The biggest lockout loser could be Miami

Posted by Royce Young

With an NBA season hanging in the balance, thoughts are shifting to who has the most at stake right now. Who loses the most without a season? Players? Owners? Fans? Teams?

All of the above, really. But in terms of dollars and cents, Miami loses the most. Not the Heat though -- the city.

According to CBS Miami, the city will lose some $200 million without an NBA season. Parking next to the arena is currently going for just $3. A nearby Buffalo Wild Wings has already seen its sales drop dramatically from last year.

It shouldn't be surprising though. When a $4 billion business disappears, things are affected. A report from Cleveland says the NBA accounts for 35 percent of annual downtown restaraunt revenue. Estimated losses for Portland are $59 million. For Oklahoma City, $60 million. For San Antonio, $90 million.

Some cities like Memphis have considered filing a class action suit against the league because taxpayer funds were used to build a new arena that now is sitting empty.

We all know that a season without the NBA greatly changes things for a lot of people. We've all heard players pretend to apologize to arena workers about it. We've all heard David Stern pretend to call this a tragedy. People are hurt by this. Cities are being damaged. Maybe it's irresponsible for businesses and cities to put so many eggs into the NBA basket, but it's just the way it is.

I live in Oklahoma City. And the overhaul the city has seen in the three years the Thunder have been here is incredible. But right now, a newly renovated arena is sitting there with new outdoor video boards and a brand new grand entrance that nobody is using. And the city is not only paying for that still, but not reaping any of the rewards that were promised to it because of a team.

Projections in OKC early on said the city would add an extra $50 million to the economy with an NBA franchise. But that number is around $60 million now and growing. People wanted an NBA team here regardless, but to that casual person, the promise of an economical boost was enough to vote yes on a new tax to get a team. And now citizens are getting absolutely no return on their investment.

Everyone is losing. Everyone. Except the lawyers. They're winning big.

Via The Post Game

I agree that a 200 million loss is conservative...I owned season tix the year after Miami won the play offs...they were dismal...but its easy to spend extra money in the city...Bayside is a big magnet for money to be spent alone and not only food, hotels and gas....by far.......GREED, THE GREEDY.....GREED IS A SIN.........and we lose the simple enjoyment of a great sport....

The biggest lockout loser could be Miami

oscwahoo Since: Apr 22, 2009	Posted on: November 17, 2011 11:05 am The biggest lockout loser could be Miami That is what I said READ "based on 25,000 people a game, each and every fan in attendance would have to spend $87.00 before going to game". [ Reply to Comment ]
fazman50 Since: Nov 6, 2009	Posted on: November 17, 2011 1:09 am The biggest lockout loser could be Miami I agree that a 200 million loss is conservative...I owned season tix the year after Miami won the play offs...they were dismal...but its easy to spend extra money in the city...Bayside is a big magnet for money to be spent alone and not only food, hotels and gas....by far.......GREED, THE GREEDY.....GREED IS A SIN.........and we lose the simple enjoyment of a great sport.... [ Reply to Comment ]
fazman50 Since: Nov 6, 2009	Posted on: November 17, 2011 12:56 am The biggest lockout loser could be Miami again the upper-midlle class, the midlle class and the struggling working person ....GETS SHIT ON! I say that the rich SOB owners and the greedy SOB BBall players go to hell...do not pass go n go straight to hell! [ Reply to Comment ]
Rocker1018 Since: Sep 4, 2006	Posted on: November 17, 2011 12:53 am The biggest lockout loser could be Miami If the Heat actually generated $200 mil in income for the city they would have paved the streets with gold. Please stop with the hyper-inflated propaganda. People are smarter than this writer, and, by the gist of the article, more honest than him too. Spoken like someone who has no idea how revenue in a city is determined. A lot of you are completely clueless as to how revenue is determined. Hotels Gas Restaurants There you go, three items right there that have nothing to do with money spent at the actual game but is money brought in during game nights. Someone mentioned earlier that a fan would have to spend $85 more than just tickets, parking and concessions to make those numbers. I'm pretty sure that is about right when you consider those three items mentioned above. Add in going to a bar or other nightlife after the game ends and you have more money. Money spent in a city based around a night out at a basketball game has a lot more to do with ticket prices. Just talk about Oklahoma City - when there is a basketball game, the downtown area (Bricktown) is packed with people, eating out, spending a lot of money, drinking ... On a night right now, with no basketball, it is pretty dead. That is all money brought into the city because of the games. Now do you understand? [ Reply to Comment ]
FINS69 Since: May 27, 2010	Posted on: November 16, 2011 7:02 pm The biggest lockout loser could be Miami only a bulls fan would say something like that ....everyone is jealous of (305) ... We still have the girls we could still watch . You still have Oprah and the runner up Bulls ! [ Reply to Comment ]
CubsFan1981 Since: Mar 19, 2008	Posted on: November 16, 2011 4:30 pm The biggest lockout loser could be Miami LMAO @cptmastershake.... love the Princess Bride reference. Where the heck is the 6 fingered man?! [ Reply to Comment ]
skykid213 Since: Sep 19, 2006	Posted on: November 16, 2011 4:02 pm The biggest lockout loser could be Miami hahah, when Miami loses, everyone in the world is happy. [ Reply to Comment ]
nouse4u2 Since: Jul 23, 2008	Posted on: November 16, 2011 3:29 pm The biggest lockout loser could be Miami every nba city has at least one college team that plays basketball- whether d-1, d-2 or d-3- for five bucks a ticket, five bucks to park and five bucks per person at the concession stand, you can get your basketball fix, see more fundamentally sound players and support players and programs who actually care about the game and the fans- the student sections are more entertaining than spike lee heckling courtside- granted you don't get to see the celebrities like washed up, ridden hard and put away wet diane cannon, but the whole experience is far more enjoyable- even better yet, go watch the neighborhood kids play high school or middle school basketball [ Reply to Comment ]
CptMasterShake Since: Sep 17, 2008	Posted on: November 16, 2011 1:49 pm The biggest lockout loser could be Miami There is NO way that the Miami Heat make 200 million dollars a year for the city of Maimi, NO way that Portland, OKC, or San Antonio make their stated numbers. San Antonio breaks down to 2,195,121.19 a game. Based on 25,000 people a game, each and every fan in attendance would have to spend $87.00 before even going to the game. hmmm...when you shot for the boat, you were aiming inland on this one. This article has nothing to do with what fans spend at or for the game. This is about business and taxes "generated" by the added "activity" and traffic in the surrounding area of the arena, viewers attending sports bars (if that actually happens) etc. The superbowl is reported to generate 250$ million in the week it is in town for whichever city. In actuality, it's closer to $55 because of it retracting from already in place revenues, and "preparation" and additions for the stadium and surrounding areas. [ Reply to Comment ]
grifter Since: Aug 16, 2006	Posted on: November 16, 2011 12:54 pm The biggest lockout loser could be Miami Arrogance...you keep saying that word...I don't think it means what you think it means. I know what it means and that was the nicest word I could think of. Thank you very much. [ Reply to Comment ]

