These FIVE pressing issues could SPOIL pro sports

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Chapters:
0:00 Same injuries, no preventions
2:41 Expectations of Public Money
4:40 New media, and partnerships
6:32 Sports Betting inclusion, regulation
8:44 Affordability for tickets, teams
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#nfl #sports #business

[@smokeylake3150]

Pro sports attendance is getting like Disney. Unaffordable.

[@FischerFan]

..and getting just as woke, too!

[@plots4]

The cost is outrageous here in Philly. Even buying 4 of the cheapest seats from the Phillies website ends up $350 just to park and get in the door. That’s a $500 outing at bare minimum.

[@jeremylando40]

Don’t even get my started with the eagles

[@poppajoebeneckesr7573]

Back in like 2005 or 6 my wife and I (Mets fans) went down to Philly from the Poconos where we lived to see a Philly Mets game. We wore nothing identifiable and didn't cheer from our seats yet we were still being abused by a half dozen 65+ old men sitting behind us. We left our seats and went out to the left field porch and bar and were mercilessly abused by THE COPS....Holy Crap it was worse than being at Yankee Stadium 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@FischerFan]

..and yet, it's the players and the owners who are underprivileged. Oooo-KAY!

[@PTrep2727]

Out of touch with society these clubs are. 🤷😡

[@CS_1989]

Gambling = Pandora’s box

[@kj6446]

I lIve in an nhl city....how many live games have my son and I attended? 2. How many university hockey games have we attended where the tickets are 10 bucks to sit 2 rows behind the players bench...dozens.

[@KristianWontroba]

Exactly. I live in Portland, ME and attended several Maine Mariners ECHL games this past season at under $30 for seats right on the glass. Meanwhile, Bruins games are crazy expensive.

[@FischerFan]

You don't, by chance, live in Toronto, do you? People are comparing the prices of season tickets to a mortgage.

[@amazingeric97]

Going to minor, college, or even high school sports is much more affordable that going to major league professional sports.

[@reverend_wintondupree]

​@@amazingeric97And in certain instances, a more interesting atmosphere and experience.

[@geoff3103]

I save money for playoff games, and for my live hockey fix got to AHL games throughout the season. And the TV works wonders

[@kranzandstern]

I think that the development of talent and the continued effect of Pay to Play for youth is a bigger problem than most people think it is.

[@chrisguardiano6143]

Especially with soccer with the Pay to Play aspect. In Europe & South America & even in countries like Japan, if kids want to play competitive soccer, there is very little to no cost for them to do so because the organizations that run the leagues & teams realize the importance of the sport on youth & the potential talent pool for the national team & domestic league that can be created. As a result, those countries continue to produce top talent & dominate the sport when it comes to things like the World Cup. Meanwhile here in the US, for a kid to play competitive soccer (outside of the school leagues), it easily costs $1000-2000 a year at the minimum & there is no guarantee that a kid will make it on the team due to many club teams making kids pay the fee & then tryout. Because of Pay to Play, the best talent this country has when it comes to soccer often gets overlooked because they can't afford to pay to be on a club team. This in my view is one of the reasons why the US has struggled to have a good national team (at least on the men's side) & why the US underachieves at the World Cup. Until Pay to Play is abolished & the organizations that run club teams start subsidizing kids involvement, the US will continue to struggle at the international level especially on the men's side.

[@sams2960]

Ask NASCAR how pricing fans out of the weekend is working out, their attendance at Bristol, once the most sought after tickets, is now downright embarrassing. As for other sports, one would expect to pay more for football with the few games they have, with baseball theoretically being the most affordable due to the largest number of home games. Some teams are trying special promotions: like the Detroit Tigers with family friendly fares on weeknights (Tuesday I think) where a lower level seat is $19 and you get a $3 dog, $3 soda and $1 bag of chips in their "313" promotion. I think the biggest way to entice all sports fans to the park/arena is to let them get involved with their team by being able to watch them. When blackouts or high pricing due to multiple streaming services kicks in, all they are telling their die hard fan is to go find something else to do that is more affordable, and are then shocked when they do. (again reference the NASCAR model where tv ratings are horrible, there are empty seats galore weekly when they used to be sold out, etc.). Just an opinion from a fan who loves the team but cannot afford to drive 2.5 hours to see them live (anyone checked gas and parking prices lately?).

[@Jazzfan22]

For the NBA, the lack of free agents going to any market that’s not New York Miami or in California

[@AstralScourge]

Exactly

[@kurtwpg]

Yes, this NBA model is dangerous. Players have the right to make their own decision, so you need to be creative in making a CBA that leads to greater stability.

[@scotttild]

Players didn't want to come to Golden State in the 80s so part of it is ownership not location, but prime cities always have advantages.

[@great-one0389]

To be fair that's kinda starting to change, the hottest free agent destination last off-season was phoenix out of all places. I get it's warm there but it also could be the only part of the continental US that's actually TOO hot, and it's not really a glamour market.

[@washingtonfootballskins]

Miami not a big market city, it's the lifestyle is the main reason why they go there and tax free state.

[@billdapp2491]

The costs are truly getting out of control. I used to be a part season ticket holder for the Calgary Flames. Now to attend a game here, even in the upper bowl, you'd be looking at between $500 - $750 for a family of 4. With the new arena coming in the next few years, that is only going up. As for costs for participating in minor sports, my niece's kids are into soccer in the US. Their 16 year old son lives in Colorado Springs, but has REGULAR season games in St Louis, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Their costs are absolutely insane!

[@kj6446]

THAT'S CRAZY. it's stuff like this that (a) leads me to resist putting my kid in organized team sports and (b) makes me wish they would have true rec leagues for kids (over the age of 6 that is) , where it's literally just 1 game per week in your local area and maybe one practice, none of this ridiculous travel or going to tournaments all the time.

