Final week a wire service carried the woeful story of free-agent Seattle defensive finish Jadeveon Clowney. Having made $51 million his first 4 years within the NFL, his subsequent deal may very well be for a number of million much less.
Miserable? I’m nonetheless disconsolate.
However distress loves firm. For the reason that coronavirus outbreak, Seattle has suffered the biggest leap in unemployment within the nation — greater than 24,000 folks, a rise of 87 p.c.
That set me to considering. “Disposable earnings” in Seattle for the subsequent couple of years isn’t going to be very disposable, for the NFL Seahawks and MLB Mariners.
“Dynamic Pricing” Mariners’ tickets final season, based mostly on their opponent and SQ — sucker quotient — went for a excessive of $1,200 per ticket per recreation to a low of $22. I’m guessing that if any form of house season begins for the M’s this 12 months, the excessive might be nearer to $22 as few, if any, are going to succeed in for a few grand and even lots of to take their household to a ballgame.
The typical ticket to a Seahawks recreation was $248.
Final 12 months months earlier than the virus, whole NFL and MLB attendance was the bottom in over a decade.
This season, with cash and jobs decrease than at any time in current reminiscence, attendance might be additional diminished, and certain lots additional diminished at sustained ticket pricing, parking and concessions.
Contemplate that new Yankee Stadium, because it opened in 2009, recurrently produces embarrassing TV photos exhibiting almost all the very best seats empty as a matter of conspicuous, untreated, shameless greed — even when the Yanks’ broadcasters final season pretended, for an 11th consecutive season, that we couldn’t see what we couldn’t miss.
In different phrases, except radical, sensible, widespread sense ticket-pricing buildings are adopted, dangerous will develop far worse. And as increasingly clients are virus-conditioned to dwell with out, diminishing returns might be an annual situation.
The virus all-clear whistle shouldn’t be going to sign a mad rush again to the ballparks and arenas, not with an estimated 30 million now unemployed.
Anyway, I don’t know the way he expects to do it, however Jadeveon Clowney is hoping for upward of $20 million per season, however he may need to accept a reported provide from Seattle of “simply” $18.5 million. But when MLB, the NBA, the NFL and NHL consider that individuals are going to maintain digging deep into freshly emptied pockets — hold taking patrons without any consideration — they’re delusional.
A-Rod-Hooten breakup by no means obtained juicy consideration
Nonetheless mind-blowing that the celebrated Paley Middle for Media, not too long ago and for no given purpose besides that he was a “star baseball participant,” would choose notorious cheat and liar Alex Rodriguez to its board of administrators.
Additional, reader Richard Garrity reminds us that misplaced in all of Rodriguez’s inexplicable and virtually fast post-baseball, post-scandal rewards — together with main positions on ESPN and Fox MLB telecasts — is that episode during which Rodriguez basically was fired from a charity.
In 2003, Taylor Hooton, the cousin of former MLB pitcher Burt Hooton and the son of educators, was a promising and widespread 17-year-old highschool athlete. He hung himself, having grow to be unhinged by sudden and regular use of steroids.
In Houston, The Taylor Hooton Basis to warn towards and fight steroid use amongst teenagers, was thus fashioned, by Hooton’s father, Don.
The inspiration’s most notable, center-stage, pose-for-pictures, talk-the-talk participant was Alex Rodriguez, already busted as soon as for juicing however not but identified to be among the many sports activities world’s most financially enriched, dishonest phonies. Rodriguez even appeared at a information convention to extol the Hooton Basis in a solemn, soulful, media-celebrated session.
Then, early in 2013, the BioGenesis steroids scandal led to Rodriguez being banned from baseball for 211 video games.
This positioned Don Hooton in what he referred to as an “awkward” place.
However this was Rodriguez’s second bust for juicing, and shortly he and the Hooton Basis simply separated — no information convention, no TV cameras, no images and in too many instances, no recollections of his betrayal.
N.Y. Legal professional Common Letitia James has referred to as on all main cable TV and satellite tv for pc programming suppliers to scale back charges — as excessive as $20 per thirty days — for sports activities till dwell sports activities returns.
This shouldn’t be laborious but might be portrayed by the businesses as inconceivable. Regardless of the methods cost the programmers or instantly cost the general public for sports activities networks, apply the worth to a refund or credit score in ensuing payments backdated to early March. Even permit them to maintain, say, two bucks per family to cowl administrative charges. That’s nonetheless hundreds of thousands of {dollars} per thirty days for offering subsequent to nothing.
If the methods and programmers proceed to cost each other for nothing, that’s for them to repair, not for us to pay for — or they’d repair it.
Amongst MSG’s 4 networks two recurrently present — even in pre-virus days years — principally clean screens. MSG needs to be AG James’ first goal.
‘Win charge’ doesn’t charge any readability
Saturday, as solely ESPN might, ESPN reported that the 49ers acquired offensive sort out Trent Williams from Washington. ESPN added that Williams has “a 92.three Go Block Win Price.”
Hmmm. If that’s good, why did they dump him? If it’s dangerous, why did the Niners need him?
However as a result of context not often issues on ESPN, it was left unreported that Williams didn’t play final season as a consequence of contract/medical points that made his 92.three Go Block Win Price for a 7-9 2018 group additional non-news.
Reader Vin Curtin alerted us to MLB Community’s replay of the Mel Allen-narrated “This Week in Baseball,” a sensational first half-inning from an April 13, 1985, Phillies-Astros recreation.
Rookie Astros starter Ron Mathis allowed the primary two Phillies, Jeff Stone and Juan Samuel, to succeed in base through singles. Stone was then picked off second, then Samuel was picked off first. The subsequent batter, Von Hayes, walked, however then was caught stealing!
Take it, Mel: “How ’bout that!?” Oh, and produce again that present!
Virus, Misc.: Reader Paul Van Arsdale notes ESPN’s virus-time documentary on the Bulls was proceeded by warnings that the episodes “Comprise Mature Language.” Thus, he asks, “So those that don’t use profanity converse immature language?”
Virus Suggestions: I’m beginning to be taught signal language for the non-hearing and hearing-impaired from Mayor Invoice de Blasio’s every day information conferences. The signers, who seem with the mayor, have begun to abridge their translations, shrug, sigh and browse, “He mentioned the identical factor yesterday.”
Out of bathroom paper? Attempt English muffins, however be sure you first defrost them. Low-cost gags are the one ones I can afford.