Sports have graduated in the last half of the twentieth century from hobbies or pastimes into the pure, unadulterated pursuit of profit. In short, shorts have become a commodity to be exploited as far as the market will allow. The history of American sports has seen this process play out in a stepwise fashion; every several years developments come about that enable the enterprise to expand and increase profits. The latest changes in business that have allowed sports to enlarge have been globalization and communications technologies. Clearly, these two go hand in hand to some extent. Still, both have contributed to the acceleration of the commodification of sports; they have aided its degeneration from a pastime, into the form we see today.
If you were to ask the average American what they thought was wrong with professional sports today they would likely tell you that the amount of money athletes make is simply grotesque. After all, we live in an age where an eighteen-year-old kid can rake in ten million dollars a year for putting a ball through a hole (and that’s not to mention the endorsement deals). Meanwhile, a city garbage man counts himself lucky to earn ten dollars an hour for performing a task much more essential to the functioning of society. So, how did such a drastic disparity come about? Well, it is a funny consequence of the free market economy and the flashy spectacle we call sports. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that the athletes are not to blame. They are not, necessarily, greedy or overpaid but what actually caused their drastic pay increase over the past forty years was the realization of their true market value. The setting that professional sports are currently in, economically, means that these player salaries are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the commodification of these sports.
Sports have become not only international spectacles, but they are increasingly seen as a possible avenue by which children can escape poverty and become rich. These are relatively new advancements. Prior to competing sports leagues and players strikes an athlete truly did make approximately as much as a garbage man — though they were far more well-known. The 19th and early 20th century sports were played almost entirely for the aim of good and high-level competition. The 19th century English middle classes played and watched sports for this purpose. However, it did not take long for organized teams and owners to realize the incredible capacity for profit that sports had.
First, it is important to recognize that sports owners are a very “small and interconnected group.” (Kahn, 76). This means that relative to other markets sports owners have a fairly strong ability to band together and hold player salaries below marginal revenue product. This is what we call a monopsony — there is an abundance of players wanting to sell their services but the only buyers are the small group of team owners; and in many cases “players have the option of negotiating with only one team.” (Kahn, 76). This gives owners unprecedented power. From this information alone it should be expected that professional athletes earn far less than their actual value. However, this is not the whole story.
There have been a number of instances in history where players’ options were no-longer limited to the small number of existing owners; this was a result of rival spots leagues. The two major periods when rival leagues emerged in American history was “from 1876 to 1920, when there was a scramble of professional baseball leagues forming, merging, and dissolving,” and, “from the late 1960’s to the early 1980’s when new leagues were born in basketball, hockey, and football.” (Kahn, 76).
Originally, with the birth of the National League, team owners attempted to keep salaries low by enacting the “reserve clause” in 1879. Essentially, this was a clause in each player’s contract stipulating that they were permanently bound to the team that had first acquired them. (Tygiel, 112). This was a major coup for owners who were able to keep pay well below actual worth and vastly increase their profits. However, “the lower salaries may have contributed to the birth of a new league in 1882, the American Association.” (Kahn, 77). Before the formation of the American Association baseball players averaged $1,375 a year, but by 1891 this had increased to $3,500 (Kahn, 77). The dissolving of the American Association in 1892 brought salaries back to what they had been ten years earlier.
Similarly, when the American League was founded in 1901 athletes’ salaries increased again, only to fall back in 1903 when the two leagues joined for the World Series. During the 1913 and 1915 seasons the Federal League appeared and attracted many dissatisfied players. A sharp spike in overall player salaries also characterized this period, but this too was short-lived (Rosentraub, 84). By December of 1915 all but one of the Federal League franchises had either been bought-out of dissolved. The remaining franchise, from Baltimore, took the National League to the Supreme Court charging that they had “conspired with some owners in the Federal League to both monopolize baseball and convince other Federal League franchise owners to abandon the league.” (Rosentraub, 85). Yet, the Supreme Court ruled “in 1922 and again in 1953, that baseball was exempt from antitrust laws, and that position was affirmed by the judiciary in 1970. But a mechanism was set in motion that would eventually” change professional sports forever (Calhoun, 151). For a time all athletes in the NFL, NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball were bound to the team that had acquired them and earned much less than they were truly worth. This began to change in late 1960’s when credible rival leagues were founded in both basketball and hockey (Calhoun, 194).
In 1967 the American Basketball Association (ABA) was founded and rivaled the NBA in both salary and quality of play. By 1976 four ABA teams were absorbed into the NBA which briefly brought players’ pay down (Calhoun, 224). As a result, the NBA players association “challenged the merger on antitrust grounds, but then withdrew its lawsuit as a result of a settlement which granted free agency rights to NBA players.” (Kahn 78).
Up until 1976 every player in each of the four major sports were rooted to their original team — athletes were “not allowed to become free agents, who could sell their services to any team.” (Kahn, 80). This ended when the Major League Baseball Association — the players’ union in MLB — bargained with league owners using an outside arbitrator in 1975. The arbitrator determined that the reserve clause could not hold players for more than one year. This sent shock waves though all of baseball. Soon the league granted athletes free agency in the interest of setting formal restrictions upon it (Kahn, 81). Basketball players also achieved free agency in the same year through the ABA lawsuit. Football players had a more difficult time. As late as 1989 the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that NFL owners were exempt for antitrust laws (Cosell, 187). But, the players eventually prevailed and now enjoy a free agency agreement with the league.
