When Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's regular season home runs record by hitting 61 in 1961, there was call for the asterisk in the records books. Babe Ruth hit 60 HRs when teams played 154 games. Maris 61 HRs spanned 162 games.
Being a lifelong RedSox fan, I naturally look to find issues with the Yankees. The RedSox have certainly spent their share of money over the years and have incurred a luxury tax a few times themselves. The 2009 World Champions have to pay a hefty luxury tax for amassing such a huge payroll this year. Click the link embedded in the title, above, for the details.
Seems to me that there should be an outcry for "the asterisk" indicating the 2009 championship incurred a substantial luxury tax.
Further, the NFL has a hard salary gap that fosters parity so that small market teams such as Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis are major contenders and championship winners (Pittsburgh and Indianapolis). The Yankees are the poster child that cries for a MLB salary cap.
Barry Bonds has disappeared from sports world as his breaking the revered Hank Aaron's all-time HR record was tainted and overshadowed with doubt. Though spending tons of money to win a championship does not rise to the level of steroid use, doesn't such behavior turn fan away from the game?
Teams should NOT be allowed to spend at will to buy a championship in any sport. There should be a level playing field. After all, Americans tend to stress fairness and favor the underdog.
If MLB does not want to impose a hard salary cap, they should at least consider the asterisk for the Yankees or any other team that wins a championship by thumbing their nose at spending limits.
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you know Ed, I have thought about this a lot and I have very mixed feelings, on the one hand there is the american way, be the best you can be, live the american dream and George has done the best he can with his riches and for a winner I would expect nothing less, If I had his money I would do the same. Some years he has been very successful and others he has spent a ton of money and done poorly. As a life long Yankee fan I appreciate the fact that the owner will assure me that the team I love to watch will always have tallent, and that is why I watch. As a life long Redskins fan I have a owner that continues to spend money unwise, buys free agent after free agent and coach after coach and money has bought him a place at the bottom of the pile year after year. So I do see the Yankee management as beeing part of the sport and knowing how to play the front office game and win. The other side of me does root for the underdog, does believe in leveling the playing field. As a Red Sox fan I would wonder do you watch more Yankee games than say Seatle or Texas matchups with the Red Sox? I would guess yes. I know for me that is true. Would the Red Sox World Serise championship have been as sweet if they had not beaten the Yankees to get there, I don't think so. I know the Boston dominance of the celtics died with Red. I think in a lot of ways that will be what will happen in time with the Yankees. I do believe that Money can make it easier to get championships and raise the percentage of getting it. But the Redskins are proff that Money alone can't buy championships.
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