Andrew Zimbalist Quotations

I don't think it's going to happen, and I don't think baseball wants it to happen. I think baseball would be inviting congressional ? possibly severe congressional ? response to it. They also would have to negotiate the effects of contraction with the players union.

I don't believe that that's correct at all,

He was able, in short ... to bring the owners together as partners in a way that has never been done before in baseball.

Historically, it's not uncommon for a Super Bowl ticket to go for several thousand dollars. There are some rich people who wouldn't think twice about spending that kind of money.

I think that the NHL is ripe to have some franchises move. Hartford is a viable area when it comes down to that. To be in the Northeast, in New England, with hockey, is viable. I think the economics of the league have stabilized. They're not perfect, but they're a heck of a lot better than they were. I wouldn't draw the conclusion that Hartford can't work. In fact, I think I'd draw the opposite conclusion. I think it's a much stronger location than several of the cities that are currently hosting NHL teams. And I know that there's a lot of talk about franchises moving around. I don't think it's a slam dunk, but I think it's very viable.

I think that there clearly has been some impact. It's a little early to assess the full impact,

I think at the end of the day, the two sides are very reluctant to push this to the brink or over the brink. It just makes no sense. But until you get to the brink, there is going to be jockeying and posturing.

I think the press has been sucked in by the rhetoric of brinkmanship. I've been optimistic all along.

I think they will have to be some greater revenue sharing, reinstitution of a salary tax. But I don't think the big-market owners will agree to everything the smaller clubs want. I'm not sure Bud has got more of a whip than he had in the past. Just because he's been able to keep owners from talking under threat of a fine doesn't mean when they sit behind closed doors, they lie down for him.

I think it is madness. It is not what you would have if there was any reasonable balance between academics and athletics.

My best guess is they won't strike. They know they'll hurt the game and themselves too much if they strike. I don't think they'll tip their hand right now - I'm sure they'll make it sound like they're willing to strike. But my best guess is players will fight the owners with litigation.

You also then have to acknowledge that when the team performs poorly, it'll go in the opposite direction.

The market's been soft, .. and I think that's mostly a result of the new provisions in the collective bargaining agreement.

Both sides go the bargaining table holding cards quite close to the chest and bluffing like crazy, .

Until the L.A. market is settled, I don't think there's any other market out there that stands a chance.

I don't think baseball can abandon the Miami market. If MLB does let that market go vacant, I think it'll be one of the biggest mistakes they ever made.

Baseball does have some slack here. When they were losing $20 million a year in Montreal, there was some pressure to get rid of it. But as long as they are [profitable] in Washington, there is less pressure. They've got eight bona fide $450 million offers to buy the team, and those offers aren't going to go away soon.

People tend to take sides in these discussions. They feel obligated to say baseball is in catastrophic circumstance or no problem at all. I think extremes are misleading. I think there's a problem and it's of modest dimensions.

Until the L.A. market is settled, I don't think there's any other market out there that stands a chance.

Everybody got excited in 1997 and then they got smacked in the face, ... They won't go back for another round when that happens. ... If every time you went to McDonald's there was someone there who threw water in your face, you wouldn't go back, either.

You cannot expect a new stadium in your area or a new team in your area will raise the level of economic development.

You are substituting one set of tourists for another.

Attorneys General in various states looking to get baseball or keep teams would sue baseball on grounds that they're a monopoly and restricting output,

I'm sure there will be thousands of new jobs. But the question is whether they subtract jobs from people working nearby.

In this case I think it's quite unlikely (the team will move). Seattle is a large market and growing more rapidly than many markets, and I don't think the NBA wants to have a sour relationship there.

It will continue the cycle; I think it has to. It's positive to have serious corporations that have the business background to do that kind of work necessary to run teams today.

But in terms of the competitive balance, that's very problematic. It's not likely it's going to have any significant effect at all. We still have a highly significant correlation between payroll and performance. That's really all we're talking about.

They've just ignited the fan interest in St. Louis, and management has been smart enough to maintain that.

It's ludicrous that he's not in the Hall. He's one of the most important executives in the history of the game. He transformed the sport. If the Hall is going include both players and executives, it hurts its integrity for him to not be there.

It seems to me what necessarily has to happen is some concessions from both sides. Whether that is a victory for owners or victory for players, I'm not sure, ... Baseball and Billions.

He's innovated baseball management. He's shown the way to exploit a big city market by spending heavily on players.

I don't think contraction is a viable option.

The market's been soft, ... and I think that's mostly a result of the new provisions in the collective bargaining agreement.