The Schmuck (ehemm WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING) Who Gave Jeter His Ball Back

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

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Its not about "being nice", or "doing the right thing", but this guy and his family will spend tens of thousands of dollars in their lifetime on MLB, and the Yankees. Its all the hard work they put into their lives that they choose to spend on baseball which enables guys like Jeter to earn what they earn. Sure he's a throwback, but he's not making throwback money. I wish I could earn millions by playing a game for a living, playing it for 20 years, retiring, and live large. Sure you get up early for BP and get beaned, and sure it takes hard work but they also have more time off than teachers (October through March 1). Cry me a river. I'm not saying he should have fleeced the Yanks or Jeter, but the fact that they never even thought giving back financially to the fans who allow these ungrateful (mostly) and overpaid athletes to be what they are is disgusting.

The way you talk about being a fan makes it sound like it's some sort of tax, or involuntary. Fans make a decision to pay for tickets, buy memorabilia, and so on. We choose to spend money on sports, and, in return, we get to see a game (or own a jersey). It's not charity.

I do agree that athletes tend to be entitled d-bags far too often, but that doesn't make the fans victims who are somehow exploited by MLB.

Originally Posted by MrG

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The way you talk about being a fan makes it sound like it's some sort of tax, or involuntary. Fans make a decision to pay for tickets, buy memorabilia, and so on. We choose to spend money on sports, and, in return, we get to see a game (or own a jersey). It's not charity. I do agree that athletes tend to be entitled d-bags far too often, but that doesn't make the fans victims who are somehow exploited by MLB.
I disagree with that. Its a business, always was, always will be, and the customer is the fan. Its more underlying in sport (the businessman always on the hustle at the customers expense) than in other areas of business, but its there. $10 for a beer at the stadium, $8 for a hot dog, etc... I feel that the least they could have done was offer him some sort of real financial compensation, or lifetime season tickets (after all, the guy gave the ball back for NOTHING, if thats not a super fan what is?). Especially here in NY where people (myself included here) are often priced out of tickets to ball games. Yankee Stadium in particular is ridiculous. To take your family to the game will cost you at least $500 (between parking, tickets, souvenirs, hot dogs, ect) and all of that goes to the NYY or whatever team you are going to see (Mets, Giants, Jets, Rangers, Knicks). I don't know what rices are like at Turner Field, but I'm pretty sure most places don't even come close to NY prices, and most franchises around the country don't make what NY teams do. The Huffington Post did a great article about how you need to take out a mortgage to have Ranger season tickets (which I had to give up...its far more pricey than my bespoke hobby). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-ru..._b_891242.html

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

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I disagree with that. Its a business, always was, always will be, and the customer is the fan. Its more underlying in sport (the businessman always on the hustle at the customers expense) than in other areas of business, but its there. $10 for a beer at the stadium, $8 for a hot dog, etc... I feel that the least they could have done was offer him some sort of real financial compensation, or lifetime season tickets (after all, the guy gave the ball back for NOTHING, if thats not a super fan what is?).
I wholeheartedly agree with this.

Originally Posted by Slopho

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Jeter is the only one who woke up earlier every morning took BP

A true hero.

Originally Posted by suited

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A true hero.

listen..he is a great ballplayer who is a first ballot HOF'er......but why is he a "hero?" he served in combat? he saved a life?
leading up to this, i heard people calling WFAN(in NY) saying that he has been a huge part of their life for as many yrs that he has been a yankee.....really? people place a lot a value on a sports figure who they have never met and who makes a boatload of $$ and ONLY wated to get paid what he was worth in the past...and not how he is playing the last 2 yrs!

NYR, please stop posting about sports, anything related to morality and economics.

To be frank, you are awful at all three.

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

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NYR, please stop posting about sports, anything related to morality and economics.

To be frank, you are awful at all three.

I'll give you the last one.

Wow. Didn't really think there would be that much criticism towards the guy that gave Jeter his ball back. I thought it was a class act. I can see the reasoning behind keeping it if it were someone like Bonds, but Jeter's a different story.

I'm also starting to get sick of people complaining about the cost of going to see professional sports. You are not forced to pay these prices being that you don't have to attend the games. If you don't like the prices, don't go. Plain and simple. You are not entitled to being able to attend games. Watch them on tv. Ticket prices, beer, food, etc. are what they are because the market is willing to pay these prices. If they weren't, prices would drop. Baseball is a business, and it would be poorly ran if prices were artificially lowered to appease those complaining about it. New York is a different market, but I can go to an Angels or Dodgers game and spend $100+ a person, or go to the game for less than it'd cost to go to the movies (for most games). I had a conversation last week with a couple friends that work for different big market teams in different sports and they were both talking about how people don't realize that these teams don't make nearly the profits that most people think they do.

