Here is a college essay I found deep in my files. Written in September 1997, it is possibly the first piece I ever wrote about sports. I'm sure there are errors or things I would change in the years since, but I think in its raw form it shows my progression as a writer. Keep in mind also that this was written a few years before blogs, when the only sports media in town was ESPN and Fox Sports Net.
It seems athletes of today are bigger, stronger, and one might even say better, than those who played professional sports years ago. If this is true, then why do today's fans not share a love for their favorite sports team as deep as fans of the past? Perhaps the answer is that those involved in the business of professional sports have caused today's fans to become angered and disgruntled.
One of the reasons of this anger is the high cost of attendance to sporting events. Many fans cannot afford to spend a lot of money for tickets. If the fans do purchase tickets, they know they will be paying outrageous concession prices. For example, a soda could cost the fan between $1.50 and $3.00, a hot dog $1.75, and a team yearbook $5.00. If the fan decides to bring his or her family, the cost could easily surpass $100. As a result, fewer fans attend professional sports contests.
Even the athletes who play the sports have a profound effect on sports fans. Professional athletes have always earned more money than ordinary citizens. In the 1920-1930s professional baseball players made about ten times more money than the common citizen. In the 1990s that number has increased to about fifty to a hundred times more. This has caused resentment, even jealousy, towards the athletes. Fans believe players should perform up to the value in which they are being paid. When players do not perform up to expectations, they are mercilessly booed and jeered.
Many professional athletes' attitudes have caused a wave of negativity from fans. Many athletes are seen as distant and arrogant. This idea stems from the fact that more and more athletes are turning down the title of "role model". There have also been incidents in which professional athletes have belittled sports fans. The arrogant attitudes and irresponsibility by professional sports athletes has definitely marred fans' attitudes towards sports in general.
The owners of professional sports teams have also done their share to anger the common fan. Many owners of today differ from the owners of the past because today's owners seem to be concerned only with profit. Owners of yesteryear concerned themselves with the welfare of the team. It seems the owners of the past cared more about a winning team than turning a profit. Today's owners will do almost anything to earn more of a profit, including relocating a team to another city. For example, in the National Football League, recent movements have included the Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis, Missouri, and the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, Maryland. These actions by the owners have caused many fans to disband their loyalty to sports franchises.
The media also has had a large effect on the disgruntled fan. Today's media is more intrusive into athletes' lives than the media of the past. The sports fan can easily find out which athlete has abuse problems, family problems, legal conflicts, etc. This was not the case in the past. In the old days, the media ignored athletes' personal lives and instead opted to write about statistics and/or records. This change in the media has swayed many fans' views about professional sports athletes.
The result of the aforementioned factors is that less sports fans are truly fanatical about their favorite sports team. The fan lives with the fear that his or her favorite team's owner may move the team to another city, trade off the team's best player, or even increase ticket prices to a level in which the fan can no longer afford to attend. These fans can only hope for a better tomorrow in the world of sports, a tomorrow that is more like the past.
It seems athletes of today are bigger, stronger, and one might even say better, than those who played professional sports years ago. If this is true, then why do today's fans not share a love for their favorite sports team as deep as fans of the past? Perhaps the answer is that those involved in the business of professional sports have caused today's fans to become angered and disgruntled.
One of the reasons of this anger is the high cost of attendance to sporting events. Many fans cannot afford to spend a lot of money for tickets. If the fans do purchase tickets, they know they will be paying outrageous concession prices. For example, a soda could cost the fan between $1.50 and $3.00, a hot dog $1.75, and a team yearbook $5.00. If the fan decides to bring his or her family, the cost could easily surpass $100. As a result, fewer fans attend professional sports contests.
Even the athletes who play the sports have a profound effect on sports fans. Professional athletes have always earned more money than ordinary citizens. In the 1920-1930s professional baseball players made about ten times more money than the common citizen. In the 1990s that number has increased to about fifty to a hundred times more. This has caused resentment, even jealousy, towards the athletes. Fans believe players should perform up to the value in which they are being paid. When players do not perform up to expectations, they are mercilessly booed and jeered.
Many professional athletes' attitudes have caused a wave of negativity from fans. Many athletes are seen as distant and arrogant. This idea stems from the fact that more and more athletes are turning down the title of "role model". There have also been incidents in which professional athletes have belittled sports fans. The arrogant attitudes and irresponsibility by professional sports athletes has definitely marred fans' attitudes towards sports in general.
The owners of professional sports teams have also done their share to anger the common fan. Many owners of today differ from the owners of the past because today's owners seem to be concerned only with profit. Owners of yesteryear concerned themselves with the welfare of the team. It seems the owners of the past cared more about a winning team than turning a profit. Today's owners will do almost anything to earn more of a profit, including relocating a team to another city. For example, in the National Football League, recent movements have included the Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis, Missouri, and the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, Maryland. These actions by the owners have caused many fans to disband their loyalty to sports franchises.
The media also has had a large effect on the disgruntled fan. Today's media is more intrusive into athletes' lives than the media of the past. The sports fan can easily find out which athlete has abuse problems, family problems, legal conflicts, etc. This was not the case in the past. In the old days, the media ignored athletes' personal lives and instead opted to write about statistics and/or records. This change in the media has swayed many fans' views about professional sports athletes.
The result of the aforementioned factors is that less sports fans are truly fanatical about their favorite sports team. The fan lives with the fear that his or her favorite team's owner may move the team to another city, trade off the team's best player, or even increase ticket prices to a level in which the fan can no longer afford to attend. These fans can only hope for a better tomorrow in the world of sports, a tomorrow that is more like the past.
