All about the money
By Bill Fox/Columnist
I have fond memories from my days as a teenager, going to all of the Toronto Maple Leaf hockey games back in the mid-60s when they were winning the Stanley Cup. Several of my friends and I would be at Maple Leaf Gardens when the doors opened at 6 p.m. in order to run to the escalators and then up the stairways all the way to behind the last row of seats, where we would settle in at centre ice behind the grey section in standing room spots for $2 a game. For three consecutive years, we never missed a game.
Just try to get a ticket to watch the Leafs play today! Sadly, Leaf hockey has become a rich person’s game. I think this is why so many fans love to go to watch the Blue Jays. Tickets for those games are usually available and you can get a ticket for just over $10 for the so-called nosebleed seats. Average prices for tickets are about $35 a seat, but you can pay almost $300 a ticket if you want to sit right at field level. My question is how many folks in the Oshawa area could justify paying that kind of money to watch one game? And if the Jays lose?
In recent years, the Raptors have been capturing the imagination of fans with their last-minute playoff wins. Last year, it seemed they were destined to go far into the playoffs, but questionable officiating seemed to relegate them to the sidelines.
Let us not forget that professional sports are big business. The bottom line is not so much about winning, but about making money. The late Harold Ballard was a case in point. While I’m sure he would have liked his Leafs to win, he admitted that he was never overly concerned as long as tickets were sold out every game.
The recent first NFL draft pick is expected to make over $40 million in his first year. Who is paying for this ridiculous salary for a first-year player? Have you checked the prices for NFL games? You and I, the sports fans, are paying the salaries of these overpaid professionals.
Raptor fans should be the first to figure this out. Recently, the Raptors game started at 6 p.m. to accommodate the TV networks that pay big bucks to carry the broadcasts and charge advertisers for their commercials. I’m sure it was never a concern that a 6 p.m. start time might be an inconvenience for many Raptors fans.
Like a lot of fans, I watched the recent series with the Raptors squeaking out a game 7 win. I too had the jitters in the last minute, and I too was so disappointed in the end of game 6. I’m still surprised at how much Toronto team sport success can influence my mood.
I’m not expecting much from the Raptors this playoff run if money dictates success. In fact, Cleveland leads all teams paying over $108 million in salaries, while the Raptors come in at #23 at $71 million. Player wise, Stephen Curry, said to be the greatest player in the NBA, was paid $11.3 million, but ranks only as the 67th best paid salary this year. In fact, he was beaten by two Raptors, with Demarre Carroll coming in #43 with $13.5 million, followed by Kyle Lowry at #58 with $12 million. Demar DeRozan, perhaps the best of the Raptors, is at #82 with only $9.5 million. The Raptors are certainly an exciting team, but does any athlete deserve to be paid that kind of money?
Former Blue Jay David Price signed a seven-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, with an annual average salary of $31 million. As much as I enjoyed watching him play for the Blue Jays, and as much as he seemed to be in love with Toronto and his fellow teammates, the name of the game is money. Best not to forget that!
When not watching sports, I can be reached at bdfox@rogers.com.