[@geoff3103]

Bottomline: the business mentality of "get what you can TODAY because who knows what will happen tomorrow?" is disastrous long term. And as such needs to be called out and force the owners of teams out with this mindset. The League too if need be. Don't consume the product, they'll change their ways

[@hughjass1044]

I can vividly remember as a 10 year old all the way back in 1972 going to the local hardware store with my mom and dad to buy my first set of hockey equipment. I was a goalie and the league supplied the jersey, the mask and the pads but we had to supply everything else. The total cost to kit me out, tax included... $22.00! That didn't include skates which I already had but it bought everything else. I shudder to even think what it would all cost today.

[@beardupbeerdown7355]

Hundreds for a single glove

[@hughjass1044]

@@beardupbeerdown7355 I can believe it.

[@MrHannaHall]

For going to a Pittsburgh Penguins game, I know just getting to the game, parking, and food, I'm looking at $240 with no merchandise purchase. That's with good upper deck tickets but just me and my wife. Couldn't imagine the total with kids.

[@burprobrox9134]

Yeah I can’t take all 4 of us to the pens games anymore. Maybe once a season

[@Nogoingback424]

Kids are more interested in esports than many other sports.

[@JasonTzzz]

The cost of attending a big market NHL, NBA, or MLB team is outrageously expensive. You'll find reasonably priced tickets at the small market teams. Another problem is the smaller capacity at newer venues jacks up ticket scarcity.

[@chrisguardiano6143]

As a soccer fan & coach, I have to say that out of all the sports that are affected by the Play to Play model, soccer is one of the most affected by it when it comes to the talent pool. In Europe & South America & even in countries like Japan, if kids want to play competitive soccer, there is very little to no cost for them to do so because the organizations that run the leagues & teams realize the importance of the sport on youth & the potential talent pool for the national team & domestic league that can be created. As a result, those countries continue to produce top talent & dominate the sport when it comes to things like the World Cup. Meanwhile here in the US, for a kid to play competitive soccer (outside of school teams), it easily costs $1000-2000 a year at the minimum & there is no guarantee that a kid will make it on the team due to many club teams making kids pay the fee & then tryout. Because of Pay to Play, the best talent this country has when it comes to soccer often gets overlooked because they simply can't afford to pay to be on a club team. This in my view is one of the many reasons why the US has struggled to have a good national team (at least on the men's side) & why the US underachieves at the World Cup. Until Pay to Play is abolished & the organizations that run club teams start subsidizing kids involvement, the US will continue to struggle at the international level especially on the men's side. Hopefully the 2026 World Cup will be the catalyst for organizations like US Soccer to abolish Pay to Play because there will be new soccer fans especially kids generated as a result of the tournament being in the US & those kids will be inspired to start playing competitively. This is a huge opportunity for US Soccer to create a talent pool that will make the national teams competitive long term at the international level.

[@Inkwelder]

Love your channel since finding you via The Hockey Guy. Excellent and interesting topics and content, I’m even growing an interest in the sharks lol. My biggest gripe is that for people that WANT to give money to watch sports, there often aren’t options and you have to go through a cable package. Seriously? Here’s my money for sports… and you black me out because I don’t pay for cable?

[@brodiebrazil]

Thanks for finding me!

[@poppajoebeneckesr7573]

Growing up I attended many many home games, granted my big brother took me but prices were reasonable. As a dad I took my kids to at least 1 homestand game during a home game stand. We'd buy some pizza pies, tailgate and enter early enough to not only attend batting practice but be able to be down by the field fence and get autographs and conversations with some players. Today I take my grandkids to minor league games (A Ball) because that's all I can afford. 4 at a minor league game costs about 200-300 bucks so I can only imagine how much I'd need to drop to go to a Major league game. And I agree 100% with everything you had to say Brodie, the teams/ownership is responsible for the circus that sports have become. Love your channel and your input and thoughts. THANK YOU

[@krisrizakis9989]

Pay to play is destroying youth sports. No doubt about it. When my son was 5 he wanted to play every sport. We decided to let him play everything and let him decide what sports he wanted to abandon. My son was not the greatest athlete but he enjoyed playing sports and we didn't want to take it away from him. By the time he was 7, we realized we were spending thousands. It wasn't that we couldn't afford it, but the time commitment, the travel and cost were increasing every year. We figured by the time he would be a teenager we would need an upper class income just so he can play in recreational leagues. I just can't imagine how much it would cost if it was competitive. Even sports with little to no equipement required are expensive. He quickly soured on sports when most of his friends/teammates were quitting. Most of them were quitting because their parents couldn't afford these expenses. The only kids who were left were kids whose parents were spending money they didn't have in the hopes their child would recoup the money and then some once they turned pro. When you consider less than 1% of kids will turn pro, it's an insane proposition. "Sports are the way out of poverty for my family." There have been tons of soccer commentators who've been complaining about the pay to play system for years but nothing has changed. It's always great to hear stories of diamonds in the rough that keep getting discovered. But is it really the case? "He just started playing soccer/basketball at 16" or "Scouts keep finding them in small towns". What they fail to mention is these kids only started playing "organized/elite" sports at 16. These kids have always been talented. These kids have always been playing in smaller, less formal leagues. Coaches and teams are aware of these kids existance but can't really do anything for them because these kids' families can't afford to put them in more structured leagues.

[@timdowney6721]

One of the penalties of being “bad at math” is the ignorance of probabilities. From the lottery, to thinking your kids going to be a sports star, to gambling, the mathematically illiterate are sheep to the sheerers.

[@nfalls75]

Here's an issue for MLB: The MLS is coming on strong. Pretty soon, you'll be in the 4th slot.

