COMMENTARY
Price isn’t so right in sports
Fast food for thought . . .
• Where, oh where, does it end? Reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers are offering Manny Ramirez money comparable to Alex Rodriguez’s $25 million-plus per season makes one wonder if pro sports are headed toward a mortgage-like crisis. The top ticket in the new Yankee Stadium? Try $2,500, with the first four rows in the outfield — the outfield — going for $75-$100. The premium ticket in the new Mets stadium? Reach into your wallet for $495.
Baseball’s not alone. The New York Giants are selling seat licenses for $1,000-$20,000, and that’s before patrons have the privilege of paying $85 to $700 a ticket. Meanwhile, top-tier Super Bowl tickets will hit $1,000 at the end of this season. It won’t be long before the middle-class sports fan is relegated to watching games on television — for a fee, of course.
• Sorry, Penn State fans. The Big Ten just isn’t on the same level as the SEC or the Big 12. Central Michigan’s conquest of Illinois, which beat Iowa, heaped on the proof. As for Penn State losing at Iowa? Inexcusable at this time of year.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech gets its fourth ranked opponent in as many games when it travels to Norman on Saturday to face Oklahoma. What’s the over-under? Eighty? A Sooner win likely would create a tie for the lead in the Big 12 South among three teams ranked among the top six in the AP poll, with Texas part of the logjam. Meanwhile, probable North winner Missouri awaits its chance at redemption.
• The Bills are clothed in denial if they think either Josh Reed or James Hardy qualifies as a legitimate No. 2. They should have addressed their dearth of playmakers in the free-agent market, or by going big-time hard after Tony Gonzalez. What’s clear is that a quarterback who sees the field is of little use if teams can alleviate all fears by taking away Lee Evans.
• You can’t blame Portland Trailblazers fans for wondering if Greg Oden is another Sam Bowie. The difference is that if Oden is ever healthy he will emerge as a force.
• Ron Wilson is working wonders as head coach of the Maple Leafs. Never mind the 6-3 score of Saturday’s victory over Montreal. Look at the Leafs’ colossal 41-20 advantage in shots on goal. A fluke? Hardly. In their five previous games Toronto had 48 shots against New Jersey, 35 against the Rangers, 33 and 42 in back-to-back games with Carolina and 36 against Boston. Now that’s old-time hockey.
• You can say there’s no way the Bills can win with Trent Edwards having a quarterback rating of 49.2. But look at the Minnesota Vikings. Gus Frerotte threw three interceptions against Green Bay, one of them returned for a touchdown, and finished with a 53.4 rating in Sunday’s big win over the Pack. The difference? A pair of safeties and a defense that held Green Bay to nine first downs and less than 24 minutes of possession.
• Does anyone else miss Jim Lorentz in the Sabres broadcast booth?
• The local college basketball season opens this weekend with all of the Big Four in action, Niagara and Bona at home. It’ll be interesting to see what young Canisius brings after the strides it made late last season. I’m thinking the Griffs were undervalued at eighth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason poll. Ditto Niagara at fourth.
• Please include my beloved sports department colleagues Tom Borrelli and Rodney McKissic in your prayers. Both are ailing. It’s been a somber and sobering few days at One News Plaza, compounded by the passing of former hockey writer Dick Johnston, the consummate pro.
