Portugal's Hangover
Portugal hosted Euro 2004, a fantastic tournament with a surprise winner in Greece. But as the financial crisis unfolds, some Portugese feel a tinge of regret over the expense involved. ...Signs of Life in the Sports Economy
Spring training in Florida set an attendance record -- of sorts -- in 2010: From March 2nd through April 3rd, a total of 1,427,627 fans watched the 15 teams comprising ...Muni Bond Watch Turns to Sports Facilities
In recent years a handful of top-level teams have gone through or flirted with bankruptcy. This is a global phenomenon, with a list including the Rangers in Texas, Portsmouth in ...Deals, Deals, Deals
The University of Colorado will join Nebraska and Utah as members of the Pac-10 in 2011 after negotiating a $6.863 million exit package with the Big 12. Nebraska is paying ...How We Develop Basketball Talent
Today's WSJ has a review of the book, Play Their Hearts Out, by SI reporter George Dohrman. The book examines the world of elite youth basketball in the U.S. I'm ...Student Demand for College Sports
Funding has dried up for a lot of things in the Great Recession, including college sports programs. At Cal State San Marcos, the most recent addition to the UC system, ...Dallas TV Reporter Examines the Numbers on Economic Impact
Economists can write papers which illustrate the lack of economic impact from major sports until we're blue in the face. As long as there is a paid consultant who can ...The IMF Surveys the Impact of Mega-Events
The latest issue of the IMF's journal, Finance and Development, has a number of essays on the impact of hosting events like the Olympics and the World Cup. Andrew Zimbalist's ...Stadium Debt
Stadium debt, in some cases, hangs around a lot longer than the teams that once played in them. From the Houston Chronicle comes this story that the vacant Astrodome "carries ..."Give the World Cup bid a red card"
That's the title of co-blogger Dennis Coates' piece in today's LA Times. Dennis may be too proud to call attention to himself by pointing that out here, but I'm not! ..."As Stadiums Vanish, Their Debt Lives On"
Ken Belson digs into the financial legacy of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in today's New York Times. In short, it's a money loser, with $266 million in debt for which ...No More Super Bowls in Miami?
A story in today's Boston Herald reports that posted prices for Super Bowl tickets range from $2,000 to $5,000 in the secondary market. Here are some interesting quotes from market ...