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January 22, 2006
Zimbalist vs. reality, redux
Sports economist Andrew Zimbalist is back on the pipe, yo, with an op-ed in today's New York Times that piles up dubious figures in defense of the New York Yankees stadium plan. Let's take them point by point:
The Yankees have been spending nearly $10 million a year on maintenance at Yankee Stadium - money that their lease allows them to deduct from the rent they pay the city.
Nope. According to the city Parks Department, which runs the current Yankee Stadium, the Yankees deducted $23.5 million in maintenance costs from 2000 through 2004 - or $4.7 million a year. The city nets $7.48 million a year in rent payments from the team, which would be lost in a new rent-free stadium.
Engineering studies say it's time to build a new stadium.
If so, neither the city nor the Yankees have divulged its existence. (I've e-mailed Andy asking for his evidence here, but given our last round of correspondence, I'm not especially hopeful.)
Also part of the $210 million is the state's investment of $70 million into new parking garages. Under the proposal, all parking revenue would go back to the state and more than pay off the investment.
Bzzzt. This is what the city claimed last summer, but it has since revealed that all parking revenues would go to a private garage developer, while the state's $70 million would be a "capital subsidy" that it wouldn't get back.
It's puzzling to say the least why Zimbalist continues to stump for the Yankees project (the first e-mail I got alerting me to his op-ed was titled "Who's paying off Andy now?"), and equally baffling why the Times turned over some of the world's most exclusive op-ed page real estate to shoddy work like this. Maybe the Robert Woods Chair in Economics comes with a "Get Out of Factchecking Free" card.
Sigh... Maybe he met some kids from Hampshire college thru the 5 college exchange...(To be honest there were 0 Hamp students in his class when i took it, 3 Umass, 2 Amherst, 2 Holyoke, and 10 Smithies.) But where was I...He is a New Yorker...So maybe that has somethign to do with it,.,,
You know what i notice with all the new staidums is all about closing down the businesses outside the park and replicating them inside...ie with the team benefiting. I think the sox pay like $1 to shut down Yawkey and kick the hot dog vendors to the back of the stadium....
Ok if i come up with anything else I'll write.. Or perhaps the article is just a plug for the new book??..
Andrew Zimbalist, a professor of economics at Smith College, is the author of the forthcoming "In the Best Interests of Baseball? The Revolutionary Reign of Bud Selig."
Oh yeah and i freaking hate NIMBA's!!!! I'm in the south end of boston and i can't stand all these people complaining about the "silver line" I swear no one can deal with a little bit of disruption for a good future...
All major investment projects, no matter how positive they may be for a community, disrupt the life of somebody.
Posted by NYC20-Never on January 22, 2006 09:34 PM
Is this the same Zimbalist who wrote "Baseball and Billions: A Probing Look Inside the Big Business of Our National Pastime", and "May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy"? On PBS about a year ago didn't he say: �Practically every stadium that's come on stream in the last 20 years in the United States has been accompanied by a consulting report-- these are hired-out consulting companies-- that are working for the promoters of the stadium. They engage in a very, very dubious methodology. They make unrealistic assumptions and they can produce whatever result they want to produce."
Maybe Zimbalist is facing a mid-life crisis and needs Steinbrenner's money for a mistress or sports car?
Posted by Isby on January 23, 2006 01:52 PM
Is this the same Zimbalist who wrote "Baseball and Billions: A Probing Look Inside the Big Business of Our National Pastime", and "May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy"? On PBS about a year ago didn't he say: �Practically every stadium that's come on stream in the last 20 years in the United States has been accompanied by a consulting report-- these are hired-out consulting companies-- that are working for the promoters of the stadium. They engage in a very, very dubious methodology. They make unrealistic assumptions and they can produce whatever result they want to produce."
Maybe Zimbalist is facing a mid-life crisis and needs Steinbrenner's money for a mistress or sports car?
Posted by Isby on January 23, 2006 01:53 PM
What can you do? Can you sue him? Can you write a really good reply, maybe another op ed piece? Please, your response is so good, please get it way out there! NPR? NY Post?
Posted by Steve Ettlinger on January 23, 2006 09:23 PM