That was the most expensive event for a family in any sport. An analysis by Paul Kagan and Associates of Carmel, Calif., explains why. Franchises didn't come cheap, either. Those are large prices for teams, but not everyone shared in the largesse. The NFL was at the head of the pack for much of the '90s.
Fans find it hard to relate to such whopping sums.
The athletes say that is exactly what owners are willing to pay. But the increases are out of whack to many. The owners pay the salaries and look elsewhere for money. Most major sports don't have to look too hard for steady, huge revenue. That's because the networks, eager to brand themselves as the baseball network or the basketball network, opened their checkbooks in the 1990s.