1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports show, or we 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: explore the big money issues from the world of sports. 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Sound like we're gone and I'm Mike Lynch. Scarlett Foo 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: is off today, but she'll be back next week. Coming 5 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: up today, we have a couple of topics to talk 6 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: about that are rocking to sports world. But let's start 7 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: with baseball. I'm just gonna simply ask, Mike, are we 8 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: playing this year? What's going to happen? I don't know. 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: The only encouraging thing I see of all of this 10 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: is their meeting every day this week and we're talking 11 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: about President's Week here, so that's a far cry from 12 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: the great distance they had between negotiations once the lockouts 13 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: started back on December two. That's the encouraging part. The 14 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: discouraging part is that both sides are far apart. Neither 15 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: one of them are yielding at all, neither one of 16 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: them are budging. And we've seen how this has played 17 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: out before. It's been a long time. You have to 18 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: go away back. But I think people should prepare for 19 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: the fact that there could be a delay to the 20 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: start of the regular season, which is supposed to be 21 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: March thirty one. That's right, Major League Baseball. They told 22 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: the Players Association a labor deal must be reached by 23 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: Monday in order for Opening Day to come off as 24 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: scheduled and the one hundred sixty two games season to 25 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: remain intact. And Mike, that's is not looking good right now. 26 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: It isn't. And right now they've already postponed nine spring 27 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: training baseball games. And we're going to get into some 28 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: of the numbers from some of the big players in 29 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: a moment. But my heart goes out to all the 30 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: people that work at these minor league complexes in Arizona 31 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: and Florida. They're all retirees. They work as ticket takers, ambassadors, concessionaires, 32 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: parking attendants. And it's also a destination for school vacation 33 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: parents bring the family down to go watch a spring 34 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: training workout or spring training game, maybe get an autograph 35 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: or two. And that's all gone right now, and which 36 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: is really kind of shame. As for the players themselves, 37 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: staggering numbers that they'll be forfeiting and giving up if 38 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: the Major League Baseball season is truncated. For instance, Max 39 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: Scherzer well four for two hundred and thirty three thousand 40 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: dollars per game, Garrett Cole over an hundred ninety three 41 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: thousand per game. Then you go down to the guys 42 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: who are making the major league minimum of six hundred 43 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: and thirty thousand per game, they're gonna lose almost thirty 44 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,959 Speaker 1: dollars per game. I mean, that's a lot of money. 45 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: It's period. I mean, you know, it's it's let me 46 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: let me start from what you were saying about, you know, 47 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: the minor the clubs, uh in spring training clubs. One 48 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: of the best games I had ever seen for the 49 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: Tigers was at Joker Marchand Stadium in Lakeland. I loved it. 50 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,119 Speaker 1: It was great, and you had the concession stands there 51 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: every I mean, everybody's trying to do their job there, 52 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,839 Speaker 1: and and you know, it's a lot for the economy 53 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: for Lakeland and all the other league is also anybody 54 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: in the Cactus League also as going through the same thing. 55 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: I mean, this is very serious. That the one topic 56 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: that I really wish that they would iron out, and 57 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: I am behind them definitely on this is minor leaguers 58 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: in general. It's like, we got to boost that salary 59 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: up for them, Mike, because they're making peanuts obviously compared 60 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: to the major leaguers. Some of these guys are making 61 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: like five thousand dollars for an entire month in the 62 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: minor leagues. Not to mention that Major League Baseball eliminated 63 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: forty minor league teams during this past offseason. They went 64 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: from one sixty down to those cities and towns all 65 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: across America that depends so much on income and just 66 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: business and chamber of commerce, you name it. Um, that's 67 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: all gone. And it's very hard for for the average 68 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: fan to have any empathy for anybody in this thing 69 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: because the owners um have a bit of greed themselves. 70 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: They're guilty of that, and they lose a lot of revenue, 71 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: broadcas s revenue tickets. This is everything we talked about 72 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: during the pandemic. So nobody wins in this right now. 73 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: There isn't There isn't one person, There isn't one side, 74 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: There isn't one faction that you can say this is 75 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: the winner and this is a loser. There was something 76 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 1: I forgot about what happens if you have a work 77 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: stoppage and once fifteen days of the regular season are missed, 78 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: the free agent eligibility of some players will be delayed. 79 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: By a by a year unless management agrees to give 80 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,919 Speaker 1: some credit, and that's a big thing that's going and 81 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: they never have given credit in the past when they 82 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,239 Speaker 1: have gone back back to playing and finally have settled. 83 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,119 Speaker 1: This is a big deal because you need six full 84 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: seasons in the major leagues to be eligible for free agency. 