The Sports Franchise Game - by Kenneth L Shropshire Hardcover

About the Book

Kenneth Shropshire describes the franchise warfare that pits city against city in the bidding competition to capture a major league team, using interviews with major players to present an insider's perspective on the business side of professional sports.

Book Synopsis

Power, prestige, and millions of dollars--these are the stakes in the sports franchise game. In this book, sports attorney Kenneth Shropshire describes the franchise warfare that pits city against city in the fierce bidding competition to capture major league teams. Rigorous research, fascinating interviews with major players, stories behind the headlines, and an insider's perspective converge in this rare view of the business side of professional sports. Shropshire portrays a complex web of motivations, negotiations, and public relations, and discusses examples from Philadelphia, the Bay Area, and Washington D.C.

From the Back Cover

Focusing on the issue of franchise relocation, The Sports Franchise Game portrays a complex web of motivations, negotiations, financing, and public relations. Shropshire's in-depth analysis reveals how owners manipulate the franchise system to minimize their risks and maximize their profits. As cities heat up the bidding wars to win or keep a major league team, franchise owners benefit by moving their sports teams from one locale to another, or by simply threatening to make such a move. In its meticulous detail and informed analysis, The Sports Franchise Game provides a startling and memorable study of the business aspects of our national pastimes. The book will be of particular interest to policymakers, sports management professionals, and students of law and management.

About the Author

Kenneth L. Shropshire is David Hauck Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative. He is the author of The Business of Sports Agents, also published by the University of Pennsylvania Press.