[@brodiebrazil]

Fair comment.

[@splashnskillz37]

The MLS also has some of the same issues, some prefer USL cuz it's more towards the community

[@washingtonfootballskins]

MLS will never be popular or over take the big 4 sports

[@geoff3103]

naw, MLS plays too few games to give the MLB a run for their money. Plus that league is run even worse than the NHL.

[@gpmom1614]

Thanks, Brodie - One issue with NFL is the broadcasting on all the streaming services.Someone figured out that to get all the nfl broadcast games this year will cost like $800+ for one season (Amazon, Netflix, Paramount, KZbin, etc). When I was growing up (much older than you) baseball & football were on radio. You could walk into a neighborhood store & the game would be on the radio by the cashier. Teams were part of the community. Tickets were affordable. I had season tix to Raiders & A's at the coliseum. An entire year's nfl tickets cost back then is about how much one seat in Vegas goes for now. It's very difficult for a community to connect to their team. Soon, teams like the Ballers will have much more connection & support with the fans & the MLB owners will be wondering what happened. Too bad there's so much incompetence (Fisher) & greed. Thanks again.

[@SaintSpire]

Totally agree about affordability. Security won’t let me in with a butt cushion. Venues sell out of disabled seats, $20 parking, $18 for a sausage.

[@jeremyd1869]

I cut the cord long ago but I subscribe to KZbin TV just to watch the A's. It costs about what a mid-range cable tv-only subscription would cost, I think. I can also see most 49ers games, too. I just don't know how average families can afford to attend games, though. Like so much else today, it's gotten to the point where only the well off can go to a game.

[@ElmStreetHillBilly]

Sports betting is my fear across the board, no way to say the games aren't getting rigged

[@AstralScourge]

Oh they definitely are

[@kurtwpg]

It will be like the degeneration of politics. At first it'll be a little rigging is inevitable but at least they got caught, then the attitude will get worse and worse.

[@stanfordite1]

No reason sports betting can't be made illegal outside of Nevada or Atlantic City. Who's gonna stop that? The Supreme Court?

[@SaintSpire]

You’re over worried about nothing. Maybe get your habit in control and it won’t be an issue

[@Earthboundmike]

I mean, it being rigged was a consideration before hand. The sports betting merely added another angle. In regards to the nhl I think the refs are just really bad right now.

[@maxpowr90]

Brodie, if it makes you feel better, Game 5 of the PWHL final in Lowell, MA (~35mi from Boston), tickets are going for ~$350+/ea. For the NBA Final at TD Garden, they're merely double that.

[@franky2473]

Very expensive and now that I have a family of 4 it really breaks the bank. Even if I get a deal with the tickets the service charge is ridiculous. I watch more games on tv because I rather go on vacation with my family than to send close to 1000 on a game

[@brodiebrazil]

Congrats on the fam.

[@KristianWontroba]

I'd offer that there's a 6th issue. though perhaps not "pressing” yet but might well be in the future: Generation Z and later doesn't care nearly as much about sports. The market for sports longer term will likely shrink, and thus squeeze the bottom line, as interest wanes with boomers, X'ers, and older millennials "aging out" of the market.

[@kurtwpg]

7th issue, though this isn't as bad in the NFL as the other leagues: unaccountable officials who set their own rules.

[@chrismdb5686]

We don't care nearly as much because it's simply unaffordable. Young people are struggling to make ends meet, find apartments, or God forbid go against the housing market right now. Absolutely no reason to pay the prices these leagues demand, especially when they've proven they don't care about their fans.

[@KristianWontroba]

@@chrismdb5686 It does certainly cost a lot to go to major league sporting events, but it doesn’t necessarily cost much to be “into sports”. That’s more of a time and emotional expense and commitment. The fact that Gen Z isn’t into sports as much isn’t a bad thing per se. Every generation brings a different style and set of preferences. It’s just the normal order of things. Gen Z grew up with waay more entertainment options and a more skeptical perspective regarding sports. Also, unlike for Boomers and Gen X, Gen Z isn’t wrapped up as much in worshipping athletes and in the idea that being successful in sports equals a higher social status.

[@chrismdb5686]

@@KristianWontroba It's near impossible to watch NHL games unless you pay exorbitant amounts for streaming services that offer little else in terms of value. Even cable bills are ridiculous nowadays and with that you still have to deal with local blackouts. Totally understand why my generation is apathetic towards major sports because there's so many other things that are easier and cheaper to do instead.

[@davidbreazeale7257]

For me it's two things at the top of my list. The cost of tickets and the access to the players. How can you build the game's future, if the kids don't get the chance to attend the games? The teams are pricing themselves out of the business. Now with access to the players, some make a point to sign for the kids. But some players, feel like they are too big for doing that. Now I will say that hockey is better at this than the others. But when a kid gets the autograph of their favorite player, they light up and will never forget that moment. I grew up in Richmond, Ca and we had Willie Mays come to a park and talk to the kids. That is something I will never forget.

[@allene2307]

Pressing issue number six . . . getting Brodie Brazil a hefty pay raise!

[@brodiebrazil]

🤣 not great odds in this industry

[@ronpeacock9939]

I grew up and lived in AAA cities for years.. We used to take a family of 6 to a game and it would cost us about 50-75 for that.. then with out last move, we're in a MLB city.. OMG... I used to get 6 tickets at AAA for less than tickets for just ME at an MLB game (and that's the cheap seats... ) Oh, and the really old way.. back 100+ years ago.. If you want the new stadium, you're welcome to build it.. Your old way.. is post WWII.. I WOULD NEVER built a football only venue.. $2B for a stadium that gets only 8-9 home dates... only if I'm drunk.. at least MLB gets 81.. and the NHL and NBA are smaller but they have 41/42 home dates.. AND those arenas are great for concerts and stuff... not just limited to the sports team.. right now. MLB teams are tarping over so many seats.. 1 to make it easier to sell out.. but worse 2. Making the remaining ones more valuable so they can raise the prices... well, if people are not coming to your 50K seat stadium.. why would they pay more to come to a 35K stadium.. MLB is shooting themselves in the foot.

