The New York Marathon Vs the NFL

[cpzilliacus]

NewGeography.com:  The New York Marathon Vs the NFL

The ING New York City Marathon was cancelled, but the football game of the New York Giants against the Pittsburgh Steelers went ahead. Why? The nation places a higher value on sedentary spectators popping Advil and Viagra, than on lean and wiry runners, whose idea of a big night out is pasta and a few sips of Gatorade. It also helps that pro football has a televised address on 21st and Primetime, while the pleasure of a marathon is simply to finish one, even in the dark.

In canceling the road race, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg made the decision that it would have been insensitive to have marathoners running around a city that was still digging out from the wreckage caused by Sandy, or past those lining up with gas cans. Nor did anyone want police officers or emergency health workers officials involved with the marathon when they could be assisting the recovery of Staten Island or Breezy Point.

[NE2]

Why? Because the Giants don't play in New fucking York City. Duh.

[Mr_Northside]

Wow.  That was a horrible article. 
Not much of a logical critique of having one or the other (or neither or both), but mostly as an excuse for the author to rant about various random aspects of football.

[triplemultiplex]

Bet the Giants wish they had postponed that game now.

[cpzilliacus]

Wow.  That was a horrible article. 
Not much of a logical critique of having one or the other (or neither or both), but mostly as an excuse for the author to rant about various random aspects of football.

The rant about the enormously subsidized ways of the National Football League (including taxpayer-funded or taxpayer-subsidized stadiums) was still spot-on.

For the record, I follow the NFL franchises that play in Baltimore, Maryland (the stadium and related improvements were funded by Maryland taxpayers) and Landover, Maryland (the stadium was built by the team, but state taxpayers funded about $75 million in highway and mass transit improvements at and near the stadium.

I am not especially a fan of the N.J. Giants.

[cpzilliacus]

Bet the Giants wish they had postponed that game now.

As a fan of the Baltimore Ravens, I was certainly rooting for the Giants to have beaten the Allegheny County Steelers. 

Didn't happen. 

Big Ben Roethlisberger (much hated by Ravens fans) is a tough and smart football player.

[Alps]

You know, taxpayers pay $75 million for a new stadium, but the increased revenue from that stadium offsets it by at least that much in increased taxes over time. They have to do a financial study about this stuff to make sure there's a net benefit. It's not a waste at all.

As for marathon vs. football, orders of magnitude difference in police personnel and government resources needed to put them on.

[cpzilliacus]

You know, taxpayers pay $75 million for a new stadium, but the increased revenue from that stadium offsets it by at least that much in increased taxes over time. They have to do a financial study about this stuff to make sure there's a net benefit. It's not a waste at all.

Maryland taxpayers paid much more than the $75 million spent for highway and transit improvements in Landover, Prince George's County for the stadium that the Ravens play in.

I don't believe the claims about football stadiums being a net economic benefit either.  NFL football means 8 home games, one or two preseason games, and if the team is good, a playoff game or two at home.  That's an awful lot of infrastructure for a venue that sits empty most of the year (and yes, sometimes the are used for other events, still, the place is empty much  more than it is full).

At least with Major League Baseball, each team should play about 81 home games every season (not including exhibition games and the post-season).

As for marathon vs. football, orders of magnitude difference in police personnel and government resources needed to put them on.

That's true, or at least it should be.  I presume that the teams pay for police inside and outside the venue (but I don't know that with  certainty).

[Mr_Northside]

Maryland taxpayers paid much more than the $75 million spent for highway and transit improvements in Landover, Prince George's County for the stadium that the Ravens play in.

A correction: the Redskins play in Landover.  (The Ravens would only play there once every 8 years - And this could actually be one of those years, since the AFC North faces the NFC East this year; though I don't know offhand who has/had home-field advantage in the Redskins/Ravens match this year)

At any rate, I'm not denying the debate over the realized benefits over tax-payer funded stadiums exists.  Just that it seems irrelevant to having the Giants/Steelers game go on, but cancelling the marathon.

As for marathon vs. football, orders of magnitude difference in police personnel and government resources needed to put them on.

I agree totally.  It would have been a much better article had it really gone into dissecting that.

/rant

[bugo]

Worthlessberger isn't smart enough to keep his dick in his pants.

[kphoger]

Hey, to be fair, I'm sure plenty of people have had their dick end up in someone else's pants by mistake.
When that happens to me, I like to pee the other guy's pants.

[Federal Route Sixty-Nine]

will tulsa get a pro football team before los angeles?

[Brandon]

Hey, to be fair, I'm sure plenty of people have had their dick end up in someone else's pants by mistake.
When that happens to me, I like to pee the other guy's pants.

For some reason that made me think of a song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQBPgJQhQHc

[golden eagle]

will tulsa get a pro football team before los angeles?

Nope. In fact, California pols are courting the Carolina Panthers to move to Los Angeles.

[bugo]

will tulsa get a pro football team before los angeles?

Now you're trolling.

[Alps]

will tulsa get a pro football team before los angeles?

Nope. In fact, California pols are courting the Carolina Panthers to move to Los Angeles.

Jeez, why not the Jaguars or Buccaneers, pick a team that can't sell out any given season.

[bugo]

They were talking about moving the Chiefs to Los Angeles.  If this happened, there would be rioting in the streets, because Kansas City is CRAZY about their Chiefs.  They're one of the most if not the most passionate fanbases in the NFL.

[kphoger]

They were talking about moving the Chiefs to Los Angeles.  If this happened, there would be rioting in the streets, because Kansas City is CRAZY about their Chiefs.  They're one of the most if not the most passionate fanbases in the NFL.

