[Dales]

So, are the Yankess good for baseball or not?

Is competitive balance in baseball a worthwhile goal, and can the league "legislate" through rules the way to it?

Has there ever been competitive balance in baseball?

[Diddle E. Squat]

J. Stark is brown-nosing to keep better access to the players. Misleading statistics, and twisted logic. Houston isn't even a top 10 market, and nobody is buzzing about the NBA, the only blip was when it looked like the KIngs might have an upset chance. Long-term dynasties are not good if its only one or two.

[OldFriend]

IMHO the yankees and the lakers share one thing in common. Their star player doesn't have to obey the rules......Shaq can mow down the entire team for all the officals care and Clemens can hit every batter on purpose for all the officials care.

SPORTSMANSHIP IS NOT ALLOWED.....ONLY WINNING IN ALLOWED.

[Jen]

Gimme a 'D'
Gimmie an 'O'
Gimmie an 'H'
What's it spell?

DOH!

Have you contributed any yet?

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[LoneGOPinCT]

As a Sox fan I can only speak for my team. The Red Sox will never win a pennant as long as they play in Fenway or a modern version of Fenway. It has nothing to do with The Curse, the Yankees' ability to dominate the free agent market thus allowing them to keep their prospects (they almost never make trades), the Yankees' payroll, or the Yankees' tv contract. It has to do with that damn band-box park which even I love. They will never sign a big name, left-handed pitcher to pitch in the shadows of the Green Monster and haven't had more than a handful of good lefties in their history.

The Sox will never win a pennant because their team has to be built around their park which in the long run hurts them. Sure they are off to a good start this year, but as any Sox or anti-Sox fan knows, it's the long-haul that matters. On the other hand, any team can have a bad century and after that period of time all of the stars can align in such a fashion that they may actually win.

Yes, I hate the Yankees. Yes, I think they have a big advantage over most other teams. Yes, they win because they know how to work the system. But that is the system that is in place and life isn't always fair. Society is full of the "Have's" and the "Have Not's", Achievers and Slackers. The sports world is no different. Revenue sharing is already socialist enough, I'd hate to see professional sports go completely communist.

The Yankees win because they know how to win. They win because they have the apparatus in place which allows them to. The Yankees are good for baseball if for no other reason than they are a unifying target of hatred and contempt. Sometimes that is enough to keep the rest of us going.

[Michael2001]

The difference is most NBA teams have the same amount of money to spend on players. So everyone can compete in the long run