[@allthrills9973]

I grew up going to TD Garden for Bruins games, and I’d always try to find tickets in the upper deck for around $50 or $70 on the day of the game, otherwise you’re looking at almost $100 for some games. Add that on top of the ridiculous food and drink prices, and it’s crazy how expensive it is to go to a Bruins game in Boston. Plus, parking is usually at least $30 in Boston, so I would just take public transit for about $20 round trip, which would drop me off in North Station, on the first floor of TD Garden

[@timothyflanigan1777]

I live in the Albany, Ny, and I am a huge Bruins fan. I use to go to the very minium two games a year. even a few first or second round playoff games. between gas, parking, tolls, game tickets, etc i became a $600 dollar day easily. about five years ago, I attended a Bob Seger concert at the TD Garden. I paid around $70 to park. I miss going to Bruins games.

[@washingtonfootballskins]

Sports teams don't necessarily collect money from food and drinks concession stands.Those prices are arena and stadium prices and revenue

[@mrwiggie5108]

We haven’t been to a MLB game as a family in about 5 years. It’s $220 for us just to get in the door, and with a teenage boy, you know we’re going to the concession stand at least once. At least we have plenty of minor league baseball options close by.

[@briangilbert6477]

The thing you missed was season ticket affordability. As the boomers die how will the professional leagues replace them? I've seen the Cubs and Blackhawks blow through their 20+ year lists and now move to season shares.

[@coltonlinn7371]

I went to a Kraken game in April versus the Sharks the cheapest 2 tickets I could find were $164 a piece then you have the stupid fees that pushed it to $400 for two tickets in the 300 level. I got to Portland Winterhawks games all the time and those are also like $35 a piece depending on where you sit and two tickets there plus fees are pushing $80-100

[@andrewfleming2892]

The issues that you addressed doesn't just apply to North American professional Sport, for example the cost of fitness activities has gone through the roof since 2020. I live in remote South Australia and have the same issues in relation to the cost of merchandise for my favourite teams $160-180 per official jersey, similar pricing for the children sizing as well. Also I would need six different steaming services to watch my various favourite European football clubs, with both the leagues and clubs reducing access to even highlights on KZbin. $400 for a family of four is okay to attend professional Sport which is probably now a one or two time event each year. The main expenses now days is the cost of food and drinks, for example $25 for a burger and $12 for a bottle of water, so a family of four could easily spend more than $250 on food or drink over the course of two or three hours which they in attendance of pro Sport.

[@brodiebrazil]

Some other videos you might like: MLB stats like you've never seen before... 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWTEaqyJj7uho5o Stanley Cup's most UNLUCKIEST player: Joe Pavelski 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqPCZWh7rLikqbs Shohei Ohtani: Marriage, Contract, Scandal & Baseball wins 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX25fJp7bKaHh9k No POINT? St. Louis Cardinals City Connect Uniforms 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYu7pmiBa95_bac Yankees say MLB teams can't SUSTAIN top payrolls anymore 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/in7cmmuBd6-dna8 A's talk: Sacramento, Oakland, Vegas... UTAH? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4W8ZpRvgr51jKM Oakland Coliseum SOLD: Three times in 2024? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGWbioGifqiBaK8 Hello from Banff, Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6faY6yaitSGsLc Who could be the NEXT Sharks Captain...? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpSxpaaurc2SoLM Will MLB SAVE its Starting Pitchers...? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3aofqRrnLKirpI ALL of CANADA rooting for Edmonton Oilers to win Stanley Cup? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJ22dYd9grKghtU The REAL problem with TikTok 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/houneZWChaeDZqc NHL created an MLB to UTAH Blueprint? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6eziqylpZ2MgJo Where I make these videos (Home Studio Tour 2024) 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIulkGx7fMifqNE

[@Nogoingback424]

My Mom treated my cousins and I to a Blue Jackets game. Sat way up top and the total was over $750. Crazy!

[@brodiebrazil]

yikes!

[@zcorpalpha2462]

Don’t Forget, let’s select a New MLB stadium 🏟️. 1. New Stadium 🏟️ 2. Gift 🎁 Shops 🏬 ( Market Team ) 3. Restaurants & Food 🥘 ( Contract with Olive 🫒 Garden or Apple 🍎 Bees ) outside the gates 4. Condos’ ( Real Estate 🏡) right outside the stadium for Rent - Lease - Own ❓ 5. Maybe work a new transportation system train 🚊 light rail 🚈 with the city 6. Team has Invested in all these areas, revenue outside MLB Baseball ⚾️ This is Sports 🏈 now, going into the 2030’s 🥃🔥 This also makes money 💵 during “ AKA Offseason “

[@MrRicklynch57]

Greg Maddux said pitcher's injuries start at the youth level. He and many pitcher's in his era didn't throw a curve ball until they were in college or the minor leagues. They learned how to throw and develop off speed pitches from good coaches. Today kids are learning too many pitches too young from little league coaches or their parents and playing in 3 different leagues all year long. He said he played basketball and football, so his arm got to rest most of the year. Pitchers arms today are over used and by the time they are 24 they need Tommy John.

[@jeremyd1869]

Excellent point!

[@timdowney6721]

Specializing in one sport, any sport, from a young age is detrimental on many levels.

