A Real-Time Economic Indicator from Sports World: One of my colleagues returned from Talladega, reporting that crowds for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races were way off from last year. He described the Nationwide attendance as sparse.
Free-Agency & MLBPA: Buck Martinez (TBS Analyst for NYY-Cleveland Game)went to some lengths describing the pressure put on C.C. Sabbathia, potentially the marquee free agent pitcher for next off-season, by the MLBPA to follow through and become a free agent rather than resign — which is what Sabbathia says he prefers. Martinez’ imputed rationale for the MLBPA is that getting the top guy on the market sets higher prices for everyone. That’s a testable proposition for the sports economists out there with the free agent data sets — does a higher quality player in the pool raise average offers?
My Ongoing NBA Playoff Beef: (See “Where Hardly Any Game Matters”) Sixers beat the Pistons in Detroit, win in Philly, but must win two more to advance and one more to put the Pistons at the very brink of elimination. In spite of the Sixers play, there’s been about as much drama as a Seton Hall-Providence matchup. A Celtic-Lakers matchup may be entertaining, but getting there will seem a lot like the WWF.
