NFL teams are owned by billionaires and make huge amounts of money from ticket sales, concessions, and broadcast fees. But when an owner wants a new stadium, or threatens to move, politicians jump through hoops to give them millions of dollars in corporate welfare to keep them, even when local governments are so broke they’ve cut back on essential services like schools, firefighters, and police officers. Gregg Easterbrook has written about this blackmail in “The King of Sports: Football’s Impact on America,” which he discussed with me on America Weekend. He explained why teams should build their own stadiums, why they shouldn’t own the copyright on events going on in public venues, how Congress gives the NFL special treatment, and how city after city falls for this fleecing.
Listen to our conversation here.