Sports Business

Being in a sports business class, here are two things I've found interesting so far. Number one: sports is different from any other kind of business in the world. In other companies, the board of directors elects a CEO to work for them. In sports leagues, the commissioner is approved by the team owners, but tells them what to do. David Stern comes to mind, non-barring his tender of resignation. 

But the second one is more philosophical. Sports should lead society, not follow it. We are reminded that Jackie Robinson broke all kinds of color barriers, not just for black people in baseball, and so did Larry Doby. And this is related to the idea that sports franchises are more like pieces of art rather than businesses themselves. Pieces of art appreciate in value in ways other than financial; they change culture; they induce minds to change. 

To this idea, I say absolutely yes. Of course, we are disappointed in many ways; Lance Armstrong is stripped of his seven Tour titles; baseball players, including McGuire, Sosa, and A-Rod, used PEDs in the past; tennis players participate in match-fixing; NFL/NBA are caught breaking the law or using illegal drugs. And who could forget the Lebron fiasco, 'The Decision,' televised on ESPN as if anybody really cared about a free agency that much, much less his.

We have reason to be pessimistic about the direction of sports when a child molester reined freely on a college campus under the guise of a college football program (Sandusky). But Sandusky's case should prompt greater dialogue about the importance of ethics and morality in sports today.

This is the vision I have for those involved in sports: that we would uphold the values of sportsmanship and fair play. Because, who is a sportsman? A sportsperson is someone who believes in individual initiative in the context of team success. A sportswoman leads us forward. She throws the discus that circles forth, cutting the air, creating lift, and the discus keeps flying and flying, not stopping along the way, until it chips the ship-hull-like side of paradise.