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New Book Out by Smith College Economist ZimbalistAndrew Zimbalist, whose 1992 book "Baseball and Billions: A Probing Look Inside the Big Business of Our National Pastime," transformed him into the most often-quoted sports economist in the country, has moved his focus from the dollars and cents of the national pastime to the facilities in which its games are played. Zimbalist, who is Robert A. Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College, co-authored and co-edited his new book, "Sports, Jobs & Taxes: The Economic Impact of Sports Teams and Stadiums," with Roger G. Noll of Stanford University. According to the promotional material for the book, in the midst of the current sports building boom, "professional sports teams are demanding and receiving fancy new playing facilities that are heavily subsidized by government. In many cases, the rationale given for these subsidies is that attracting or retaining a professional sports franchise more than pays for itself in increased tax revenues, local economic development and job creation." But are those claims true? The Zimbalist/Noll book assesses the case for subsidies by exploring such issues as the appropriate method for measuring economic benefits and costs; the source of the bargaining power of teams in obtaining subsidies from local government; the local politics of attracting and retaining teams; the relationship between sports and local employment; and the importance of stadium design in influencing the economic effects of a facility. The book, which is published by Brookings Institution Press, also contains case studies of major league sports facilities in such cities as Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco and of minor league baseball stadiums and spring training facilities. In addition to a series of press interviews to promote the book, Zimbalist will participate in a panel discussion presented at Brookings Institution, on Friday, November 21, from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. at Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington D.C. The panel discussion, "Civic Boost or Corporate Con?" will be moderated by David Marash, ABC Nightline correspondent. Along with Zimbalist and Noll, panelists will be Abe Pollin, owner of the Washington Bullets and Wizards and developer of the US Air and MCI arenas; Tom Chema, Cleveland sports complex organizer; and Rick Horrow, NFL facility development consultant. Zimbalist, who was educated at the University of Wisconsin and Harvard University, has been a member of the economics department at Smith College since 1974. Noll, who is a professor of economics and director of the Public Policy Program at Stanford, is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. |
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