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Sports Leagues Want Unforgettable Dynasties, Just Not Too Many Repeat Winners
· New York time
An MLB executive told CNBC that dynasties can be wonderful for a league if spending rules are fair for every team. The assessment captures a tension shared by baseball, football and basketball: fans remember dominant champions, while leagues also have an interest in keeping competition compelling. A celebrated team can give a sport a recognizable story over several seasons. At the same time, supporters of other clubs want a credible chance to see their own team succeed. Rules governing competition and spending are part of how leagues try to balance those interests. Fairness is therefore doing a great deal of work in the executive's formulation. A dynasty is easier to celebrate as an achievement when every team has a fair opportunity under the rules, rather than an arrangement that appears to reserve success for a small group. The debate is also a business question. Leagues sell both the excitement of a title race and the appeal of stars and teams that become familiar to a broad audience. Those goals can coexist, but they do not always point toward the same outcome. Every league would like a champion memorable enough to draw attention and a competition open enough to keep everyone else watching. The trophy, unfortunately, comes in a quantity of one.
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