Every fan has had “the moment.”
You know, the one when he or she tries to figure out what makes sports so worthy of our time, energy and attention – or, say, their own section in the newspaper.
Ultimately, it comes down to their appeal as a welcome distraction from the very real, very serious elements we confront in our everyday lives. It doesn’t matter that you lost your job, or that your girlfriend broke up with you. You can always head to the stadium, catch the game and escape, at least for a few hours.
In the face of disaster, athletics are a rallying point. Be it New York after 9/11, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina or Virginia Tech after last year’s on-campus shootings, communities turn to sports as a way to rebound from tragedy.
In even the worst of times, they give us a source of comfort and a reason to celebrate.
But there’s one major problem with this strategy: It’s gotten really, really expensive to go to a game.
Our economy is in trouble: thousands have lost their jobs or their homes. The dollar continues to lose value. And despite our president’s pleas, economists and television analysts are still tossing around the word “recession.”
At times like these, we’ve always been able to turn to sports. The ballpark has long been a place of refuge for the downtrodden, and it would appear that now would be an excellent time for some sports-driven uplift.
But as Americans struggle with ever-escalating prices for everything from food to gas, the sports industry has done little to accommodate cash-pressed fans.
According to a study by Team Marketing Report, it costs a family of four an incredible $367.31 to attend a football game, including tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking, two programs and two hats. A baseball game would set you back $191.75.
Sporting events make a $10 movie seem like a bargain. The average price of admission is $67.11 for an NFL game, and $25.40 to watch our nation’s pastime.
College football isn’t much better. To see Northwestern battle Michigan at the Big House this November, it’ll set you back $55 a person.
Even at Ryan Field, where students are lucky enough to have “free” admission (since it’s built into tuition), going to a football game can be a costly affair. For most Big Ten match-ups, sideline tickets are $50 a pop, and end-zone seats go for $35.
Sports aren’t a solution to our country’s economic problems, but they’re a welcome escape. Let’s just hope the fans who need them most aren’t priced out.
Assistant sports editor Ben Larrison is a Medill junior. He can be reached at [email protected].
