It is apparent today that these projections, both for the revenue streams and for the stadium costs, were optimistic. The County had used these optimistic figures as the basis for their argument to build the stadium. Moreover, County economist Alfie Meek outlined other benefits to the County. He calculated $15 million annually in new economic activity and 200 new jobs that would pay $6.5million in new personal income (Gwinnett County, 2008). These figures were based partly on impacts seen from the Gwinnett Arena, home of a minor league hockey team.
Despite the cost overruns and high likelihood of future revenue shortages, bringing the team to Gwinnett is likely to have a positive impact. The County was eager to build a stadium, but they made their decision based on relatively optimistic numbers. The high end estimate for attendance revenue, for example, was $468,000; the county used $400,000, very close to that high end estimate. The county increased the cost of the stadium under the assumption that a AAA team would draw a larger attendance than an independent team. However, they approved substantial improvements to the stadium after construction had begun, which resulted in the $19 million supplemental funding. The County is unlikely to recoup its investment in the stadium as a result of these year-over-year shortfalls and the additional $19 million outlay. Tax revenues on the $15 million of increased economic activity are unlikely to cover the shortfall. However, the project's contribution to the overall growth of the Gwinnett economy, especially during this period of economic difficulty, will be a positive for the community. The baseball team will be a draw for businesses and residents, and the contribution to the GDP of the area will offset the direct cost to the county. The citizens of Gwinnett County are, in effect, subsidizing the project in order to facilitate economic growth and an increase in social prestige for the region.
For their part, the Atlanta Braves benefit substantially from the deal. They contributed nothing to the cost of building the stadium, but will received strong revenue streams from its operation. The Richmond, VA, stadium was old and did not provide the type of strong revenue streams required to profitably run a minor league baseball franchise. The Braves were essentially breaking...
Baseball and the American Character The three essays on baseball, by Allen Guttman, Murray Ross and Michael Mandelbaum, are all well written and supply unique opinions and ideas about baseball and America that are interesting but quite different. In this paper the writer will take a position on the debate that is going on with these three writers. Allen Guttman's Essay Guttmann reviews the phases of the American experience to explain what is
With a less stronger structure and with the fact that it had no history whatsoever, baseball did not appear to be the next big thing in nineteenth century Canada. Surprisingly, however, the sport grew into the hearts of the Canadians and quickly replaced cricket and lacrosse. Even though the game is played at a different level in Canada, the Canadian teams have been reported to be worthy of competing
Baseball is a sporting game, whereby only a baseball bat, baseball glove and a ball are used, it is played between two teams, one is called the batting team and the other is the fielding team each consisting of nine players. Goals are awarded depending on the numbers of runs, of which to complete one run a player has to hit a ball thrown at him and then touchdown on
The age of the stadium can be appealing if the stadium is rich with history, or if it is new and equipped with the most modern features. However, middle-aged stadiums may have neither appeal and could result in depressed attendance figures. The number of wins that the team has in the season impacts fan interest, as does the team's salary (which is a good way to operationalize a team's
As a young pitcher, I had pretty good mechanics thanks to my father's coaching. His influence on my style did not always please the high school coaches but it did not take them long to notice that whatever I was doing worked. Yet I also had to work hard at surrendering my pride. I needed to incorporate the coaches' wisdom with that of my father's and blend it all
What I also find fascinating about early baseball is how early baseball evolved into the business it is today. Expansion of teams into new markets first occurred in the 1960s ("The History of Baseball" nd). Players, fans, managers, and team owners as well as cities started to view the sport more as a business opportunity than simply a pastime. Before long, the players formed a labor union and their high
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now