Just when the fire is hot there is only one thing to do, throw some fuel on it. I never was a very good boy scout.
According to Forbes the Marlins franchise increased in value during the present recession.
Major League Baseball where rich clubs help the poor through revenue sharing, suffered a classic middle-class squeeze. Valuation gains showed up in the top six spots and in seven of the bottom nine. But those in the middle--clubs like Atlanta, San Francisco, Texas and Cleveland--lost value.
"It's easier to revive a small-market club, where you can get young (and cheap) guys that play well together," says Tilliss. Example: The Florida Marlins, who went young and cheap and contended for much of the season on a low payroll, saw an 8% jump in value. The San Francisco Giants, still trying to carve out a post-Barry Bonds identity, patched a veteran roster together and lost 5% of their value.
Wall Street would love the Marlins business model.
MLB isn't the only sports league that has revenue sharing as implied by the article.
I'm running out of time here, but I have a lot more to say on this subject. Maybe later today. Maybe not. We will see.