As Cagan and deMause show, fighting the stadium scam is like trying to slay a many-headed dragon. We fended off the new stadium in Detroit for nearly a decade because we were creative, well-organized and lucky. We bedeviled Monaghan, who gave up in large part because he clashed culturally with Mayor Young. Backers of new stadiums often employ political triangulation. Owners hold addicted fans hostage to their whims.
Politicians blackmail desperate cities.
The media help by marginalizing anyone who dares question the mantra that clubs must be subsidized in order to maximize their profits. Newspapers and television and radio stations depend heavily on consumers' interest in pro sports and usually promote team owners' agendas. There is no natural constituency for opposing stadium-building. Many ardent fans get swamped by their beloved club's self-serving arguments. Staunch baseball traditionalists get marginalized as nostalgic dreamers.