85 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: And one of the big problems that the players see 86 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: is that owners are holding players in the minors for 87 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: the first two and a half weeks of the regular 88 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: season and then bringing them up to the major league club, 89 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: so they have them for six plus years because they 90 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: don't get full credit for that that first year. So 91 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: that's something that you're right. There's just so many, so 92 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: many spokes to this story. There's another big sports topic 93 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 1: to talk about, and it involves lefty. Phil Mickelson apologized 94 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: for comments about the Southeast and I proposed super League. Gee, 95 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: I wonder where we heard that super league idea before 96 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: that collapse, But you know it's listen. I obviously the 97 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 1: man can swing a golf club like anybody else in 98 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: the world, but I can't even swing a fork. But 99 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: it's like, don't bite the hand that feeds you, man, 100 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: It's I don't know, maybe maybe I'm thinking about this wrong, Lynchie. 101 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: Well over the Saudi Super League over there, the Saudi 102 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: Arabian government is put up two billion dollars to attract 103 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: some of the top players in the world and bring 104 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: them away from the PGA Tour, and some players are 105 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: being offered as much as thirty million dollars just to 106 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: show up, whether they finished for st or last. They're 107 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: going to get thirty million dollars for competing in this league, 108 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: which will only have somewhere between ten and twelve events, 109 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: unlike the PGA Tour, which starts in in January and 110 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,799 Speaker 1: runs all the way through the end of October. Um 111 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: Philip Mickelson made some disparaging remarks about the government of 112 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabia. I won't go into them, some of them 113 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: are very graphic, but he did come out on Tuesday 114 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: of this week and apologize for his comments. But it 115 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: was costly. Uh. Two of his biggest sponsors, KPMG and 116 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: am still Light, have severed ties with him, and Phil 117 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: Mickelson is second only to Tiger Woods in off the 118 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 1: course endorsements. Last year some forty two million dollars from 119 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: his sponsors and endorsements, so he loses two big ones 120 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: and KPMG and am still light now. He claims that 121 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: the words were off the record and not meant to 122 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 1: be shared publicly, but he went on to say it 123 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: was reckless and I offended people and I am deeply 124 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: sorry for my choice of word. And you know, the 125 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 1: bottom line is he wanted he was hoping his comments 126 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: are leading to this impacting the p G A Tour 127 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: or changed to it. Uh, and instead it'll be a change. 128 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: But I'm wondering if now the p G A is 129 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: going to be strongly bonded. Yeah, there will be. In 130 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, has said 131 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: that anyone that goes over and it just takes one 132 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: shot in this tournament over here is banned from the 133 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: PGA Tour for life. And a lot of the young 134 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: guys are very happy over here. They want to win 135 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: a Master's jacket, they want to win a US Open championship, uh, 136 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: they want to win a British Open championship, and they 137 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: just see it as a league for guys who are 138 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: transitioning from the PGA Tour to the champions Tour. Guys 139 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: like Phil Mickelson, who's over fifty years old right now, 140 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: and for them, it's a very interesting and very enticing 141 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: opportunity for them because they can't compete with these young 142 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: guys anymore. They can't reach a lot of these par 143 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: fives and two and it's tough for them to Although 144 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: Phil did win the p GA last year, it's very, 145 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: very tough for some of these guys to compete with them. 146 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: So it's it's one of those things that's gonna be 147 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: tough to resist. I know a guy, Lee Westwood is 148 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: is taking a good serious look at this right now. Now, 149 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: it should add the comments were made to golf writer 150 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: and author Alan shipnuk Uh and he's writing a biography 151 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: on Michelson is supposed to be out in May. I'm 152 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: wondering if if that's going to be affected by this 153 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: is Phil madded shipnuk or what's going on. Well, some 154 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: of the its it's an unauthorized biography, so and those 155 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: that the writer does take some liberties, and we've seen 156 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: them in all kinds of unauthorized biographies over the years. 157 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: And Michelson does know this this author and has a 158 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: fairly decent relationship with him. But you know, it's one 159 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,599 Speaker 1: of those times where you know, you say something and 160 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: you wish, oh my god, I wish it was she 161 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: was a string. I could just pull it right back 162 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: and put it in my mouth and had just erase 163 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: it forever. But there's no delete button when you're talking 164 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: with someone, right exactly. Well, I hope Phil Mickelson, as 165 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 1: he said, that he reflects on what he said and 166 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,839 Speaker 1: and maybe in the end this will make him an 167 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: even better person. And let's see what happens. I mean, 168 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: I know I've I've gone out on dates and boy, 169 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: I wish I had that a RaSE button which I 170 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 1: could just say no, bring it back please. It's like, 171 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: oh man, But let's let's hope that that this situation 172 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: irons itself out and we get to move on. This 173 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast. Catch us here 174 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: each and every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, sploring the world 175 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: Money in Sports on Michael Barr. You can catch me 176 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: on Twitter at Big Bar Sports, and I'm Mike Lynch. 177 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: You can follow me at Lynch w CVV. You're listening 178 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: to Bloomberg Business of Sports on Bloomberg Radio around the world.