[@loganleroy8622]

The affordability issue is I think part of the reason why MLS is so convenient. A normal game ticket will cost like $55 a seat, and you get two full hours of entertainment. General admission seats behind the goal will usually cost $30-$40.

[@airsicklowlander7756]

As gambling ads become more and more pervasive, gambling addiction rates will skyrocket, and people won’t let their kids watch anymore. In a decade or two, the only people watching will be gamblers with stake in the game. This will only be made worse when sports go 100% streaming, and people will have to actually seek out pro sports.

[@BoulderCityBlues]

Once you allow gambling into any sport you corrupted the entire game .Point shaving has always been around but gambling takes it to another level .Back in the day you could not bet on any Nevada team in Nevada .Now that sports betting is allowed in most states it opens all sports both college and pro up to fixing and point shaving .

[@danw2112]

Pete Rose and Tim Donaghy. "But Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. Who cares if he made on field decisions that helped him win those bets on baseball games." 🙄🫤🤦

[@timdowney6721]

Not to speak of all the in-game wagers available….like who wins a particular face-off in hockey.

[@jasonfire3434]

Tied to gambling I think officiating is another issue that could spoil sports for many people - even though bad officiating has existed forever, it doesn’t inspire confidence in the public that the leagues are legit.

[@Julian_Wallis]

Said it before and I'll say it again. Baseball is going the way of boxing. Paywalled to the point that nobody will care about it. They'll continue to make money, but they won't even be in the top 5 most popular sports in a few decades.

[@brodiebrazil]

Interesting balance of exposure vs income for sure

[@jeremyd1869]

Pre-WW2 horse racing was hugely popular. TV killed it, though, as it brought baseball and football into the living room. MLB could definitely go that way these days.

[@SaintSpire]

Totally disagree in regards to injuries. I used to play sled hockey and Paralympic hopeful after being an Infantryman. Do or die. Athletes know where their bodies are, they know limits, t’s their own fault. Every team has a physical therapists and sports doctors. Bad management.

[@brodiebrazil]

They make good life decisions at 22 when millions are at stake?

[@KittyPurrfect100]

Go to a minor league team’s game if you have the time, money, and interest. Traffic, people congestion, prices etc ruin the experience of going to a game. MiLB games are available by way of the MLB app subscription. I can watch the Greenville Drive (Red Sox High-A affiliate) on the phone and sometimes on the Roku if I am around when the game is available. I would just go to a race and enjoy the experience of watching cars go around a track. Road Atlanta yes also press the repeat button, Bristol, Darlington, 24 at Daytona, Charlotte, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sebring, Talladega, Barber, AL I would like to go there

[@FischerFan]

Tickets to pro sporting events are quickly becoming pastimes for the rich only. Season tickets are simply out of reach for Joe Phan, especially when inflation is at work. The best the non-corporate fan can afford now is a something like a 6-game mini-pack.

[@brando7266]

6 games a yr, is just right, 😆

[@rob4147]

The shaming and hating on small market teams especially by the nba is something that turns me off.

[@burekevan]

I think you could add lower body soft tissue injuries for the recurring NBA problem. Seems like more players than ever are losing whole seasons to ACL/Meniscus/Achilles problems

[@smokeylake3150]

Quit watching any sports years ago and don’t miss any of it.

[@timdowney6721]

I have a couple baseball and hockey teams I like….and a few local college hockey games a season. If they shut down tomorrow, it would hardly be a tragedy.

[@jameskingsbery3644]

For the youth sport cost issue, at least part of the problem is tied to the cost of college. As the cost of college has gone up, more parents use youth sports not as a way to teach lessons, but as someone's ticket to a scholarship, and so they're willing to go to a lot more extremes.

[@brosciencegutfeelings7058]

All fantastic points Brodie! I think the first thing that popped in my head, on the last section of affordability, was fans being driven to minor leagues. We just had a brand new minor league baseball team and stadium built in the next town over in Hagerstown Maryland. I’d love to go to an Orioles game, but I know the cost and trouble of parking and driving there will make me want to visit the minors instead. I love the Capitals, but it’s much more affordable and the quality is almost on the same level if I go up to a Hershey Bears game….

[@AstralScourge]

The pitch clock have made pitchers are worse and nobody can tell me different

[@ElmStreetHillBilly]

Baseball was my favorite sport, but the lack of parity is killing the game, it needs a salary cap, and ditch the pitch clock

[@robertbrezinski9348]

The pitch clock works. I'm saying this as a 62 year old lifelong baseball fan.

[@ElmStreetHillBilly]

@@robertbrezinski9348 I hate it, and I haven't seen proof that it's helped with anything

[@non-influential]

One other issue not mentioned here (although I think it really does have an impact in the gambling sphere of influence) is the increased role of replays and officials' decisions rather than players deciding the outcome of the game. The offsides reviews take too long and often are reviewing ridiculous margins of error that would be imperceptible in real time, and goalie interference reviews are an amorphous crapshoot, and always seem to have the tendency to favor the teams with the advantage in the betting lines. For concussions and CTE, the lack of accountability by the NHL (as well as the NHLPA) for allowing some serial offending players like Jacob Trouba to continue to constantly and deliberately try to concuss players with impunity because there are no consequences; all the while the league claims they are taking the issue seriously, both them and the NHLPA as culpable for letting this continue and protecting the offenders more than the victims on the ice. Apparently victim blaming is an acceptable justification for getting concussed in hockey, even though there are players, notably Trouba and Rempe, who are out headhunting every shift. $5000 fines are not effective deterrent.

