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League of Fans Founded by Ralph Nader, League of Fans is a sports reform project working to improve sports by increasing awareness of the sports industry's relationship to society, exposing irresponsible business practices, ensuring accountability to fans, and encouraging the industry to contribute to societal well-being.Alerts is League of Fans' email announcements list. Alerts provides news, information, the actions of League of Fans and/or Ralph Nader regarding sports issues, and calls-to-action for subscribers. All email updates are either selected or written by League of Fans. League of Fans is motivated by people, just like you, who are upset with what has become of our sports and would like to make a difference. We work with concerned citizens, sports fans, civic groups and communities to increase awareness of the sports industry's relationship to society, influence a broad range of issues in sports at all levels and encourage the cooperative capacities that make the "sports powers-that-be" capable of helping, not just dominating, our society and culture. We often think of sports as outside the realm of everyday citizen concern. But the many benefits to society that sports can provide are sometimes undermined by a different set of values, often based on the quest for higher and higher profits at the expense of fans, taxpayers, communities, culture and social justice. Get Involved! Your involvement will improve sports for communities and fans, and encourage the sports industry to better contribute to societal well-being. |
Results of Election Day (11/2/04) Votes on Subsidies for Sports Moguls Three great victories and one disappointing defeat in November 2nd votes on corporate welfare for wealthy professional sports franchise owners. First, the bad news from Arlington, TX . . .
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones scored a major victory for himself and his ridiculously overstuffed wallet on Nov. 2 as voters in Arlington approved the “Proposition” to raise taxes for a new stadium by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent. The Dallas Cowboys are set to have half of a $650 million retractable-roof stadium paid for by Arlington taxpayers. This despite the Cowboys already having the second highest value of any sports franchise in North America ($923 million, according to Forbes), and despite currently playing at Texas Stadium in Irving, which has more revenue-generating luxury boxes (381) than any other stadium. Jerry Jones spent $4.6 million on pro-stadium ads and lobbying.
. . . Now, the good news from St. Louis County, metropolitan Kansas City and San Francisco . . .
By a margin of 72 percent to 28 percent in favor of “Proposition A,” St. Louis County chose to bar public funding of sports facilities unless approved through voter referendum. Congratulations go out to the Coalition Against Public Funding for Stadiums who collected 30,000 signatures throughout the county to get Prop. A placed on the ballot. The amendment to the county's charter should prohibit the county from making payments on a $45 million bond issue to finance a new downtown stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals unless voters approve it. This may ultimately be headed to the courts.
Residents in Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas collectively voted down the “Bistate II” sales tax hike to raise $360 million for the renovation of Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs and Kauffman Stadium for the Royals. The vote was a very close 51 percent to 49 percent margin. “We stood up for the little guy," said one opposition leader as quoted by the Associated Press. “We were outspent 100 to 1. It was very difficult to stand up to the rich guys who wanted their hobbies subsidized.”
Finally, in San Francisco, voters approved “Proposition H” 54 percent to 46 percent to prohibit the sale of naming rights to Candlestick Park. San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez championed the effort to put Proposition H on the ballot, saying, “Across the political spectrum, voters and sports fans are fed up with the intrusion of corporate marketers into every part of our lives and culture. I doubt voters in San Francisco will want to trade local history and everything associated with Candlestick Park just for more corporate advertising.” This throws a wrench into a September deal that renamed the stadium “Monster Park” after Monster Cable Products purchased the naming rights. There could be some lawsuits to come out of this, but it looks like “the Stick” is back!
On Tuesday, Communities Can Say 'No More!' to Owners of Sports Franchises
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Founded by Ralph Nader, League of Fans is a sports reform project working to improve sports by increasing awareness of the sports industry's relationship to society, exposing irresponsible business practices, ensuring accountability to fans, and encouraging the industry to contribute to societal well-being.
To find out more about League of Fans, visit www.leagueoffans.org or write to [email protected].
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