BOBBY SHMURDA TEAM

Pro
Resolved: On balance, public subsidies for professional athletic organizations in the
United States benefit their local communities
Some say that professional sports are fundamental to American consumer and viewer
needs. And we agree, the status quo and the past has proven that sports are a vital and
essential part of the quotidian of American life and is key for the US public happiness.
The 3 main arguments we believe that public subsidies for professional athletic
organizations in the Unites States should be given are as follows:

Contention 1 is Benefits in Quality of Life

a.
An increase in professional sports helps bolster benefits in quality of
life for local communities and the generalized location.
b.
Dr. Sarah Wilhelm in 1998 (Economic Research and Consulting Public
Funding of Sports Stadiums DOA 8/15/14,
http://cppa.utah.edu/_documents/publications/finance-tax/sports-stadiums.pdf) says:
Quality of Life Benefits
1. Consumer Surplus. Attendance at sporting events can create what economists call
consumer surplus 8. Consumer surplus is the difference between what a fan is willing
to pay for a seat at the game, and what they actually have to pay. A fan who was
willing to pay $800 to attend a playoff game but only had to pay $50 for their ticket
gained $750 in consumer surplus. Measuring the surplus is difficult if not impossible.
2. Fan Happiness. A local sports franchise may create benefits for fans who never attend
a single game. Fans may follow the franchise in the media and discuss the franchise
with friends, family and coworkers. More than half of the U.S. population lives in a
metro area that hosts one or more franchises from the four major professional sports
leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL). 10 Again, this is a benefit that is difficult to quantify
in standard economic terms.
3. Civic Pride. A local sports franchise will create civic pride, essentially putting the
city on the map.

Contention 2 is Stadiums as Shelters:

a.
For the homeless and victims of emergencies like forest fires and hurricanes,
stadiums provide a safe haven and save many lives. Public subsidies are necessary to
keep stadiums in the local community. In fact, during the infamous and deadly
Hurricane Katrina, a major stadium was vital in protecting the 40,000 lives of
those who took refuge in it.
Duncan 2014 (Duncan, Jeff. "Shelter from the Storm: Doug Thornton Reflects on the
Superdome in
Katrina." The Times Picayune. NOLA Media Group, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Aug.
2014.
<http://www.nola.com/superbowl/index.ssf/2013/01/superdome_series_catching

BOBBY SHMURDA TEAM

_up_w_2.html>.)
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and killed more
than 2,000 people. More than 40,000 took shelter in the cavernous Superdome, and
were saved. To the nation, the Dome (along with the Convention Center) became a
symbol of despair and destruction.
b. Another historical examples is during a major wildfire in San Diego. A
stadium provided a sanctuary for about 10,000 evacuees.
Associated Press 2007 Associated Press. "Football Stadium Now a Shelter for Fire
Evacuees." NBC News. NBC News, 23 Oct. 2007. Web. 17 Aug. 2014.
<http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21435605/ns/us_news2007_california_wildfires/t/footballstadium-now-shelter-fireevacuees/#.U_EhAWRDuQx>.
Like Hurricane Katrina evacuees two years earlier in New Orleans, thousands of
people rousted by natural disaster have fled to an NFL stadium, waiting out the
calamity outside San Diego and worrying about their homes. The similarities ended there,
as an almost festive atmosphere reigned at Qualcomm Stadium. Bands belted out rock
'n' roll, lavish buffets served gourmet entrees, and massage therapists helped relieve the
stress for those forced to flee their homes because of wildfires. "The people are happy.
They have everything here," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared Monday night after
his second Qualcomm tour. Although anxieties ran high, the misery index seemed low as
the celebrity governor waded through the mob. Scarcely a complaint was registered with
him. "Oooh, I got a picture!" shrieked Olivia Beard of Ocean Beach, one of hundreds
who pressed toward Schwarzenegger with camera phones snapping. The fires destroyed
more than 500 homes and 100 businesses in San Diego County, the greatest swath of
destruction in a series of Southern California blazes that began Sunday. Of the more than
250,000 people forced from their homes, volunteer coordinators estimated that 10,000
took shelter at Qualcomm, home of the San Diego Chargers. Others camped out in
hotels, with friends and family and in other shelters scattered throughout the city. With
the stadium housing evacuees, the Chargers were flying to Arizona Tuesday to practice at
the Arizona Cardinals' headquarters for the rest of the week. The team is scheduled to
host Houston on Sunday, but said it was too early to know how the fires would affect that
game.
Contention 3 is Increase in Women Sports Participation
Sports teams, and the stadiums they bring, increase sports participation for youth
and women, two groups who benefit from sports in many ways. Role models in
professional sports increase sport participation for both youth and women.
Mutter, Felix and Pawlowski, Tim. 2013 "Role models in sports Can success in
professional sports increase the demand for amateur sport participation?" Sports
Management Review, July 2013.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1441352313000533

BOBBY SHMURDA TEAM

The motivational effect of professional sports success on already active participants
is substantial. This result is in line with the prior research of Breuer and Hallmann
(2011), IpsosMORI (2009), UK SPORT (2011), and Weed (2009). Due to the estimation
of ordered logit models, this study firstly sheds light on the determinants of that
motivational effect. Spill-over effects of professional sports success on amateur sport
participation do exist and active young people of both genders seem to be the main
target group. This is promising, because young people are the subgroup of intrinsic
interest for many attempts to increase sport participation. However, professional sports
success could only initiate a desire to participate in sports. Surrounding parameters, like
sport infrastructure or national or regional campaigns have to be implemented to
capitalize on these effects.

Female role models encourage women to play sports.

A UN study in 2007: Women, Gender Equality, and Sport. United Nations Division
for the Advancement of Women, December 2007.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/Women%20and%20Sport.pdf
As more and more women and girls serve in leadership and decision- making
positions, their influence as role models and mentors encourages more women and
girls to participate at all levels of sport. Promoting and documenting the successes of
women and girl leaders in the world of sport is an important step in raising
awareness and providing encouragement and support to other aspiring leaders.

Female participation in sports can promote gender equality.

Same Study: Women, Gender Equality, and Sport. United Nations Division for the
Advancement of Women, December 2007.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/Women%20and%20Sport.pdf
The participation of women and girls in sport challenges gender stereotypes and
discrimination, and can therefore be a vehicle to promote gender equality and the
empowerment of women and girls. In particular, women in sport leadership can shape
attitudes towards womens capabilities as leaders and decision-makers, especially in
traditional male domains. Womens involvement in sport can make a significant
contribution to public life and community development.
Conclusion
Its obvious to see the initial and progressive beneficial impacts of implementing the
resolution. A vote for the pro team means that a. you endorse benefits in the quality of
life for local communities, b. Help people in distress with stadium shelters and c. promote
womens and gender equality. A vote for the pro team also is the most real world, the fact
that people can suffer every day, in the case of Hurricane Sandy, a stadium could have
3

BOBBY SHMURDA TEAM

provided shelter, and the gender discrimination that women face every day should be the
arguments we address first in this debate.