Money still a big issue in sports

Inequities in the national sports community leads to an inauspicious product on the playing field. While it seems as though several leagues have taken precautionary measures such as salary caps and exemptions to ensure and endorse team parity, our national pastime has fallen behind in producing a consistent, qualitative Major League Baseball federation.\nThe NBA and NFL hold competitive contests, provoking fan interest and media exposure. While players in these leagues help define their teams and draw attention, it's the team owners and league offices that have placed restrictions on themselves, thus eliminating the "rich get richer" philosophy that is so dominant in MLB.\nQuestion: How are the Minnesota Twins, which opened the season with a $16.5 million payroll, supposed to compete with the New York Yankees, who opened the season with a $92.5 million payroll? \nAnswer: They aren't.\nThe Yankees can basically buy championships by signing the best players to the biggest contracts, while the Twins struggle with low talent and an even lower budget. It's no wonder the Yankees have claimed the World Series title in three of the last four seasons. \nMeanwhile, in the NBA and NFL, teams rapidly attain success and sustain failures.\nThe St. Louis Rams of the NFL went from the worst team in their division at 4-12 in the 1998-99 season to the 13-3 Super Bowl champions in just one year. \nThe Chicago Bulls, the NBA's prototypical basketball team for the past decade, won six titles in the 1990s. But the Bulls have struggled recently, faltering to a 17-65 to a year ago.\nIn the past two seasons, the Hawks, Rockets and Bulls have experienced major dropoffs, while the Mavericks, Raptors and Kings have rapidly improved and should make the playoffs next season, and possibly contend for the title.\nThe difference between the NBA, NFL and MLB is parity. Baseball is a league of have's and have not's, and before the season starts, the average fan can almost accurately predict who will make the playoffs or win the World Series.\nIn the NFL or NBA, ask four fans who will make the playoffs and four different answers will be given. \nMLB needs to re-examine the status of their league and make changes accordingly. Regulated team and player salary caps need to be formed and then scrutinized.\nLos Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Kevin Brown signed a seven-year $105 million contract in 1999, which averages out to $15 million per year. The Twins entire team makes just a shade over that. \nHow can the low-salaried teams supposed to compete with the rich kids of baseball?\nThey can't. And as long as these trends continue, they won't.