[@redbeard2952]

I'm in edmonton and I won't go to a game unless I win free tickets, and even then the cost is still ridiculous to go. And as far as watching games, if it gets to the point that I a bunch of different streaming services are needed to watch oilers or blue jays games then I will be a fan that will be lost

[@shanebarnes6783]

People need to invest their time watching other leagues like the minor leagues of these sports. Much more affordable. Living in Canada and being a big hockey fan, I follow the junior leagues like the Western Hockey League, where tickets are much cheaper. I’ve even gone on road trips to watch my team play on the road. Haven’t gone to an NHL game in over 20 years and I can’t see myself ever going to one today because of the cost of tickets

[@seang13]

I spend like $300 taking my kids to an AHL game between food and tickets!!! I do get us glass seats. Otherwise it's down to the $200ish area.

[@ANoss13]

What’s crazy you could just grow up play in your city’s league go to high school/college years( might have more special things) get drafted now you have to do travel ball/ tournaments every weekend and for all sports baseball/volleyball/ soccer when your like 8 years old? So part of the injury bug you could relate to overuse while body is developing….. I can’t even imagine money being spent on travel/hotels/food if your family does that instead of professional sports.

[@alexd481]

When it comes to mlb pitchers being injury prone, that is a recent development from say the 1970's onwards. Baseball hasn't bothered to examine the huge difference between pitchers from the early days of mlb and more recent decades. Changes include lower pitching mound, higher velocity pitches, fewer starts,, weight lifting, longer at bats and more stress on the arm. Pitchers have been doing less and less, yet they are getting more injury prone.

[@MrRicklynch57]

I think these are the biggest issues at the pro level, especially the demand for new stadiums. You have to think, if the Diamondbacks left for Vancouver youth sports in Phoenix would be more expensive, because their version of Junior Giants would be gone. I think College Sports are a mess and within 10 years the 30 most marketable football and basketball teams will be in a private league. The less popular schools will be out of luck.

[@timdowney6721]

Well, they could always concentrate on, I don’t know….education?

[@MrRicklynch57]

@@timdowney6721 "Yeah, but when was the last time 80,000 people showed up to watch a kid do a damn chemistry experiment?" James Caan, The Program (1993)

[@stanfordite1]

The college sports mess will be fixed and the NCAA will be sent back to the 1980s after NIL is undone by an act of Congress who also end all tv contracts, send all universities back to their old conferences and ban coaches from making more than the University presidents like Bear Bryant used to. Like codifying amateurism and student athletes into law and telling college athletic programs how much money they can and can't make is going to make people not want to play?

[@ronwilson9815]

Ironically the first word in the commercial that KZbin made me watch to get here was CORRUPTION.

[@brodiebrazil]

😳

[@mrmoose6619]

The amount of ads we are subjected to... and the fact that they have not made major league level games any more affordable...

[@SNW8191]

Hockey is the only sport I watch, and I pay for espn+ but still can't get all the games. Plus, I'm paying for a ton of stuff I'm not watching. If the NHL had their own streaming with access to all the games and archive and if they could work a deal with the IIHF to show some of those, I'd pay for that.

[@ErrorVector]

Minor leagues are great for cultivating kids' interests at a reasonable cost. I live within 20 minutes' drive of two High-A teams, an ALPB team, an FPHL team, a G-League team, an MLS Next team, and numerous college teams. (You could probably figure out roughly where I live based on that sentence, lol.) Tickets for nearly all of those run between $10 and $30, with the MLS Next team stretching a bit higher (best seats are in the $80s). I'm not bringing my kids (3 and 5) to a big-league game of any kind until and unless I have some sense that they care about what they're seeing. Til then, it's all about just seeing what sticks, both spectating and playing. That could take some time.

[@non-influential]

You are 100% right on on everything here, I couldn't agree more!

[@natedostal86]

The mental health of the players is frankly more important than their physical health. Yes taking care of their physical health is important but their mental health is honestly more important. I am a heavy guy and I also have bipolar so I know this from experience. There is such a stigma on mental health in this country and that serious must change. Take care of yourselves my good people and remember, you’re not alone 🫶🏼

[@brodiebrazil]

Great points.

[@shawnamelva583]

Professor Brazil with another outstanding lesson! Teams should be paying cities for use of the city name. Price gouging in MLB when top teams come to town is a disgrace. MLB inter league schedule should mirror NFL - ONE division per year.

[@erich5819]

Great list, all five. Sports is destroying athletes (injuries), metro areas (public funding of stadiums and arenas) and families (by encouraging gambling). All for an entertainment product that is sometimes nearly impossible to watch. For example, most of the Colorado market has not been able to follow the Nuggets and/or the Avalanche for the last five seasons. This has been during a time when both teams were really good and each one earned a championship. All because millionaires/billionaires from Comcast can make a deal with a Walmart billionaire (Kroenke) who owns the teams. Seems they can't agree on the value of a Regional Sports Network (RSN). Meanwhile, the RSN for the MLB baseball team lost its RSN. This is just to watch the sport on television. Attending games in person are crazy expensive (as you pointed out). But it is not just the tickets...It is the Ticketmaster fees, the parking and the concessions. Another issue in sports is the growing cultural and sectarian nature of sports. The Kansas City Chiefs are the prime example. On one hand, you have the Taylor Swift media circus and on the other you have public displays of religiousity by the players like Harrison Butker. How is this good for sports? What happens if you do not believe in the particular brand of christianity that Butker is selling? Are you still going want to be a fan? When a reporter asks a player about a key play in a post-game interview, the correct answer is not "first I want to thank Jesus Christ, my personal lord and savior". Dude, this is NOT church. Secondly, Jesus and/or God probably did not rig the game (unless maybe God/Jesus had made a sports betting wager on the outcome?). Players have a first ammendment right to speech of course in a personal setting. However teams and leagues can set a code of conduct for spectacularly well paid employees who are actively representing their teams.

[@stephenphillips6245]

With Trouba elbows, to the head, is a lifestyle, not an accident.

