Hard Ball: The Abuse of Power in Pro Team Sports

by James Quirk, Rodney D. Fort

What can possibly account for the strange state of affairs in professional sports today? There are billionaire owners and millionaire players, but both groups are constantly squabbling over money. Many pro teams appear to be virtual "cash machines," generating astronomical annual revenues, but their owners seem willing to uproot them and move to any city willing to promise increased profits. At the same time, mayors continue to cook up "sweetheart deals" that lavish benefits on wealthy teams while imposing crushing financial hardships on cities that are already strapped with debt. To fans today, professional sports teams often look more like professional extortionists.In Hard Ball, James Quirk and Rodney Fort take on a daunting explaining exactly how things have gotten to this point and proposing a way out. Both authors are professional economists who specialize in the economics of sports. Their previous book, Pay The Business of Professional Team Sports, is widely acknowledged as the Bible of sports economics. Here, however, they are writing for sports fans who are trying to make sense out of the perplexing world of pro team sports. It is not money, in itself, that is the cause of today's problems, they assert. In fact, the real problem stems from one simple pro sports are monopolies that are fully sanctioned by the U.S. government. Eliminate the monopolies, say Quirk and Fort, and all problems can be solved. If the monopolies are allowed to persist, so will today's woes.The authors discuss all four major pro team baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. Hard Ball is filled with anecdotes, case studies, and factual information that are brought together here for the first time. Quirk and Fort devote chapters to the main protagonists in the pro sports saga--media, unions, players, owners, politicians, and leagues--before they offer their own prescription for correcting the ills that afflict sports today. The result is an engaging and persuasive book that is sure to be widely read, cited, and debated. It is essential reading for every fan.

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1999

Reviews

[Xin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In celebration of the NFL 2017 season in full swing, I read this book as I am an avid fan of fantasy football and all things sports related. Don't get me wrong, this is not a criticism of sports, as I love the players, love the competition, and follow sports literally everyday. It is a criticism of how sports are being organized in their current state.

Before the MLB, there was the AL and the NL. NFL-> AFL/NFL. NBA -> ABA/NBA. This book did a good job explaining how sports came to what it is today because of profit--that is how monopoly leagues are exploiting the public and taxpayers, and enriching the leagues themselves. A somewhat consolation prize for me is that players are taking much of that profit today (as opposed to all going to the owners). While this book is somewhat dated, the content discussed is still very much the norm in pro sports today. As with all things consumer focused, competition only brings better price and quality product. Current state of Pro sports leagues are NOT that. I think author is right to be worried, but so should the public. However, I am not sure how easy author's proposed solution can be implemented, as the powerful and the rich will continue to fight to keep the status quo as they do with anything else that generate them money based on unfair advantage. The passive public will continue to complain as always, but only end up being manipulated because they are happy as long as they get to blow their hard-earned money on their favorite teams that keep winning.

I would say this book was well thought-out and well written given the topic. However I think the writing can feel a bit thick if you are not interested in the topic.