Being an amatuer sports participant/enthusiast (Grammar School, High School, College and Navy Base Teams, and thruout my late twenties thru early thirties). I've always had (and still do) professional and amatuer sports teams I've followed and cheered on, pretty much for my whole life. When I first considered the possibility that Y2K could have an impact on Society, one of the first things I thought of was, what about Sports? I admit now, in retrospect, this was a very immature or irresponsible thought pattern. But, I digress, back to my point.

If because of slow downs, the JIT (just in time inventory system) our society has built its foundation on, and if there are problems, no matter how BITR they may be, one of the first things people will cut back on are luxury items. May it be the car staying in service a little longer, or more expensive vacations, not taken, and all the other things families are presently doing for entertainment. If they are cut out of the budget because of potential disturbances in discretionary income because of Y2K. I think Professional Sports are in trouble. Actually, most of our sports programs are, unfortunately, because of Trickle Down Effect.

More than anything, most of our television/radio entertainment is based on exhoribitant advertising fees paid by sponsors attempting "to get our eyeballs/ears". I feel our sports teams are supported more because of this revenue than most other "businesses" in todays society. As much as I would like to be a wrong "RGI", as much as I hope I can look back on it a few months with amusement on how I think now. I just can't comprehend how there won't be some business disruptions because of FOF (fix on failure) that most small businesses have adopted as their credo. Gravity is funny, it can roll uphill, small business disruptions most certainly will effect those higher in the food chain, no matter how successful their remediation may turn out to be. (Darn......... That "just in time delivery").

Can we honestly not recognize that we are tremendously interconnected. Besides embedded chips, "just in time inventory control" is the weak link, granted, bad program code is going to cause grief beyond compare, but I recognize that if a supply line is waiting on something required to make that line, ie. part of the system go, without it, it doesn't go. Many, many companies, businesses, manufacturer's are going to face this problem very shortly. I, for one, sure hope they sort it out and fix it immediately, I'm a somewhat of a pessimist on this one though. If they haven't fixed it by now, with oodles of info.... and warning, ........an intact society to work with........and a known deadline, it concerns me how they think it will get easier. Then again, I could be wrong, won't be the last time.

Sorry, I digress again, my final point is for you to enjoy as much as you can...... Your local, national or worldwide teams over the next few weeks, it may be awhile before you can enjoy in it in the same fashion. Frankly, I've been enjoying my favorite teams as much as I can since I "GI", maybe more so, because everyone else (at least it seems to me)believe's we can "wait until next year". Next year could be a touch different..

Somehow, the things I expect my favorite teams to have to deal with: Considerably less flights available for a myriad of teams trying to meet JIT schedules. Everything is coordinated with every other team/event in same cities. Advertising revenues reduced because of allocations toward keeping the business viable, less fan support at the stadiums/arena's because of previously discussed less discretionary income and enumerable other reasons I could mention. OK, time to stop, I'm liable to get depressed, I love my Sports. My wish to you: May you and your family/friends br entertained and enjoy each other enough not feel a loss for what I feel is inevitable. Darn, I enjoy my sports!!!!!!!!

I apologize ahead of time for those in the forum who see this as a way to help people, not much constructive help here, just something I had to get it off my chest, I'm sure others recognize how much things could change. I can't envision multi-million dollar salaries for much of anyone in the next few years, ok,ok, as if the funds we use now are going to have the same meaning they do today, as they will in the future................(darn, I think I'm in in my pessimist mode, time to get a little more optimistic about things) Actually, for those who don't know me, I really, really like things the way things are now, no matter how much they may seem screwed up, after all, I do live here, I sure can see other places in our world where I wouldn't want to be..............Michael

-- Michael (michaelteever@buffalo.com), December 13, 1999

Answers

Serious situation - I've felt for a long time that if we didn't have sports, we'd have more wars (within communities, states, countries and world).

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), December 13, 1999.

Sherri,

I must agree, very accepted way to get aggression out of the system, so to speak....time to look for a better alternative. Darn, I really like Sports, I love playing, watching, cheering and generally participating in Sports. Oh well, at least I'll be fed, more than I can say about the pollys who aren't prepared at all. Darn, no sports or halftime snacks, now that could be a problem.......Michael

-- Michael (michaelteever@buffalo.com), December 13, 1999.

Michael, you have put into words my very thoughts for the last year and a half I've been a GI! Now I am weaning myself from them, at least my favorite driver won the NASCAR Championship, but can you imagine there being enough fuel, tires, and advertising dollars for Winston Cup? I can't.

