If you picked up the newspapers or listened to sports-talk radio yesterday, it was abundantly clear some pontificators find it problematic that the Yankees can now deduct ballpark construction costs from gross revenues, which means they may be completely out of the revenue-sharing business.
“… It’s the Royals and the Devil Rays and the Pirates (who are going to be paying for the new Yankee Stadium),” ESPN Radio’s Mike Greenberg said yesterday on his morning show. “This is a tough day for competitive balance in Major League Baseball.”
Cue the sad violin.
Greenberg’s lament was echoed in other media quarters.
It’s not surprising. After all, these are the New York Yankees. Anything George Steinbrenner does for the betterment of his team, and its fans, is always bad for baseball, right?
Still, hearing this latest media whine begs a few questions.
Where was the outrage when the suits who own the Pirates and Brewers pocketed Yankee revenue-sharing booty while they were building their own stadiums?
And what about all the teams who stashed Steinbrenner’s revenue-sharing cash and spent little or nothing on players (just ask Lou Piniella)? They have the nerve to actually charge admission to see absolute garbage.
See, it’s easier to look the other way – and laugh – when it comes to sad-sack losers, even ones who are stealing money.
Not even Bud (Nutty Professor) Selig, who once owned a baseball team (oh my, wasn’t it the Brewers?) ever seemed too concerned about how the revenue-sharing cash was being spent.
Now, everyone is supposed to feel sorry for these poor underprivileged teams, owned by penny-pinching multi-millionaires, because the Yankees’ moo-la-di spigot has gone dry.