Football players may make tremendous amounts of money today for playing a game, but this does not mean that they are not entitled to their share of the owners’ profits. The simple fact is that team owners should not wield the incredible power over the lives of their workers they once did before the free agency era. Howard Cosell notes that, “If you can block and tackle in Detroit, you can block and tackle in Green Bay or Dallas just as well. There is no need to have a system whereby twenty-eight people dictate where you live and work and raise a family, just because it suits them financially.” (Cosell, 178).
Globalization has gone hand in hand with the continual expansion of sports — now on a global scale. Not only are teams able to recruit players from around the world, but their fan base can spread to wherever television can reach. Because of television, sports are no longer in existence merely to sell tickets, but instead, to sell thousands of corollary products. This means that a child playing baseball in Japan wants a Mark McGuire jersey to play it in, Upper Deck trading cards, and Icy Hot Sports Cream when he pulls a muscle. Realistically, these products have nothing to do with baseball; yet, they are essential to its owners, seeking to generate more profits. As a result, children around the world will grow up associating products with sports.
With the advent of free agency professional athletes in America began to earn far more than any ordinary worker in society could ever realistically hope for. Most people hailed this as the demise of franchise dynasties, team loyalty, and saw it as the liquidation of all great teams across all leagues. Yet, these aspects of professional sports were merely consequences of the greedy practices proliferated by team owners — they should not be mourned. Sports must be recognized as the big money industry it is; it cannot hide forever behind the mask of fair play and cheap entertainment. Sport “is a commercialized amusement business.” (Tygiel, 109).
The social consequences of this history of sports are rather powerful. Essentially, the lessons that were inherent to the original conceptions of sports — fair play, competition, learning of skills — have been replaced with the necessity to win. This trend stretches down from professional sports to grade school. Because sports are seen as a path by which to achieve the dream of economic freedom, parents and coaches continually push children to win at all costs. Steroid use is one visible consequence of this more broad social trend: “High school students easily obtain steroids, often from dealers who are friends, classmates, and sometimes varsity athletes.” (Dallas Morning News, 2005). Also, high school coaches have, typically, been shown to take minimal action once such drug problems come to their attention (Dallas Morning News, 2005). This is routinely attributed to the fact that they are in a position where their jobs depend upon success, and steroids are commonly viewed as a path to that success. Accordingly, the lessons children learn about sports surround the idea that the best and fastest way to win is the best. Sports are no longer a limited hobby of the middle class, but are backed by ticket sales, endorsement deals, and are broadcast around the globe.
Howard Cosell writes, “People frequently ask me if the players of today are deserving of the astronomical salaries. Realistically, they aren’t, but in our society, a person deserves what he can command. . . . And if Tom Cruise can negotiate $30 million for a movie, and if Jack Nicholson can demand $40 million for making Batman, who’s to say that it’s absurd for an athlete to make $3 million or $5 million a year? In reality, we know they’re not worth it, but if the marketplace allows it, so be it.” (Cosell, 214). The money involved in professional sports today may be ridiculous, or even outrageous, but as long as people are willing to pay to watch the best athletes go head to head it is difficult to claim that it is not in some way deserved. Nevertheless, the image of sports is likely to never return to what it was in its early years.
Works Cited:
1. Calhoun, K., & Gorman, J. (1994). The Name of the Game. New York, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2. Cosell, H., & Whitfield, S. (1991). What’s Wrong with Sports. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster.
3. Dallas Morning News. “Steroids Readily Available.” Dallas Morning News, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2005.
4. Kahn, Lawrence M. (2000). “The Sports Business as a Labor Market Laboratory.” The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 14, No. 3, 75-94.
4. Rosentraub, Mark S. (1999). Major League Losers: the Real Cost of Sports and Who’s Paying for it. New York, New York: Basic Books.
5. Tygiel, Jules. (1991). “A Very Peculiar Business.” Reviews in American History, Vol. 19, No. 1, 109-115.
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
GET A PERFECT SCORE!!! 
Delivering a high-quality product at a reasonable price is not enough anymore.
That’s why we have developed 5 beneficial guarantees that will make your experience with our service enjoyable, easy, and safe.
You have to be 100% sure of the quality of your product to give a money-back guarantee. This describes us perfectly. Make sure that this guarantee is totally transparent.
Read moreEach paper is composed from scratch, according to your instructions. It is then checked by our plagiarism-detection software. There is no gap where plagiarism could squeeze in.
Read moreThanks to our free revisions, there is no way for you to be unsatisfied. We will work on your paper until you are completely happy with the result.
Read moreYour email is safe, as we store it according to international data protection rules. Your bank details are secure, as we use only reliable payment systems.
Read moreBy sending us your money, you buy the service we provide. Check out our terms and conditions if you prefer business talks to be laid out in official language.
Read more