not stop watching, but we will stop paying. And when we are finally priced out, and do stop paying, who will be there to keep sports alive?

-Juice