LOYALTY?

There is none in professional sports. If there ever was, it was replaced with the bottom line.

New Jersey Americans move to Long Island, NY

Home teams once were like religion: you stayed with it until you died: now that concept has died. You can’t be loyal to a team anymore than you can be loyal to a particular player, as face of the franchise. The money is too big: the lure of making even more is stronger than ever.

Become the New York Nets and move to...

Let’s take two cases in point. One is the New Jersey Nets, the poster children of disloyalty, having moved more times than a fish just caught. It is now moving back to New York, and Brooklyn in particular. They were once the darlings of Long Island, the storybook team that had great players and the fan base was into it, then one day moved to New Jersey. They saw a bigger market, and for 35 years tried to be an equal of the New York Knicks. They tried to create their own identity. It never happened, they were on top of the heap while the Knicks were down, yet they didn’t have the appeal of the Knicks.

New jersey Nets who will become...

Now the Nets are moving back, looking for a fan base, and they think they found it in Brooklyn of all places! You remember Brooklyn, the former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the home of the greatest fan base ever. Well the Dodgers taught everyone a lesson: money talks louder than the roaring crowds of 32,000 fans for 77 games a year!

That takes me to ‘Free Agency’ and the many players that have jumped ship for the lure of more money, and the idea that they are the very best at what they do. All too often we have witnessed the ballplayers in baseball, football and hockey or basketball leave for more money. When they sign their contract and break their fans hearts, often they discover they can’t deal with the switch, their talents are eroding, and worst still, the new fan base under high expectations witnesses a poor performance and boo the guy from disappointment.

Jose can you see money

Often the team owners of the new team make the mistake that giving obscene long-term contracts to proven stars is a great idea. It will bring in fans and create even more money. Instead the star’s talents start on the decline, and they never measure up to what they once were. Look at Jason Bay on the Mets, and he is only one example. Jose Reyes is going to be a case in study. For nine years he has been exciting for NY Mets fans, for nine years he has used his fragile legs and quickness to excite and ignite, and he is now on the decline. Let’s face it, so is Albert Pujols. Will he be worth the guaranteed money that he will get at the end of his contract?

His new business clothes

The innocence of rooting for your home team, rooting for your favorite player, is now over. There is no loyalty anymore from the players or the teams, just a common search for more money.

That’s all I wrote, folks.