So the big news today is that Tailwind Sports could not find $15,000,000 per year worth of sponsorship to replace the outgoing Discovery Channel backing, and will now disband. Fifteen million, for one team. That looks to be about twice the annual budget of usacycling. Personally I'm glad that this sum of money didn't go into supporting just one team of professionals, especially when it appears to me (accountants in the audience please chime in) that about half of the usacycling budget comes from the members. Of course, about 80% of that goes right back out for insurance. The other big ticket item was 2.6 mil for "100 coaches training 600 athletes."
Remember when Micheal Jordan wanted to play minor league baseball, and he ended up practically buying the team he played for? This deal reminds me of that. We've got a handful of riders at the top of the sport making more money than the budget of the entire minor leagues. Not cool. You would think that someone would realize that putting money into the farm teams could be more beneficial then putting it all into the pharm teams. Eventually if enough events and little development teams managed to survive, there might be more talent to go around and you wouldn't have to pay seven figures to get a decent rider. Or something like that. Thanks for reading.
A Bloodhound Gang reference.
ReplyDeleteI tip my hat.
Oh, I get it now.
ReplyDeleteLet's do it like they do it on Discovery channel.
OK then, where's the syringe?
While I somewhat share your sentiments, I suspect you are measuring apples against oranges.
ReplyDeleteThe big money is spent after an analysis of the advertising return for that money. The sponsors believe that they can get the requisite bang for their bucks via the world seeing their names on the fronts and backs and sides and butts of the riders.
To the sponsors it is merely a cost/benefit analysis decision.
Hahaha. Good song. Fits..
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to those goofy franchise teams and that parallel universe racing federation of about 5-10-15 years ago? Did they have the right idea? Has the tennis world recently adopted a similar strategy?
Tell you what.. this sport is expensive enough that all of the support available from all my sponsors barely covers the tip of the iceberg. I'm spending my money like water, in order to race, week after week.. Like many, I seem to turn a blind eye to the cumulative effect on my household budget.. after all "amateur" means "for the love of".. but yeah there comes a point where you look at Disco and realize that even the most trivial of bennies these boys get (got) is no doubt worth more than my entire season of entries, team kits, gas, and tires.. and it goes without saying that it's a large burden to stay in front of..
The elite team I was part of in 1990 paid for all of my kits, all my tires (Corsa CX and CGs) and all my entry fees.. Do teams such as this exist anymore? Probably do and I just suck too much to be a worthy candidate.. Or maybe that kind of support is history? Either way, it seems to be unlikelier than ever..
provocative, insightful, ... solobreak.
ReplyDelete"You would think that someone would realize that putting money into the farm teams could be more beneficial then putting it all into the pharm teams."
ReplyDeleteWell put.
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