Re: Well, at least

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

Michael J. King Sr. wrote:

> At 10:39 8/29/98 , S.K.Mishra wrote:
> >I don't remember the name but the Timberwolves owner is a billionaire
> as is
> >Rich Devos of Orlando and Micky Arison of the Miami Heat. - Mishra
>
>  From the articles when Garnet signed  with the T/Wolves ,the  Wolves
> owner
> was ONLY a 3/4 of a billionaire. The reporter actually said only!!
> Still
> only 3 or 4 Billionaires owners out of the entire NBA is  a pretty
> small
> percentage. Just FYI  Later.Mike

A millionaire bidding to own a sports franchise is like a millionaire
running for political office at mid-life. The motivation is pretty much
the same- I seriously doubt money is high on the list of perceived perks
(fame, influence, general civic pride). In any case, these folks earn
their bacon in the other, mostly prosaic, businesses that got them
wealthy in the first place.

My point is that the last thing we should do is pity the poor sports
franchise owners for their spending habits/needs, anymore than we pity
senators for being underpaid compared to other private sector
opportunities. This is not to say we shouldn't appreciate the Tom
Yawkey's and Walter Brown's, or politicians and civil servants for that
matter (hey, my Mom's a pol over in Tokyo).

IMO, the only difference between a sports franchise owner and a
politician is that one was somewhat less popular and pretty in high
school (although Jimmy Jones and Ross Perot both look like they fell out
of the same leprechaun family tree). For the last time, I would like the
NBA owners to quit assuming the public feels sorry for them, and get
started on the 1998-99 season. IMO, they have been and may soon further
intensify efforts to nurture the general public sentiment that cocky
minorities shouldn't be paid such uppity class wages. Sorry to sound
like such a commie, when I'm merely just a fed up basketball junkie.


Joe

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