Does Money Buy Championships?

DOES MONEY BUY CHAMPIONSHIPS? THE HAVES AND THE HAVE-NOTS OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS SPONSORED BY THE SPORT MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY ST. PAUL nequalities are pervasive throughout professional sports. Some teams are faster; some are stronger. Some are bigger, and some are richer. In some leagues, a team might spend on two star players what another team spends on its whole lineup. While some say it's those inequalities that breed competition and underdogs, others say sports would benefit from a more level playing field. PAYROLL GAP, BY SPORT In most men's professional sports leagues, certain teams can afford to spend more than others on big-name players and all-star lineups. But in certain leagues, the difference between the most and least moneyed teams is more pronounced. DATA ACCORDING TO MOST RECENT INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE USA TODAY SPORTS SALARY DATABASE. Major League Baseball 2012 SEASON $30M $60M $90M $120M $150M Gap Between Highest and Lowest Team Payrolls New York Yankees vs. San Diego Padres $142.7M Average Player Salary $3.4M Average Team Payroll $98M National Football League 2009-10 SEASON $30M $60M $90M $120M $150M Gap Between Highest and Lowest Team Payrolls New York Giants vs. Kansas City Chiefs $56.5M Average Player Salary $1.9M Average Team Payroll $106.8M National Basketball Association 2010-11 SEASON $30M $60M $90M $120M $150M Gap Between Highest and Lowest Team Payrolls Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings $46M Average Player Salary $4.6M Average Team Payroll $66.5M National Hockey League 2010-11 SEASON $30M $60M $90M $120M $150M Gap Between Highest and Lowest Team Payrolls Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders $4.5M Average Player Salary $2.4M Average Team Payroll $56.7M CHAMPION DIVERSITY In an attempt to level the field, salary caps have been put in play in various leagues. But do they lead to more diversity in the teams that take home the trophies? The MLB, which has the most notably lax payroll rules, has shown more champion diversity recently than the NFL or NBA, whose salary caps are rigid. 9 TEAMS 3 TEAMS 09 TEAMS 83 TEAMS (STEELERS, GIANTS, PATRIOTS) (LAKERS, SPURS, HEAT) HAVE WON HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP HAVE WON THE WORLD SERIES IN THE LAST HAVE WON IN THE LAST 9 SEASONS. 7 OF THE LAST 12 1I SEASONS. II OF THE LAST 14 SUPER BOWLS. NBA FINALS. WINNERS AND LOSERS IN AMERICA'S PASTIME The New York Yankees are known for outspending all other MLB teams, when it comes to payroll. (And they have 27 world championships, 40 pennants, and 50 playoff appearances to show for it.) But does all that money buy you a spot in the playoffs or even a World Series? Can Money Buy a Playoff Run? PERCENTAGE OF TOP 10 PAYROLL TEAMS ENTERING In short: sometimes. On average, 42% of the top 10 teams with the highest payroll each season have made it to the playoffs in recent years. THE POSTSEASON 100% The Yankee Effect Though the Yankees have had the largest payroll for the last five years, they haven't mäde it to äll five playoffs. All that money ($209 milliön, tö be exact) couldn't guarantee them a spot in the 2008 MLB postseason. 80% 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% 40% 30% 20% ........ 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 It seems payroll may factor in more once WORLD SERIES RETROSPECTIVE a team makes it to the World Series. The team with the greatest total payroll has won all five of the previous World Series TI matchups. TEAM'S RANK AMONG MLB TEAMS, BY TOTAL TEAM PAYROLL $50M $100M $150M $200M $250M 2007 {2ND} BOSTON RED SOX $143M DEFEATED {25TH} COLORADO ROCKIES $54.5M 2008 2009 2010 2011 {12TH} PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES $98.3M DEFEATED | $43.8M {29TH} TAMPA BAY RAYS .......... .................. . {1ST} NEW YORK YANKEES | $201.4M DEFEATED {7TH} PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES | $113M (9TH) SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS $98.6M DEFEATED $55.3M {27TH} TEXAS RANGERS {11TH} ST. LOUIS CARDINALS DEFEATED | $105.4M {13TH} TEXAS RANGERS |$92.3M 0, can more money buy you a championship? There's no doubt that payroll inequalities exist throughout sports to some degree-though none more so than baseball. And greater payroll allows more room for teams to U acquire top-tier talent. But what makes being a fan so exciting is the hope each season that despite those inequalities, anyone can win. After all, everyone loves an underdog! SOURCES: ESPN, USA TODAY, BASEBALL-REFERENCE.COM Concordia UNIVERSITY-SAINT PAUL http://online.csp.edu