Of course seeing you are from Buffalo, you will understand my pain over football going away for a time helps ease the pain of being a Dolphin fan!;-)

This is tempered with the thought, that it is hard to see a SuperBowl at the end of January, so who would want their team to be going this year, anyway, man them grapes is sour!!!!

I only hope that Y2K will be a great "corrector" of many things that have gotten out of the realm of reality, such as sports salaries! Maybe we will get back to players who play because they love the game and are loyal to their teams and not their agents!

We can always devise new and different post Y2K sports, such as watching the rolling blackouts, dodging the roving "rock" bands of looters, something that would remind us of our favorite contact sports??? Watching the blame ball get tossed and seeing which politician can't dodge'm???

-- rumdoodles (rumdoodles@yahoo.com), December 13, 1999.

It will be very interesting to see what is broadcast on New Year's Day. Since they must telecast...those games (I really don't have a clue here)...surely we will see if there are problems in the cities where the games are. They can't hide that... So maybe team sports are a good thing, however boring.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), December 13, 1999.

I won't cry any tears if the Dallas Thugs, ER I mean Dallas Criminals...OOOPS! I meant the Dallas Cowboys go away and never come back...

Now the Dallas STARS (NHL) that is a totally different thing. The hubby and I watched them win the cup early this year with bittersweet feelings.....(Hey if things are realllll bad the Stars will KEEP the cup, right?)

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 13, 1999.

Professional sports as we know them are probably going to end. What will probably take their place are local teams that play in a certain region, like they did back in the first part of the century. Teams traveled by train and never went more than a couple hundred miles from their home. Games were broadcast via radio and force those listening to them to use their imaginations to "see" the game. Salaries will go down, and players will probably play for food or survival wages, like they did in the depression and earlier. There will probably still be a market for these teams, because people are still going to want to see sports. Sports and movies flourished during the depression as escapes from the harsh reality of life.

Having said all of this, I don't see this possible future as a bad thing. Like everything else, sports will have to adapt to the realities of the new century and become simpler and closer to its roots, probably. I'm one of those people who see the current sports industry as excessively extravagant and wasteful in terms of time, money, and lives. I really can't understand the almost patriotic loyalty that modern fans devote to a bunch of paid entertainers. Rock stars come close, I guess, but you don't see those kind of crowds at poetry recitals or the ballet. (although, while I was in Germany, I did see some real enthusiastic fan clubs at LUGE competitions - go figure)

Just some random thoughts.

-- rob minor (rbminor@hotmail.com), December 14, 1999.

Preparing: I enjoy professional sports of all types. I have been involved in sports my entire life...even now. I must agree with you on one point. The only sport I will miss..(worse case scenario, of course) will be professional hockey. I love it!!!! These guys are real men...not like baseball players who go on the IR because of a hang nail or a bruised ego. Hockey players are "warriors" and I will miss them.

Shepherd

-- shepherd (shepherd@sierratel.com), December 14, 1999.

I've been in Ireland in "Gaelic Football" season and it is something to behold. Thousands of cars streaming from one county to another with people hanging out of them with flags and banners; flags and banners at every house and pole; cars decorated. I kept flashing back to the clans riding over the hills on their horses to raid another clan or to battle. So bizarre.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), December 14, 1999.

An interesting post. If Y2K is a disaster here's my predictions:

The Texan Rangers will beat the El Paso Diablos for the Texas League championship. The Astros will finish third behind the Diablos.

My L.A. Dodgers will defeat the Visalia Oaks for the California League championship.

The news of these championships will be delivered by the New Pony Express...just ten days from Sacramento to Kansas City!

-- Darby (DarbyII@AOL.com), December 14, 1999.

You may very well be right, but then again you may not. During tough times, people still crave escapism. During the depression, hollywood thrived. People still managed to come up with the $$ to go escape from life for a while. It may very well be the same with sports. Of course, I would think the economics would change... no more paying an illiterate athlete 10 million a season to play a game....

-- _ (_@_._), December 14, 1999.

The primadonnas of the sports world may well have to adjust to making it on what mere mortals earn, or go back to the only other thing they seem to be qualified for: stealing cars. (Who wants to see the Falcons muck up ye-gods-yet-still-another season, anyway?)

Two words for the future: Cockroach Races. They're fun, they're educational, the competitors don't ask much compensation, and if one loses you can squash it without going to jail.

-- Vince Lombardi (LookingDownAndNot@Liking.It), December 14, 1999.