Whether you like football or not – whether you’ve ever bought a ticket to a high school, college, or NFL game – you’re paying for it.
That’s one of the takeaways from The King of Sports: Football’s Impact on America, Gregg Easterbrook’s fascinating new book on the cultural, economic, and political impact of America’s most popular and lucrative sport.
«The [state-supported] University of Maryland charges each…undergraduate $400 a year to subsidize the football program,» says Easterbrook, who notes that only a half-dozen or so college teams are truly self-supporting. Even powerhouse programs such as the University of Florida’s pull money from students and taxpayers. «They do it,» he says, «because they can get away with it.»
At the pro level, billionaire team owners such as Paul Allen of the Seattle Seahawks and Shahid Khan of the Jacksonville Jaguars benefit from publicly financed stadiums for which they pay little or nothing while reaping all revenue. Easterbrook also talks about how the lobbyists managed to get the NFL chartered as a nonprofit by amending tax codes designed for chambers of commerce and trade organizations.
As ESPN.com’s Tuesday Morning Quarterback columnist, Easterbrook absolutely loves football but also isn’t slow to throw penalty flags at the game he thinks is uniquely America. In fact, he sees the hypocrisy at the center of the business of football as «one of the ways that football synchs [with] American culture….Everyone in football talks rock-ribbed conservatism, self-reliance. Then their economic structure is subsidies and guaranteed benefits. Isn’t that America?»
Easterbrook sat down with Reason’s Nick Gillespie to discuss The King of Sports, how the business of football burns taxpayers, and whether increased worries about brain injuries and other problems spell eventual doom for the NFL and other levels of play.
Produced by Todd Krainin. Cameras by Meredith Bragg and Krainin.
Runs about 8:45 minutes.
Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to ReasonTV’s YouTube Channel to receive notification when new material goes live.
Toda la información y última hora sobre Futbol gallego. Noticias, eventos, reportajes y artículos de opinión Camisetas Atletico Madrid
That part about how 'student' athletes should not be paid is true, they already receive scholarships and all that.
I do not watch any sports. More ppl should stop watching
This teaches students what a waste and scam college is. Get a job.
Ah yes, the "powerhouse" program of Maryland football lol
The highest paid public employee in almost every state is a football coach. What does that tell you?
Asking taxpayers to fund their stadium then charging them admission into it. Therein the scam lies.
The opiate of the masses.
Jeez, $400 fee for U. of Maryland student activity fee? When the Terps are a profit center for the school?
How can people be so stupid? We need to wake up America! We need to stand up to the greedy, corrupt, dishonest rich! They're taking advantage of the ignorance of the masses! We need to stop being ignorant!
King of sports is NJPW!!!!
It is interesting that the NCAA is a cartel that agrees to cap player compensation, that is understandable. What is not understandable is why they do not put a cap on coach compensation.
Football is not being played YOU are
"We'll get to the positive's in a minute," I appreciate the content of this video but it would have been nice to include a positive snippet in this interview or video if it was cut out.
I know most programs don't make money, but they should at least pay for themselves. I like sports and they're important to education, but this shouldn't go on like this. Maybe not every school can have a program, and those athletes are students first. College isn't a farm system for NFL.
I knew about the stadiums though and never understood how that happens.
His comment on Football being socialist is excellent. Especially MLB. Maybe more than the NFL
I am curious what he is calling subsidies. Is use of the stadium considered a "subsidy?" I also find it hard to believe that the school has no say in the income from the team. In fact, I know that's not correct.
It appears that college and professional football are yet another industry that has found a way to live off the government teat.
I found it interesting Nick said that the stadiums were paid for by taxpayers despite the team owners being filthy rich, when in fact the owners must be rich to have enough political influence to ensure the taxpayers pay for their stuff.
I have no interest in football (outside of playing Madden for easy Gamerscore lol) but I'm not against it per se.
That said I think this is just total bullshit. I don't ask that my hobbies and interests be subsidized by taxpayers. Fuck crony capitalism.
If my memory serves me, Louisiana politicians told the taxpayers the Superdome would only cost them $10 million, but it finally cost about $180 million. The politicians, the Saints, and the New Orleans hotel and restaurant owners were happy, but Ihe rest of Louisiana didn’t benefit financially.