The "Great" American Pastime

Last week, Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini did a radio interview on 1530 AM with Cincinnati Enquirer sports columnist/ radio host Paul Daugherty. During the interview, the relation of baseball to the economy was brought up. Castellini acknowledged the slumping economy, but said that baseball is definitely the cheapest of the four pro sports. “You can get tickets as cheap as $7,” he said. He noted that baseball games are cheaper than going to the movies, and mentioned that people can bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks to the games, as long as they are still factory sealed. Castellini has a lot of true points, but of course he is going to downplay the cost of attending a Major League game, since he is the multi-million dollar owner of the team. He didn’t mention the high cost of parking, the price of beer, the price of fan merchandise, and the fact that most people are willing to spend above and beyond the minimum $7 ticket price to avoid sitting in the nosebleeds.

A recent Seton Hall/ESPN Sports Poll asked respondents a number of questions about pro baseball and its relation to the economy and steroid use. 22 percent of respondents said that the biggest problem with Major League Baseball was that it cost too much to attend games, while 40 percent that that the biggest problem was that the players make way too much money (in an economic recession where “regular” people are constantly forced to cut back). Despite the economy, only 8 percent of respondents said they would attend fewer games this season, while 77 percent said they would attend about the same amount. However, of those who did say they would attend fewer games, 74 percent said it was because of the economy.

I sent out listserv e-mails to all the UC journalism students, asking questions like, “will the economy affect the number of baseball games you attend each year?” and “if you still go to some games, will you spend less on concessions or merchandise?” Unfortunately, no one responded. So, here is how I feel about this. I have been attending baseball games for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, my mom would drop my friends and I off at Riverfront Stadium for afternoon games and we would take the bus back. In 1999, I attended over 30 games, including the One-Game Playoff that the Reds lost to the Mets. My parents are both also huge baseball fanatics. My mom and I have tickets to Opening Day (on April 6th against the Mets) for the fifth straight year. I have attended many games in years past (last year I went to about 7 or 8 games), and this year will be no different.

I have always, and will always continue to be (at least until I become a millionaire) economically minded when I’ve attended sporting events. I don’t necessarily always buy the cheap seats, but I would also in no way ever buy the most expensive. I usually expect to spend between 10 and 15 dollars for a ticket. I also usually try to find a parking spot on the street. This isn’t always possible, so if I need to park in a lot, I try to choose the cheapest one, usually for about $5.

I also almost never buy food at baseball games. I make sure that I eat enough before the game to wrangle my appetite until afterwards. If I have the itch to drink some a beer, I pre-game beforehand. There’s no way I’m going to spend $35 on 5 beers just to feel a buzz. What a waste of money that would be! Now, if the Reds had dollar beer night like the Cyclones hockey team does, I would probably go to a lot more than 8 games a year! Back to the point, I usually buy bottled water ($1) or peanuts ($2-$3) from vendors outside the stadium if I have the urge to bring a snack or beverage into Great American Ballpark. As long as ticket prices remain reasonably affordable, I will continue to go to as many Reds game a year as I can fit in to my busy schedule.

Last season, the Reds were 23rd in league attendance with 2,058, 632. Compare this to the league leading Yankees and Mets, who each had over 4 millions fans. The Reds had just a few thousand fans less in 2007 and were 24th in the league. Cincinnati attendance figures fluctuated from year to year between 2001 and 2008. However, I find it interesting that last season’s attendance was slightly greater than the previous season’s, despite the fact that the economy began its decline in 2008.

Even more interesting, according to an MLB.com article, “The '08 regular season ended with total attendance of 78,614,880 and an average attendance of 32,539 that ranks as the second-highest in history in comparison to last year's overall attendance of 79,503,175 and average of 32,785.” (3) So, even though MLB attendance as a whole slightly fell between 2007 and 2008, it was still the second highest all-time.

These numbers all ask the same question, “what recession?” As long as people have a job or a means of income, they will continue to come out and root for their team. They will continue to enjoy the great American pastime. However, with the economy being much worse off this spring than it was even last summer, will things start to change? Will people begin saving more money, opting to watch baseball games on TV rather than to make the long, and sometimes expensive trek to the ballpark? Only time will tell.


Sources:

1. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3961896

2. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/attendance?sort=home_avg&year=2008&seasonType=2

3.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081001&content_id=3578763&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Future Bengals: Who Dey?

NFL free agency began on Friday February 27th with former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth signing a 7-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Redskins. To no one’s surprise, the Cincinnati Bengals started free agency slowly, doing very little on the opening weekend, aside from resigning: safety Chris Crocker, back-up running back DeDe Dorsey, and linebacker Darryl Blackstock. In addition to these three rather small signings, the Bengals have lost two starters in starting offensive tackle Stacy Andrews and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, one of the most prolific wide receivers in Bengals history. After these two players left, the Bengals re-signed running back Cedric Benson and signed veteran receiver Laveraneus Coles to a 4-year deal. It seems likely that the Bengals are basically done signing major free agents this year, so they will have to fill major holes at: offensive tackle, center, wide receiver, defensive tackle, and running back must be filled through the draft, in addition to increasing the depth at all other positions.

The 2009 NFL Draft is set to take place on Saturday April 25 and Sunday April 26th in New York City. The NFL is an extremely dynamic league, so even in between writing this paragraph and the next, a number of trades or signings could happen that could completely disrupt these predictions. Regardless, here is how I think the first 5 picks in the draft will go.

