Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Moyer
The Yankees network isn't worth anything if they don't play anyone right? If I'm a team in a small market I wouldn't even waste time making the trip to New York if they're not going to cut me 50% of the money they're making from playing my team. A team like the Yanks could share 50% of their TV revenue with the rest of the league and still have twice the revenue of any other team.
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That wouldn't hurt the Yankees in the slightest (Do you think their TV ratings would drop if they stopped playing small market teams? Exhibitions against Japanese teams would probably do as well as games against the Royals.), but it would probably bankrupt the little teams refusing to play the Yankees, even if MLB didn't revoke their franchise rights. Teams like Tampa and Oakland see their attendances double when the Yankees come to town.
Small market teams are already making plenty of money under the current system. Their owners (at least the ones who are more worried about making a profit than fielding a competitive team, which appears to be the majority of them nowadays) don't have any incentive to change the system.