Open practice on Sept 21 at Sacred Heart, Fairfield

[Skeets]

Almost my entire professional career was working as a public employee - a variety of county government positions in WI & MI as well at the Universities of Maine and Wisconsin. Part of my job at the county level was preparing and managing budgets and as I am sure almost everyone on this board knows, governmental budgets are so incredibly complex that you can make something clearly red look like its black and vice versa if you are adept enough.

My love of sports has been diminishing over the past decade, driven in large part by the increasing greed and spiraling costs. My non-immediate family is fortunate to have season tickets for the Packers and even though Lambeau is an incredible venue to attend games, I am passing on my opportunity to go to a game this year.

My last bastion of sports enjoyment is UConn, particularly the women's teams, but I am now bothered by the rising cost to attend their games. (I admit it's a double edged sword specifically pertaining to WCBB and the WNBA - I am pleased that both are experiencing increasing public acceptance and popularity. It's unrealistic, I know, but I wish it could happen without the money side of things.)

I am fortunate that in retirement we are quite comfortable and can afford tickets and we do so now and then - took the entire family to see UConn at Minnesota and South Carolina the past couple of years. So even though I'm bothered by the cost, it's worth it for the family bonding and the delight of the granddaughters, especially knowing that my youngest kid can't afford this at her stage in life.

And that's my general concern - when I was growing up, sports and the ability to see events live were affordable to the great majority of the population. Working as a cab driver and substitute teacher in Boston I could still afford bleacher seats at Fenway when they were $1.50. Maybe I'm wrong but I think now going to live sporting events is increasingly only available to those who are reasonably well of financially. I think as a society we lose something because of this.

The last NBA game I went to was over 50 years ago. Today, although I could afford it, I choose not to spend my money that way.

I remember when I was very young that bleacher seats in the original Yankee stadium were $.75 cents. "Reserved" seats were $4.00 and box seats were something like $7.00. I wonder how many kids under the age of 20 even know what a "box" seat is. I also remember my father buying cheap seats, slipping the usher (yes, they had ushers) a couple of bucks, and being escorted to corporate season ticket seats that were not being used.

I think Pete Rose invented selling his autograph to folks in the stands for money. For that reason alone, he should be banned from baseball.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[WiseWillie]

Take a look at its board of directors, staff, fellows, and distinguished fellows.

Hold on BY'ers. This thread seems to have strayed a little off track. Let's keep the conversation on the UConn WBB open practice on 9/21 at Sacred Heart, not on the political leanings of a particular organization. We get more than enough of that just by watching, listening to or reading the news every day.

 

[huskyblooz]

A quick Google search for Yankee Institute funding shows the following: The Yankee Institute is also a member of the State Policy Network, which is connected to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Some reports indicate that the Yankee Institute has received a substantial amount, over $3 million, in anonymous donations from Donor Capital Fund and DonorsTrust, which are entities partly funded by the Koch family. These donor funds have also reportedly supported other conservative organizations.

then don't go.