1. Detroit Lions- the first team to ever go 0-16 has the top pick in the draft. It is widely speculated that they will take Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with this pick. The next picks, in order, go to: St. Louis, Kansas City, Seattle, Cleveland, and then Cincinnati at sixth. What the previous five teams do will obviously determine which players are available when the Bengals pick first.

2. St. Louis Rams- assuming that Detroit takes a quarterback, St. Louis is in dire need of offensive line help, so they will probably take Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe or Baylor OT Jason Smith.

3. Kansas City Chiefs were formerly in the running for a quarterback, but recently traded a second round pick to New England for quarterback Matt Cassell. Their defense was one of the worst in the league last season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they took Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry.

4. Seattle Seahawks- draft analysts initially speculated that Seattle would take a receiver like Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree or Missouri’s Jeremy Maclin with the fourth overall pick. However, they just signed Houshmandzadeh, so they no longer need to spend a first round pick on a wideout. Seattle will probably go with the safe pick and take an offensive lineman like either Smith or Monroe, depending on which of the two (if either) is still available. They may also go with a defensive tackle like Boston College’s B.J. Raji.

5. Cleveland Browns- the Browns are relatively set at offensive line, and they will most likely try to improve on defense. A defensive end like Texas’ Brian Orakpo or Florida State’s Everette Brown would help Cleveland’s pass rush, or a cornerback like Illinois’ Vontae Davis or Ohio State’s Michael Jenkins would help their pass defense. They may also look at tight ends or receivers, since Kellen Winslow was just traded to Tampa Bay and top receiver Braylon Edwards’ contract is up after this season.

What these five teams decide to do with their picks will directly affect what the Bengals can do. Assuming, like I’ve predicted above, that one quarterback, two offensive lineman, and two defensive players are gone by the sixth pick, the Bengals could choose to go in one of several directions. Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith was once considered to be one of the top players in this draft. Some people even thought Detroit would take him with the top pick overall. However, Alabama suspended Smith for this year’s Sugar Bowl for improperly dealing with a sports agent (which his team lost to Utah). He then chose to not work out at the NFL Combine and even left early without telling anyone. Although he may be physically gifted, his intangible characteristics, maturity, and motivation to be in the NFL are now being called into question. Regardless of this, Mike Brown may still choose to bring in this big, bruising, lineman (he did re-sign troubled receiver Chris Henry) assuming that Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe are gone. The Bengals may also look at Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher.

In 2008, the Bengals finished last in the league in total offense, but running back and wide receiver are likely out as first-round possibilities. Halfback Cedric Benson was just resigned to a 2-year deal. The Bengals could use a more talented backup than Chris Perry or DeDe Dorsey, but that can be addressed in later rounds. Although T.J. is gone, Chad Ocho Cinco isn’t getting any healthier (or happier), and Chris Henry is still a legal question mark, the Bengals just signed big-name free agent Laveranues Coles to a 4-year deal. They also invested three draft picks last year in receivers Jerome Simpson (2nd round), Andre Caldwell (3rd round), and Mario Urrita (7th round). They could also choose to draft a defensive tackle like B.J. Raji, whom the Bengals are reportedly very impressed with. Regardless of all these possibilities, I believe that if the Bengals are unable to trade down their pick, they will take Andre Smith. Smith, or any other lineman, will help fill the team’s biggest hole: protecting oft-injured Carson Palmer, the face of the franchise.

Assuming that the Bengals do take a lineman in the first round, I believe they will take a center (like Louisville’s Eric Wood) in the second round. They may take a running back in the third round. Although it’s unclear, I feel the Bengals would be wise to also draft a cornerback, wide receiver, defensive tackle, defensive end, and fullback in the later rounds.

In comparison to what I’ve suggested, different Bengals fans have different opinions. Most of the people who responded agreed that the Bengals offensive line was in dire need of a big tackle. Todd S. said that the Bengals should take, “the best offensive tackle available. Absolutely no wide outs.” Ohio State fan Tim M. joked that the Bengals should take OSU alum Beanie Wells, despite the fact that the Bengals don’t really need a running back. Getting back to the point, Tim said, “best o line available, Jason Smith. Never know with Mike Brown’s cheap ass, although I did say it was needed to resign Benson and Crocker. Coles was a good signing too.” Some other people had different opinions. Economically minded Don. W feels that, “they should draft an outside linebacker. But they should wait until the third or fourth round so they don’t have to pay him as much.” Matt S. said, “We should draft a backup to replace Ryan Fitzpatrick. I don’t care if we sign someone instead, as long as we don’t get that piece of crap Rex Grossman.” Matt can set his worries aside, since the Bengals just signed J.T. O’Sullivan to be Carson Palmer’s backup this season. A few other people opted to go with defense. Jon W. said, “Our pass rush was 30th in the league, we need a good defensive end like Julius Peppers or Mario Williams (who both have been to the Pro Bowl).” I suggested that Texas’ Brian Orakpo would be a good fit based on his logic. Jamie H. feels that if there is no one worth taking with the first pick, “they should trade down and take a linebacker like Rey Mauluga or James Laurinitis later on in the first round.”

Regardless of what people hope or think the Bengals should do, Mike Brown will do what he wants to do at the end of April. Last year’s draft has so far been a success, with picks like linebacker Keith Rivers, receiver Andre Caldwell, offensive tackle Anthony Collins, and defensive tackle Pat Sims positively contributing to the team’s performance. Let’s just hope that this year’s draft has the same level of success.