I live 200 miles away from KC, and the Chiefs are practically a religion even here.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

They were talking about moving the Chiefs to Los Angeles.  If this happened, there would be rioting in the streets, because Kansas City is CRAZY about their Chiefs.  They're one of the most if not the most passionate fanbases in the NFL.

Modell moved the Browns, Whichever of the Hunt kids, that own the Chiefs now, could move them tomorrow.

[cpzilliacus]

They were talking about moving the Chiefs to Los Angeles.  If this happened, there would be rioting in the streets, because Kansas City is CRAZY about their Chiefs.  They're one of the most if not the most passionate fanbases in the NFL.

Baltimore was passionate about its Colts, though much less so about the owner, Bob Irsay.

That passion did  not prevent Irsay's midnight ride of the team from Maryland to Indiana.

[cpzilliacus]

will tulsa get a pro football team before los angeles?

Nope. In fact, California pols are courting the Carolina Panthers to move to Los Angeles.

Jeez, why not the Jaguars or Buccaneers, pick a team that can't sell out any given season.

How about an expansion team for Los Angeles?

Admittedly, I am sure the NFL wants to have one "big" market without a franchise, so it can threaten any city that does not want to donate a taxpayer-funded stadium to the league by  implying that the team will be moved to a more-cooperative jurisdiction.

[agentsteel53]

Baltimore was passionate about its Colts, though much less so about the owner, Bob Irsay.

is any fanbase passionate about an owner?  Yankees fans thought Steinbrenner was a bit ridiculous, even as they were thanking him for buying the best talent around.

[Mr_Northside]

Admittedly, I am sure the NFL wants to have one "big" market without a franchise, so it can threaten any city that does not want to donate a taxpayer-funded stadium to the league by  implying that the team will be moved to a more-cooperative jurisdiction.

I doubt that.  While the ability to threaten "Build-or-we-move" has certainly been used by numerous franchises of various pro sports (not just the NFL) over the years, I doubt they "want" to not have a presence in a city they think they could make a lot of money in just to use it as a threat later.  I've read they would actually really like not 1, but 2 teams in LA.  There's also a desire amongst some owners to have a team in London (which I personally think wouldn't work out so well... )

is any fanbase passionate about an owner?

I don't know if I'd use the term "passionate".... but the Rooney's are held in pretty high regard as the owner of the Steelers here in the 'Burgh.

[empirestate]

NewGeography.com:  The New York Marathon Vs the NFL

The ING New York City Marathon was cancelled, but the football game of the New York Giants against the Pittsburgh Steelers went ahead. Why? The nation places a higher value on sedentary spectators popping Advil and Viagra, than on lean and wiry runners, whose idea of a big night out is pasta and a few sips of Gatorade. It also helps that pro football has a televised address on 21st and Primetime, while the pleasure of a marathon is simply to finish one, even in the dark.

In canceling the road race, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg made the decision that it would have been insensitive to have marathoners running around a city that was still digging out from the wreckage caused by Sandy, or past those lining up with gas cans. Nor did anyone want police officers or emergency health workers officials involved with the marathon when they could be assisting the recovery of Staten Island or Breezy Point.

I look at it in terms of the human resources. If you're going to have 45,000 people each run over 26 miles, a combined total of what, 1.2 million miles...can you just imagine the effect such a huge expenditure of manpower could have had on the recovery effort?

The more widely understood source of insensitivity is in the physical resources. Water, toilets, generators and so forth had to be brought in specifically for the marathon, and although that's over and above what would have otherwise been available for the recovery, it didn't seem right to procure more than enough of what the victims needed, and then not give them more than enough.

Ultimately many of those physical resources did go to recovery, and some of the human effort did too (though certainly not 1.2 million man-miles' worth). Myself, I'd have carried out the race, but offered completion credit to any runner who instead decided to dedicate his or her 26.2 miles of energy directly to storm relief efforts.

By contrast, there aren't nearly that many people on two NFL teams, so the effort they put forth isn't as valuable. There are that many fans of course, but what they exert by watching or attending the game isn't a very useful amount as far a storm recovery. Yes, it would be nice if they all went out and helped, but that has no more to do with their attending a football game than eating at a restaurant or shopping for end tables would.

[cpzilliacus]

Admittedly, I am sure the NFL wants to have one "big" market without a franchise, so it can threaten any city that does not want to donate a taxpayer-funded stadium to the league by  implying that the team will be moved to a more-cooperative jurisdiction.

I doubt that.  While the ability to threaten "Build-or-we-move" has certainly been used by numerous franchises of various pro sports (not just the NFL) over the years, I doubt they "want" to not have a presence in a city they think they could make a lot of money in just to use it as a threat later.  I've read they would actually really like not 1, but 2 teams in LA.  There's also a desire amongst some owners to have a team in London (which I personally think wouldn't work out so well... )

Well, it astounds and outrages me that the National Football League does not have one (or even two) franchises someplace in Los Angeles County (or maybe Orange County). 

They call themselves the National Football League, not consistent with failing to have a team in one of the largest markets in the United States.

is any fanbase passionate about an owner?

I don't know if I'd use the term "passionate".... but the Rooney's are held in pretty high regard as the owner of the Steelers here in the 'Burgh.

The team owned by the Rooney family is not especially well liked by Baltimore Ravens fans, but in spite of that, I have the deepest respect for them as owners. 

They don't stupidly micromanage the team (for an example of the opposite, see: Snyder, Dan, bungling owner of the Washington Redskins) and have hired smart people to run the franchise (see: Tomlin, Mike - a fine coach) and have drafted talented players (see: Roethlisberger, Ben - and no, I do not approve of some of his off-field behavior).