High gas prices can’t shut down Pistons on the road
A possible looming recession doesn’t appear to be affecting the Detroit Pistons’ attendance — leading the NBA at the turnstiles for the fifth time in six seasons — and the motor city’s bad boys didn’t run out of fuel during a back-and-forth playoff series where the Sixers surprisingly put a little gunk in their carburetors before the Philly economy car broke down in game six. Which raises the question, how will a clogged-up economy affect ticket sales at major sporting events in the U.S.?
The rebate check is in the mail from Uncle Sam — or more appropriately, Yosemite Sam — so you better start planning which game you can afford this summer or which brands of peanut butter and jelly to buy.
I’ll be heading to see the Asheville Tourists (Colorado A affiliate), thanks to my free cash from El Presidente. Oh yeah, it’s not free… I’m pretty sure it’s the money the IRS will conveniently take away from me at some point.
I haven’t been to a Major League Baseball game in at least five or six years. And no wonder, ticket prices at some professional events cost as much as a full tank of regular unleaded.
The Atlanta Braves — nearest in proximity to where I live — generally speaking, have pretty good fan packages. But with gas at $3.50 per gallon and higher, do you think many people — having to drive several hours — will make the trip? So until gas drops back down to $2 for a fill up, I’ll be content to watch Asheville manager Joe Mikulik have another classic meltdown — a SportsCenter dream come true of course — and perhaps he’ll treat Ashevegas to an encore of sliding head first into all the bags this time around; and maybe a shoe shine for the home plate umpire.
Having offered you that semi-nonsensical and contradictory preface, I’ve been trying to drum up some plans with my soccer hooligan buddies to go see L.A. Galaxy — and David Beckham — take on D.C. United this summer. And I guess I want to get a peak at Man U’s former favorite son since a lot of soccer pundits — Brits especially — thought that Becks was out of gas after coming to America to play in a clearly inferior league than the Premiership where he starred before leaving the Red Devils in favor of Real Madrid in La Liga. But Beckham seems to be as pretty as he ever was — healed ankle to boot — and is faring well in the MSL, with a goal and 4 assists in only 5 games, while helping feed striker Landon Donovan, who netted a hat trick against Chivas last week for a league-leading 8 goals.
I’ve always speculated that, as gas prices rise and the economy gets shaky, much like Detroit in games one and three in the playoffs, consumers spend more of their hard-earned cash on cheap liquor, cigarettes and condoms. Aren’t there any studies on that yet?
People need an escape in hard times I guess. And as the bank takes your house due to a delinquent subprime loan payment, your boss cuts your pay, your health insurance claims you have a pre-existing mental condition, be sure to check out a minor league game this summer and drink plenty of 32-ounce Coors Light. Don’t worry about drinking and driving. The car is runnin’ on E.
“30,000 wheels are spinnin’
and oil company faces are grinnin’
now my hands are turnin’ red
and i found out my baby is dead
the big three killed my baby
no money in my hand again
the big three killed my baby
nobody’s coming home again”
-white stripes
Tags: Asheville, Asheville Tourists, atlanta braves, Big Three, Chivas, Chrylser, David Beckham, DC Unitedigh, Detroit Pistons, Ford, GM, hgas prices, Joe Mikulik, LA Galaxy, Landon Donovan, Manchester United, minor league baseball, MSL, NBA playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers, rebate check, recession, soccer, white stripes