If the Heat actually generated $200 mil in income for the city they would have paved the streets with gold. Please stop with the hyper-inflated propaganda. People are smarter than this writer, and, by the gist of the article, more honest than him too.

Spoken like someone who has no idea how revenue in a city is determined. A lot of you are completely clueless as to how revenue is determined.

Hotels
Gas
Restaurants

There you go, three items right there that have nothing to do with money spent at the actual game but is money brought in during game nights.

Someone mentioned earlier that a fan would have to spend $85 more than just tickets, parking and concessions to make those numbers. I'm pretty sure that is about right when you consider those three items mentioned above. Add in going to a bar or other nightlife after the game ends and you have more money. Money spent in a city based around a night out at a basketball game has a lot more to do with ticket prices.

Just talk about Oklahoma City - when there is a basketball game, the downtown area (Bricktown) is packed with people, eating out, spending a lot of money, drinking ... On a night right now, with no basketball, it is pretty dead. That is all money brought into the city because of the games.

Now do you understand?

The biggest lockout loser could be Miami

every nba city has at least one college team that plays basketball- whether d-1, d-2 or d-3- for five bucks a ticket, five bucks to park and five bucks per person at the concession stand, you can get your basketball fix, see more fundamentally sound players and support players and programs who actually care about the game and the fans- the student sections are more entertaining than spike lee heckling courtside- granted you don't get to see the celebrities like washed up, ridden hard and put away wet diane cannon, but the whole experience is far more enjoyable- even better yet, go watch the neighborhood kids play high school or middle school basketball

The biggest lockout loser could be Miami

There is NO way that the Miami Heat make 200 million dollars a year for the city of Maimi, NO way that Portland, OKC, or San Antonio make their stated numbers. San Antonio breaks down to 2,195,121.19 a game. Based on 25,000 people a game, each and every fan in attendance would have to spend $87.00 before even going to the game.

hmmm...when you shot for the boat, you were aiming inland on this one.

This article has nothing to do with what fans spend at or for the game. This is about business and taxes "generated" by the added "activity" and traffic in the surrounding area of the arena, viewers attending sports bars (if that actually happens) etc.

The superbowl is reported to generate 250$ million in the week it is in town for whichever city. In actuality, it's closer to $55 because of it retracting from already in place revenues, and "preparation" and additions for the stadium and surrounding areas.

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