[@juliamartinez3775]

Any question asked here (or anywhere, really), can pretty much always be answered by: M.O.N.E.Y (even the injury issue). Sports are more of a business now than ever before and it just seems to me it’s only become about “how can we make the most money?” The part of this video that hit me most, was the part about streaming. The ONLY reason I can watch my MLB team play, this year, is because I got a “free”year of MLB TV from T-Mobile. After this year, I won’t be able to watch because I can’t afford $150 (or more, undoubtedly) for a yearly subscription. Again, the answer to that problem is MONEY. I guess this is all just part of living in a “free” capitalist society. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@mattmcdonald4209]

The USL pro soccer league, you can take a family of four for $100 or less including food and drinks

[@bartphlegar8212]

All of the pro sports have issues. Hockey has problems with its broadcast contracts, injuries, and the RSN problem that it shares with the other leagues. The NBA just shuffled networks, and blew up one of the most beloved program segments in all of sports - Inside the NBA - so that NBC can bring back that highly irritating galloping horse theme song. The NFL has sacrificed it's Thursday games to online networks, getting closer to that slippery slope of pay-per-view. But it's MLB, far more than the others, that acts like it is on a cocaine binge in the front office. Half a dozen unstable franchises. Venue extortion. A historically imbalanced revenue sharing system without a salary cap that even the Yankees are now complaining about. Corrupt officiating. Mercenary pricing of everything from game tickets to merch. But where I think they really might connect with the third rail is what I suspect is going on with the Oakland A's. Nothing that made sense with this franchise has been done. Like lemmings to the sea, all of the MLB owners followed the pied piper also known as Rob Manfred into rubberstamping a move that is way beyond the risk profile that would normally be considered safe by Baseball. So why? Why not just put an expansion franchise in Vegas, and start from scratch?...Well, here is my reading into the tea leaves. The only way that the Vegas stadium figures work to maintain a viable franchise is if MLB has the audacity to place betting terminals at the seats at Jiffy Pop Ballpark, or otherwise facilitate onsite gaming, and start to shoehorn their way into the gambling business. They might have said behind closed doors, let's not waste a new franchise on this experiment, but let's send this beater car called the A's in there, let Fisher sink or swim, and see if he has the temerity and hubris to pull it off. Hope for "dumb luck". Plausible deniability for us if he gets burned, new revenue stream for us if he succeeds. In effect, Baseball may intend to step into the void vacated by the horsetracks, dogtracks, and jai alai frontons of yore. And I think anybody with a brain can see where all of this would lead to...

[@martinarden9705]

Part of the answer to injuries in baseball might be a reversion to "old school junk ball" pitching. I've had the thought for a while that someone is going to revive and update the Mark Eichhorn-type role of the 80's where a pitcher soft-tosses for a turn in the rotation in the middle innings as a piggyback reliever. It would mess up hitter timing and allow for more fireballing in shorter stints; instead of up to three turns through a rotation, we'll see two. A "good" starter goes four, maybe five innings as opposed to six or seven innings, and the new Ike goes two or three innings. That could potentially save the high leverage guys for the 8th-9th innings, and since most of them are fireballers as well. Since the hard throwers won't have to throw quite a long, it would potentially protect their elbows. The media outlet thing is going to be a bigger issue as people discover cord-cutting, IPTV/"grey market" services, etc. Public money: a single-purpose stadium isn't a good use of public funds, particularly with higher-priority issues requiring funds (healthcare, education, social services, etc.) This is why I think the bigger pressing issue isn't public money as such, but public money + reduced broadcast rights renewals + competing disposable income products and services putting strain on owner finances and trickling down to the players at some point. Betting will probably never be solved unless sports leagues keep their solutions/counter measures/integrity checks behind closed doors. Gamblers will be one step ahead as long as sports leagues publish their solutions to the various fixing problems. Affordability is an issue, but in many areas it's also about accessibility. Take Toronto, for example. The stadiums for MLB/NHL/NBA are located in the heart of downtown. In the case of NHL/NBA, MLSE was smart enough to build Scotiabank Arena on the grounds of Union Station. The Skydome/Rogers Centre, on the other hand, is a 10-minute walk from Union Station. There isn't a closer station. Then there's the issue of GETTING to Union Station if you're from outside of the city; there's no good way to do so in a lot of cases. I suspect similar issues exist for other sports cities, particularly major market sports cities.

[@HotChilliePa]

Great video

[@great-one0389]

For the cost of attending the game, at least for tickets, its literally impossible for it to come down. The population has increased at a greater rate than the size of the stadiums. The only solution is going to more minor league games. For the streaming issues, thats really going to come down to how the TV dilemma continues, streaming is starting to resemble cable quickly and I don't see it being a permanent solution. With CTE maybe guardian caps will help with that but it may not be enough. Overall its not looking good.

[@krisrizakis9989]

Thanks!

[@brodiebrazil]

very kind, thanks!

[@amazingeric97]

I will agree that back in the 1980s-1990s there was lots of baseball on ESPN, WGN, & TBS. Things are much different now. Thankfully I can subscribe directly to Marquee Sports Network for Cubs games.

[@matt_v_photo]

Anothe problem is accountability, and maybe even to as far saying „corruption“, from the Sports commissioners. Prime example is the Tom Wilson „incident“ in 2021

[@daleh7733]

As a Twins fan, we cant even see any games on TV. Bally's sports North and has a financial dispute going on with the Twins so they shut down all television access.

[@FischerFan]

Not even when the Twins are on the road?

[@daleh7733]

@@FischerFan No, we get no games on TV! (and it's been multiple weeks now).

[@FischerFan]

@@daleh7733 I don't know what to say....except for bloody ridiculous.

