October Journal of Sport Management (2006) The Business and Politics of Sport: A Selection of Columns By Evan Weiner. Published in 2005 by TBE Press, P. O. Box 1956 New Canaan, CT 06840 (270 pp., $15.00) Reviewed by Mathew B. Walker, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida The Business and Politics of Sports contains over 100 of Evan Weiner’s columns Written between 1998 and 2005 in which he describes the power plays, media and Political (i. e., federal, state, and local) connections that rule the $19 billion-per-year business of sport. The columns of the book are divided into ten thematic chapters, entitled Business, Colleges, Endorsement/Sponsorship, Labor, Events, Politics, Media, Stadiums, Olympics, and Fans and the Public. These chapters progress Chronologically from 1998 to the present, showing the fascinating evolution of the modern day business of sport. In a time when mainstream media is beginning to discuss and dissect serious topics about the business of sports (steroids, labor disputes, and sweat shops, to name a few), Weiner pursues the topic with zeal. The author has certainly done his homework over the years, untangling a very complex web that interconnects the worlds of sports, politics, and business. Traditionally, many media outlets have not maintained a skeptical stance on sport because they directly profit from the industry and refuse to provide the consumer with the complexities that shape the entire story. However, Weiner does so in a matter-of-fact but calculating tone, informing us of the backroom deals that have shaped the modern sporting era. Whereas some journalists decline to insert judgment in their stories at the risk of Sounding too opinionated, Weiner shrugs off these concerns and lets it all hang out. “Sports,” the author suggests, “is unforgiving when someone is judged to be on the “wrong side of the issue” (p. 76), but the author does not heed his own assertions. In the true style reminiscent of the beatnik era and characterized by the late Hunter Thompson’s gonzo style, Weiner maintains a position of a protagonist, exposing hypocrisy in sports in an informed, tactful but sometimes one-sided manner. His columns help to shape our understanding and, moreover, refine our opinion of the industry. Of particular interest to students completing courses in sport finance or facil- ity management are the sections on stadium construction and planning. Weiner discusses such highly contested and political issues in his columns entitled “Foot- ing the Bill for Sports Stadiums,” “Confronting Difficult Arena Questions” and “How Sports Owners Profit from Tax Deals.” The author provides some very useful insights into this side of the industry and what local officials should understand in order to protect their communities’ “back pockets.” These issues have dominated discussions in the finance literature and it was interesting to read them from an entertainment rather than scholarly perspective. Additionally, students in sport media courses would benefit from sections where Weiner espouses his position on media glut and associated television costs in major league sport. He provides a simple solution, “place sports on premium channels and charge viewers the same way the HBO or Showtime premium packages are available…Sports owners and 565 566 Off the Press network operators would be terrified to find out how many people really would pay for sports on TV” (p.171). A third section worthy of merit is the section on politics. In this section, Weiner Broaches many titles with such titles as, “Sporting Politics,” “Steroid Spinoff,” “A Subtle Weakening of Women’s College Sports,” and my favorite “Politics and Baseball: Mix Well and Serve.” In these columns, the author attacks the cable Companies for their monopolization of the consumer airwaves and in the same breath condemns self-serving NFL owners for new stadium projects. Again, Weiner informs the reader of the malfeasance to which the average sport consumer is not privy. The author presents a charged stance on these and other political issues, every step of the way driving the perception of conspiracy into many of his columns. While the sections dealing with stadium construction, media, and politics are Insightful, the section entitled “Endorsement/Sponsorship” is lacking considerable Substance. Initially, I was expecting a section about endorsement and sponsor- ship deals that redefined the term money ball. However I was disappointed to find only three columns that have little to do with either topic for which the section is named. Only one column, “Endorsement Dollars Driving the Push for Clean Athletes” remotely mentions the concepts of image and advertising but quickly Segues into the political stance taken by the U. S. Congress on the issue. The other two columns, “Gambling Gets Double Standard” and “Show Them the Money,” would contribute more to the sections dealing with business or politics and not endorsements. It seems Weiner was attempting to fit a round peg into a square hole, so do not be disillusioned to think this section will supplement discussion in courses on sport sponsorship. Historically, many have viewed sport as mere games, essentially referring to them as the toy store of life. Weiner disagrees, “More than ever sport is a multi-bil- lion dollar business with global implications” (p.iii). The public needs to understand the business side of sport and this is just the book to help. Examples of Weiner’s contentions include General Electric spending billions of dollars so that its NBC Television network can broadcast the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games, communi- ties all over America creating special tax districts, raising hotel, motel, rent-a-car, restaurant, cigarette, and beer taxes to fund stadiums and arenas; the fact that the U. S. Congress may take up discrimination legislation against men-only member golf Courses, change tax exemption laws, legislate the boxing industry; and the U. S. House Committee on Government Reform has held hearings on sports leagues’ drug Testing, specifically for anabolic steroids. The author asserts “those issues are not found in the sandbox or playground.” The aforementioned issues and Weiner’s stance on them provide the reader with an informed view of how politics, business, and sport have become an interwoven and overtly complex entity. In many ways, the book is representative of life, in that it is a compendium of meaningful characterizations and extensions of how our perceptions shape our understanding. From political rhetoric on the recent steroid issue --- “in 2004, baseball had huge attendance and did big business with its corporate partners… “baseball wants to continue its so-called resurgence, but are Commissioner Bud Selig and MLB’s COO Bob Dupuy really concerned about the fan’s trust or are They worried about their business partners like FOX, Disney who don’t want to be involved with scandal” (p. 151) to stories of inspiration---“the New York City Off the Press 567 Marathon is more than an international race….. It’s a big chance for New York to show off and tell the world we may have been knocked down [after the events of 9/11] but we are back on our feet and running as fast as we can’ (p. 108): Weiner’s writings provide the reader with perspectives not put forth by mainstream Media. The book provides us with a simple but informed representation of events that shape the modern sport and business era. “The public,” Weiner suggests, needs to be aware of the relationship between politics, government, the media and sports ownership. Americans generally view sports as fans and do not realize how many hundreds of millions of their tax dol- lars go to big sports. He calls upon editors and television programmers to consider sports as more than and entertainment forum and opines that journalists also need to examine the sport industry because, in the end, just about every American citizen has some money directly or indirectly invested in the sport industry. (Weiner 2005). In sum, the book would make an excellent supplement to any number of courses in the sport business management curriculum. In particular, a current issues or media course that covers these topics would serve as a great outlet for this publication. Although the Sports Business Journal would serve a similar purpose, Weiner’s Business and Politics of Sports gives the reader the story from a storyteller’s perspective. Evan Weiner’s prose is straightforward (however, very opinionated) and uses description of the facts instead of events to entertain and inform the reader. The columns are brief, (2-3 pages) and along with the class lecture material would make for interesting discussions. I teach a current issues class and, after reading the book, I am seriously considering adopting the book as required reading for my students.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 12:22:51 +0000
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