Winning and it’s Impact on Attendance in the National

Football League

William Bryant

INTRODUCTION

Fans enjoy going to sporting events

Pay good money to see their favorite sports teams throughout the year

Cheer for the athlete(s) who help their favorite teams win on a regular basis

NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB; each team in each sport begins the season looking to win the championship title

Those teams with winning records usually have more people coming to their games (or do they?)

Competitive balance in professional sports is the goal to success for each league Salary cap in NFL (parity) No Salary Cap in other sports

Does competitive balance help increase attendance at sporting events? (MTSU/Big Boi)

If not winning and staying competitive, do teams have a chance to attract sellouts during home games

NFL TEAMS/DATA

1. Tennessee Titans

2. Cincinnati Bengals

3. Green Bay Packers

4. Oakland Raiders

5. Arizona Cardinals

Information gathered from each team’s media guide from 1988-2003

NFL TEAMS/DATA

Home games from 1988-2003

Opposing teams for each game

Number of fans in attendance

Price of tickets per season

Dates of each game (Aug-Jan)

Results from each game (Win-Loss)

GRANGER CAUSALITY

Does winning (Y) have an impact on attendance (C)? In other words, does Y cause C?

No brainer because losing teams don’t attract large crowds (my belief before running the regression)

Results showed each team with a P value less than 1.

Green Bay Packers

Statistical figures shows that team sold out games during losing seasons, which clealy contradicts null. Why?

Lambeau Field/1960

Only sports team in city

Rich tradition (championships/Brett Favre)

Tennessee TitansColiseum/Since moving to Nashville

Fans enjoyed first season in 1999 (Music City Miracle/Super Bowl)

Examination of losing year (2001) saw consecutive sellout streak continue in each of the next three years

Subjective perception

Objective perception

Weakness in Research

Five teams are not geographically close

Three of the five teams relocated during the 16-year period

Recommendations

EEOC’s Guidelines2) Reasonable accommodation

-Criteria for judging accommodation will be the alternatives considered or presented

a) manifest requests – dress

-Bhatia v. Chevron USA

safety concerns about respirator

-Wilson v. U.S. West Communications

covering an abortion pin

b) observation requests – Sabbath days

EEOC’s Guidelines

3) Alternative accommodationsa) flexible scheduling

b) voluntary substitutions

c) lateral transfers

d) job assignment changes

EEOC’s Guidelines

4) Undue hardship based upon a de minimis cost

-Employers should document hardship by analyzing:

-cost of lost productivity

retraining, rehiring, transferring employees, size of

employer, & number of employees

Illegal Accommodation Request

Sutton v. Providence St. Joseph Medical Center

- Sutton believed his religion prevented him from providing SSN to employer

- Internal Revenue Code requires employer to provide SSN with tax withholdings

- Violating law constitutes undue hardship

Recommendations1) Nondiscrimination, anti-harassment policy

a) Include in employee handbook

b) Widely disseminate policy & conduct periodic reviews

2) No Solicitation/No Distribution Policya) soliciting & distribution allowed only in

nonworking areas and times

3) Company wide Traininga) Policies

b) Diversity training

Recommendations“In the event of a complaint”

1) assess events on a case-by-case basis

2) gather information from co-workers

3) keep written statements

4) allow the accused an opportunity to address concerns

“Guidelines on Religious Exercise & Religious Expression in Federal

Workplace”Employee may express religious views as long as it doesn’t infringe on efficiency

Agency may have legal obligation to restrict forms of speech that intrude on rights of others

Affirmed rights of employees to wear religious jewelry, keep pictures & engage in bible studies with coworkers

Workplace Religious Freedom Act

First introduced to the Senate in 1997

Most recently introduced in September 1999

If signed into law it would:

--- require employers with 15 or more employees to make an “affirmative and bona fide effort” to accommodate employees religious practices

Workplace Religious Freedom Act (cont.)

If signed into law it would:

--- more strictly define “undue hardship” based on cost of lost productivity, the number of employees who would require accommodation and the difficulty and the cost for employers that have more than one facility or place of business