Dumb luck?
July 17, 2010, 8:34 am
Posted by Margaret O'Brien Steinfels
Obituaries pointing to canonization have been leading New York papers this week. The subject? George Steinbrenner. Joe Nocera steps in with the big question: Was Steinbrenner just lucky?
“The truth is, though, that virtually anyone who bought a sports franchise in the United States in the last 30 years, and then held on to it, has made a pile of money. As sports teams have become trophy assets — playthings for wealthy men, really — their value has skyrocketed. Well-run team, poorly run team, big market, small market: they’ve all increased in value.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/17/business/17nocera.html?_r=1&ref=business
Steinbrenner may have been lucky, but there is a larger question here concerning Fortuna’s wheel. Were both we and George W. Bush unlucky that he didn’t stick with his ownership of the Texas Rangers? Although he can now command hundreds of dollars as a featured speaker, as he reads Steinbrenner’s obituary he must want to kick himself for letting the team go . I could kick him myself.
Through a quirk I had tickets to a box seat to the Nationals, with a parking pass. The parking structure’s first level is reserved entirely for Lexus cars. The crowd was almost entirely white. The staff was almost entirely black. National pasttime? Nationals, from a past time?
You can only park on the first level if you have a Lexus? I’m glad to be warned, and will leave the Lamborghini at home when I go to see the Great American (sic) Game.
I realize that I am irrational on the subject of the NY Yankees, the result of their having so deeply scarred my childhood, but I was tempted to move back to D.C. by the bathos of the last several days.
I wouldn’t, Fr. K. Too darn hot here. Plus earthquakes.
Plus consider your chickens.
As a west coast person, I always hated Steinbrenner and the damn Yankees! Best team money could buy! Yet we Giants and A’s fans pine for the time when our ownership groups might command winning ways with super deep pockets. (We still mourn the loss of Eddie D. and the dynasty of the 1980′s 49ers he built in a similar fashion) It seems that ownership giants are now a passing breed.