"Baseball is fine. Don't worry about it" Topic

Unless you're suggesting the attendance numbers are out and out fudged and don't reflect actual ticket sales, there's no reason to look behind them like that.  If there are a significant percentage of people leaving their season seats unused and then not buying again, there's going to be a meaningful declining trend.  That there isn't suggests this isn't happening on a widespread basis, or that those people are constantly being replaced.
8/4/2014 10:06 PM
I don't think ticket sales are being fudged.  I do think people are buying tickets and not going.   I fail to see how that is good for baseball.
8/4/2014 10:17 PM
BTW, dahs is like the drunk, fat chick at the bar.   She comes up and is all flirty.  You say "Sorry, not interested."    She refuses to believe anyone could not be interested.   Must be something wrong with you, she thinks.
8/4/2014 10:19 PM
Posted by MikeT23 on 8/4/2014 10:17:00 PM (view original):
I don't think ticket sales are being fudged.  I do think people are buying tickets and not going.   I fail to see how that is good for baseball.
It's not good, but it's hardly ominous unless you see an actual downward trend.  And I also don't think it's a phenomenon that's unique to baseball. It may seem more apparent in baseball though because, unlike say, hockey or basketball, it's harder to keep the cameras away from the empty seats since the ball actually goes there from time to time.
8/4/2014 10:29 PM
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Posted by dahsdebater on 8/5/2014 12:01:00 AM (view original):
Posted by MikeT23 on 8/4/2014 10:19:00 PM (view original):
BTW, dahs is like the drunk, fat chick at the bar.   She comes up and is all flirty.  You say "Sorry, not interested."    She refuses to believe anyone could not be interested.   Must be something wrong with you, she thinks.
I'm not communicating exclusively with you...
When you quote a post, it certainly appears to me that you want me to read it. 
8/5/2014 6:57 AM
Posted by AlCheez on 8/4/2014 10:29:00 PM (view original):
Posted by MikeT23 on 8/4/2014 10:17:00 PM (view original):
I don't think ticket sales are being fudged.  I do think people are buying tickets and not going.   I fail to see how that is good for baseball.
It's not good, but it's hardly ominous unless you see an actual downward trend.  And I also don't think it's a phenomenon that's unique to baseball. It may seem more apparent in baseball though because, unlike say, hockey or basketball, it's harder to keep the cameras away from the empty seats since the ball actually goes there from time to time.
I guess my point, which seems to be missed or misunderstood, is that baseball is declining in popularity.   There are three ways to address that: 

1.  Do nothing.  Which is how baseball works and what most people on this board thinks is right.
2.  Wait til it becomes a problem.   Which is what happens if you do nothing and it gets worse.
3.  Be proactive.  Which is what I'd do.   Mumbling "Baseball is fine" sounds like an old, white guy solution.

To be clear, I don't think baseball is in trouble.   TV contracts are in place for years to come.  They have something that only basketball(and maybe hockey but that seems to be a cold state sport) offers:   New daily content for 6 months.  But, if the decline in viewing continues at the same pace it has been for the last 8 years, you're reaching soccer level.   Will the same TV money be there in 8 years if that happens?    If not, what happens then?
8/5/2014 8:19 AM
Apathy (we're losing market share, but we're still OK) is a losing mentality in the long run.

You need to get out in front of the problem before it gets out in front of you.

8/5/2014 8:27 AM
Pretty much every chain that was crushed by Wal-Mart or McDonalds said that at some point. 
8/5/2014 8:45 AM
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Nothing to add, STFU.
8/5/2014 9:50 AM
Posted by tecwrg on 8/5/2014 8:27:00 AM (view original):
Apathy (we're losing market share, but we're still OK) is a losing mentality in the long run.

You need to get out in front of the problem before it gets out in front of you.

It's not apathy. Live sports command a premium on TV because they are, for the most part, DVR proof. Advertisers are willing to pay cable companies more, cable companies are willing to pay networks higher carriage fees, MLB teams profit.

MLB has a smaller share of the sports pie than it did 50 years ago, yes, but the pie is sooooo much larger that it doesn't matter.

And almost all of that loss is to the NFL, not NBA or NHL and certainly not soccer.
8/5/2014 10:03 AM
"MLB has a smaller share of the sports pie than it did 50 years ago, yes, but the pie is sooooo much larger that it doesn't matter."

There's your disconnect, by insisting that "it doesn't matter".

If you run a business, losing market share to other businesses that are competing for the same dollars SHOULD matter.  As least it does to the businesses that will succeed over the long ruin.

Why should MLB be content to share equal (or less) coverage on sports radio in August with NFL training camps and exhibition games, when pennant races should be the number one topic?

"It's fine.  It doesn't matter."


8/5/2014 10:49 AM
Posted by tecwrg on 8/5/2014 10:49:00 AM (view original):
"MLB has a smaller share of the sports pie than it did 50 years ago, yes, but the pie is sooooo much larger that it doesn't matter."

There's your disconnect, by insisting that "it doesn't matter".

If you run a business, losing market share to other businesses that are competing for the same dollars SHOULD matter.  As least it does to the businesses that will succeed over the long ruin.

Why should MLB be content to share equal (or less) coverage on sports radio in August with NFL training camps and exhibition games, when pennant races should be the number one topic?

"It's fine.  It doesn't matter."


Show me how it matters. What do the numbers say?

If MLB had 50% of the market in 1960 and was making (in 2014 dollars) $120 million a year, are things going poorly if MLB now has a 40% market share and makes $6 billion a year?

Lots and lots of companies don't dominate the market but are still highly successful and in no danger of going under. Unless you have evidence to the contrary, I'd say that MLB's steady revenue increases are a good sign. MLB is fine.
8/5/2014 11:30 AM
So in your magical land of rainbows and unicorns, a declining market share of interest in MLB is nothing to be concerned about?

Are you expecting that as market share goes down, that revenues will continue to rise?

Did you also learn that in your Business 101 course at Retardville U?

8/5/2014 11:54 AM
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"Baseball is fine. Don't worry about it" Topic

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