Originally Posted by BDC2823

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I had a conversation last week with a couple friends that work for different big market teams in different sports and they were both talking about how people don't realize that these teams don't make nearly the profits that most people think they do.

The ones in NY do. Why shouldn't people be upset when something that they used to be able to do has become unreachable? Its a microcosm of life in America, everything is becoming more and more expensive relative to wages most American's earn. We are the greatest nation in the world because for years these things were available to "the people". Now its becoming another thing for "the elites". Just don't go, and its a choice don't cut it, when for generations people have put their hearts and souls in a local team, and then it becomes impossible for the same fans to even see their team live.

i wouldnt call the guy a schmuck, but i would say he is bit naive. there is no reason he shouldnt be able to make some good coin off that ball. you can be nice and make money.

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

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Its not about "being nice", or "doing the right thing", but this guy and his family will spend tens of thousands of dollars in their lifetime on MLB, and the Yankees. Its all the hard work they put into their lives that they choose to spend on baseball which enables guys like Jeter to earn what they earn. Sure he's a throwback, but he's not making throwback money. I wish I could earn millions by playing a game for a living, playing it for 20 years, retiring, and live large. Sure you get up early for BP and get beaned, and sure it takes hard work but they also have more time off than teachers (October through March 1). Cry me a river. I'm not saying he should have fleeced the Yanks or Jeter, but the fact that they never even thought giving back financially to the fans who allow these ungrateful (mostly) and overpaid athletes to be what they are is disgusting.
Bold point #1 - And the fact that he's not making "throwback money" is his fault?? Bold point #2 - You make it sound so easy. Playing some game?? I'd like to see you stand in a pro arena, ring, diamond of field for 3 minutes and see how you'd do, which leads me to point #3 Do you really think he doesn't do anything Yankee related during the off season?? Do you really believe that? He may go to children's hospitals and other charitable events that will make extra money just because his name is on the program. Bunch of socialist in this thread.

Thread summary:

NYRanger, a public school teacher in a district that graduates half its students, is outraged that someone who did absolutely no work hasn't tried to milk as much money as possible out of someone for the fruit of their labor.

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

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The ones in NY do. Why shouldn't people be upset when something that they used to be able to do has become unreachable? Its a microcosm of life in America, everything is becoming more and more expensive relative to wages most American's earn. We are the greatest nation in the world because for years these things were available to "the people". Now its becoming another thing for "the elites". Just don't go, and its a choice don't cut it, when for generations people have put their hearts and souls in a local team, and then it becomes impossible for the same fans to even see their team live.

One works for the Devils. Speaking of NY, the Yankees are second in average home attendance behind the Phillies. This shows that people are willing to pay the prices that are charged to attend their games. Of course, these prices have to be higher than say the Royals because there is more competition to purchase Yankees tickets which drives prices up, and the Yankees spend a shitload on players salaries in an attempt to put the best and most marketable team on the field. Yankees tickets could be more affordable but it would come at the expense of their team. No Teixiera, Jeter, Arod, etc. and the team payroll decreases by a lot meaning they have to generate less revenue to reach their breakeven point. They can then charge less for tickets as the team would be less competitive anyways and people would most likely not be as willing to pay the prices of today for a lesser product. But you can't have it both ways as fans. Either your team spends money for better players attracting a larger fan base and prices rise, or your team doesn't spend money on players and the team isn't as good, less people want to go to games, and prices lower.

Everything becoming more and more expensive in comparison to wages is an issue not directed at professional sports itself. That's more of an issue with America's monetary, economic, and political policies/philosophies. While I wholeheartedly agree with your statement about prices rising at a rate not relative to wages, and while I feel this is a huge problem, it's a whole different discussion and one in which professional sports, is more a product of the environment than a reason for it.

Also, you mentioned Ripken in your first post, this guy stayed on the field for upwards of two hours after games signing autographs after the strike. Pampered ******.

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

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Why shouldn't people be upset when something that they used to be able to do has become unreachable? Its a microcosm of life in America, everything is becoming more and more expensive relative to wages most American's earn.