What is it about money?
What is it about a rectangular piece of paper that pretty much governs everything in the world right now? It is used in exchange, it is used in all economic activities undertaken, it pretty much is the axle, the lubricant that makes the wheel of life rotate nowadays.
"MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING, BUT MONEY IS NEEDED FOR EVERYTHING"
Places where economic affairs are of interest in today's world, the talk of money is nowhere in the minor scale (rather) being on the larger side of things. Is there any exception to this fact? Well, definitely not in the sporting world atleast.
Ever since the influx of corporates in the sporting spectrum, the major talking points have always surrounded around the cash-rich ventures. Players, stakeholders, team value(economically), brand value etc hold more precedence today in sporting conglomerates which seem more interested in filling their already bulging and cash-rich coffers and who else to aid this than the corporates who seem more than interested to bend to the whims and fancies seeing more profits as a result. After all,it's a win-win for both parties ain't it?
Leaving questions aside and refraining from beating around the bush let's delve into what people demand, proof!!
The amount of money being pumped into the sporting world is of gargantuan proportions, agreed! Citing business prospects and promotion of sports teams as lucrative brand pieces has been the primal reason for the aforementioned reason. Sports teams' indulgence in branding themselves as possible sales magnets lead to reasons believing that nowadays sport more than an inclusive activity has become more obsessed with money-mongers. The price tags are always associated behind any moves sporting organizations make nowadays. Brand endorsements, lucrative deals, advertising, social media are all just spokes in the wheel that make the "corporate" sports teams roll on like a well-oiled machine. But who is to blame them when at the end of the day people do have to earn money don't they?
The interest taken by companies in measuring the successes of these associations makes for a lot of good viewing on facts and particularly "figures"!! Now Forbes one of the biggest magazines in circulation who spend more time counting the fortunes of individuals than individuals themselves carry their annual report of counting down the top earning, cash-rich sporting clubs among all sporting disciplines. Many others follow suit releasing their own version of measuring the financial might of the above mentioned criteria.
One look at these stats tells you these people aren't fooling around. There is serious money involved. The marriage between marketing and monetization involved in sport make it a perfect match for people seeking profitable business agendas. Today the game is no more about just people coming to stadiums to see and cheer on their favourite stars sweat it out for success. It is also bragging rights for those fans about the sporting ability as well as the financial might of their favourite teams. Singling out individual stars for brand promotions also go a long way in stimulating growth both individually and also on a collective basis.
Then comes social media. No wonder the brands are smart enough to understand where people spend most of their time and tap into it in a manner where all their brandishing initiatives catch the public eye. Social media nowadays consists of paid partnerships between brands and teams who are paid just for releasing a photo of them wearing and endorsing any particular brand of importance. The money being paid just for posting a photo is just enormous and it isn't primitive enough with the teams. It extends over to the players who are paid hefty sums for the same. Facts don't lie and modern sport demands the fact that huge sums of money be pumped into the fore.
It is not an acceptance of fact but is a universal truth that nowadays money governs sporting activity unlike before when values like loyalty and administrative governance held forte. Primitively speaking about football for a change (it being my favourite sport,partisan) football club transfer records were few and far between with the world record fee for a player being paid for Cristiano Ronaldo for €94mn in the summer of 2009. What was hailed as a record sum back then now looks like pennies. After the 2009 world record sum was shattered when Manchester United paid €105mn (whopping) euros for a certain Paul Pogba. It was already assumed to be a long time until a sum over €100mn (also mention Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a 100 million euros) would be paid. Lo and behold, within the summer of 2018 that figure (105 million quid) has already been shattered five times over with the latest record being an earth-shattering 222mn euro move when some blokes from Paris signed the cheque for Brazilian star, Neymar. A sum that would bring tears to many eyes is just a figure making up the numbers in a list already looking like it could put a gaping hole through the football clubs coffers. But who cares? If you can't beat them, buy them. If you can't buy them, lure them.
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| MUCHO DINERO EH!!! |
Then comes social media. No wonder the brands are smart enough to understand where people spend most of their time and tap into it in a manner where all their brandishing initiatives catch the public eye. Social media nowadays consists of paid partnerships between brands and teams who are paid just for releasing a photo of them wearing and endorsing any particular brand of importance. The money being paid just for posting a photo is just enormous and it isn't primitive enough with the teams. It extends over to the players who are paid hefty sums for the same. Facts don't lie and modern sport demands the fact that huge sums of money be pumped into the fore.
It is not an acceptance of fact but is a universal truth that nowadays money governs sporting activity unlike before when values like loyalty and administrative governance held forte. Primitively speaking about football for a change (it being my favourite sport,partisan) football club transfer records were few and far between with the world record fee for a player being paid for Cristiano Ronaldo for €94mn in the summer of 2009. What was hailed as a record sum back then now looks like pennies. After the 2009 world record sum was shattered when Manchester United paid €105mn (whopping) euros for a certain Paul Pogba. It was already assumed to be a long time until a sum over €100mn (also mention Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a 100 million euros) would be paid. Lo and behold, within the summer of 2018 that figure (105 million quid) has already been shattered five times over with the latest record being an earth-shattering 222mn euro move when some blokes from Paris signed the cheque for Brazilian star, Neymar. A sum that would bring tears to many eyes is just a figure making up the numbers in a list already looking like it could put a gaping hole through the football clubs coffers. But who cares? If you can't beat them, buy them. If you can't buy them, lure them.
EVOLUTION OF THE WORLD RECORD TRANSFER FEE OVER THE YEARS. LOOK AT THE STEEP CLIMB
There hasn't been one sporting discipline that is not suspect to this manner of activity. Huge transfer sums, lavish amounts of money being showered upon players as wages and lucrative package deals offer great value to both individual and the team overall. Of course, success on the pitch, court or wherever translates to success off it and no wonder people and organizations have earned it. But does milking money and filling thy coffers with it makes for healthy picture, does it create a cloud of doubt over the future of sports as being more of a money-driven move rather than as a part which people enjoy doing for their own satisfaction and health.
HOPE I HAD ATLEAST 10% OF ANY ONE OF THOSE. HELP ME AdSense!!
It leaves us with more questions which can be answered only by the future. Till then asking questions of the nature of the sport may seem futile, debates will rage on with people being subjective on the intent of money as a factor in sporting activities. Hopefully time will prove to find an able antidote for the same.
This was one of my best reads in the past week . Good stuff.
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