[@daleh7733]

@@FischerFan Big 10-4 there!

[@FischerFan]

@@daleh7733 If Bally is not even televising road games, what incentive does that give fans to attend the home ones?

[@Mr.Ed_Wayner]

Brodie can we now say that the Atlanta Braves “Battery” is today’s trend setting equivalent to Camden Yards in the 1990’s?

[@brodiebrazil]

Exactly. It’s a model for something

[@timdowney6721]

Never a public penny for private sports teams.

[@markwakefield6440]

The gambling compromises are going to destroy one of the leagues. It’s only a matter of time.

[@DANZIG138]

As a Leafs fan living on the west coast in Canada I cannot buy one package to stream all 82 regular season games which in 2024 is ridiculous. If I went with the only streaming package available in Canada I would get all the national games but all regional games would be blacked out, if I liked another team I would get them all but the cost is the same. Yeah pass.... in this day and age you should be able to see your team without blackouts and you should be able to choose what announcers you want to hear, every Toronto fan wants to hear Joe Bowen call the games but he's been banished to the radio with a delay so you cant even sync it up.

[@charlesschulz5819]

It's time for the sports bubble to burst.

[@TOTN17]

Could change the way that players tackle in Gridiron Football, In both codes of Rugby Head Contact is a big no no but is still a very contact heavy sport

[@666kingdrummer]

That what I've been saying for years now.

[@splashnskillz37]

What ??? im not the only one using the term "Gridiron Football" ?????

[@seang13]

You make two interesting points in the middle and at the end but don't tie them together... Exposure to sports has never in the history of sports been so good. You can watch like any game anywhere in the world. It's amazzzzzzing! However, with that exposure the "pay to play" aspect of youth sports has never been so high in the US. I think that'd be an interesting topic for you to cover.

[@AmericanCitizen1000]

When you say "Sports" is that only baseball, football, basketball and hockey??? Because those are not "sports" alone, That's only four sports.

[@metallicasnake]

For head injuries in hockey: ban fighting.

[@brodiebrazil]

That’s usually not the culprit

[@timdowney6721]

@@brodiebrazil If you look at CTE, it does seem to afflict “enforcers” disproportionately. Though there’s obviously difficulties in identifying CTE victims r/t it can only be diagnosed post-mortem, and via autopsy. Which many families understandably shrink from.

[@metallicasnake]

@@timdowney6721Agreed. The tragedy of Chris Simon comes to mind. But “player safety” is a joke when players punch each other in the head/face. It’s not safe and has no place in the game today.

[@OfficialChris88]

That’s why I moved away from New York. Stupid expensive. I live a hour away from Philly . I’ll rather see my New York teams in Philadelphia it’s much cheaper and affordable to do.

[@sofaking8228]

The mayors of all of the major league cities need to unite and tell franchise owners to drop dead. If the owners threaten to relocate, call their bluff. To where are these teams going to move? Boise? As for player injuries, they play for a few years, make about $10 million, get hurt, retire, and they are set for life. As an Oriole fan, I wanted to buy a t-shirt and a hat. It would have cost me over $100. No way. Here's some nostalgia. Back in the day, my father could buy Oriole tickets for he and my mom and four kids. He would hand the guy in the ticket booth a $5 bill and get change back.

[@rocknroll368]

#6 increasing player salaries!

[@jeremyd1869]

In rugby it appears tackles are made below the shoulders and by grappling rather than full on collisions. The NFL might try adopting rugby-style tackling to see if that reduces head injuries.

[@shaunhickey7233]

Go back to foam equipment. Elbow pads are hard plastic

[@jwags_]

There’s that capitalism yall love so much

[@geoff3103]

LOL COULD ruin?? the NHL is ruined. I love the game of hockey but hate the NHL.

[@Carrollavirus]

All sports leagues need to stop with their woke propaganda bs.

[@FischerFan]

Man, no kidding. It isn't the average fan who wants theme nights. It's the lobby groups and the controlled media bosses.

[@stevenbauer4799]

Bettman sucks and is past his 30 year expiration date and needs to go. His stubborness to let az. go and the costly price to rid nhl of merulo should be grounds for bettman to go NOW. Manfred bringing the nba ghetto look to mlb unis and borefest games is grounds for impeachment. Goodell and his hard-on for foreign games and predictable scripted s b endings needs to go. And silver's nba continues to deteriorate as playoff games have turned into boring uninspiting blow-outs needs to go.

[@neon_charm_catgirl]

i think everyone needs a tissue for their whiny tears. when has it been any other way? what you described is how sports started. who pays for venues, admission prices, danger to players, the relationship of a pro sports team to a city: these are easily researched on wikipedia. look up how pro baseball started. it is actually more stable and accessible now than it was in the 19th and 20th centuries. this is a problem with fans: with their support comes entitlement, but they always forget it is someone else who makes the decisions. this is the society we want when it comes to capitalism. you run a business, you own a business, you make the decisions, not the government. and the government did step in with one crucial decision that affects everything else for the benefit of the owners to the exclusion of everyone else: the anti-trust exemption. if you have a problem with any of these issues, you have a problem with capitalism. pro sports is not even a privilege, it is a product to be consumed. sports in schools is a different conversation, but this is the way it is at the very top, as every movie about a pro sports team has shown us.

[@stanfordite1]

Capitalism doesn't work and never will.

[@rainbowmade1880]

Thanks for banning my comments 👎

[@brodiebrazil]

except... here is your comment...?

[@rainbowmade1880]

I made a disparaging comment about everyone’s favorite owner and it got bounced.

[@nunya44288]

I found a certain service online that is privately run, very cheap, and gives access to every single game for every sport in HD. No blackouts. No price gouging. NHL/MLB/NFL and their broadcasting rights can suck a dick.