BUNDESLIGA ÜBER ALLES

Jack Bell reported in last Tuesday’s New York Times that the German Budesliga has the highest average attendance in the world (nearly 42,000 per match for the ’08-’09 season), the lowest ticket prices ($28 per game compared to nearly $60 in England) and parity (three first division champions in each of the last three seasons).

The article quotes Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert as saying the league is very happy for these numbers in light of the world economic crisis that began in 2008. “We have combined relative financial health with good performance on the pitch,” he said. “We believe it shows how good the Bundesliga business model is.”

The article is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/sports/soccer/09goal.html?scp=1&sq=Bundesliga&st=cse

Good Sports

A good friend of mine who was a successful high school and club coach once told his team that sportsmanship awards “are for losers.”

Maybe he should tell that to Wayne Gretzky. Or the Haddonfield High School girls soccer team.

Gretzky, possibly the greatest hockey player of all time, managed to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy five times. The Lady Byng is awarded to the NHL player who shows “the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." Gretzky also had his name on four Stanley Cups, was named MVP nine times and play-off MVP twice. If that’s being a loser I’ll take it.

Turning to high school soccer. Each fall the coaches of the Colonial Conference in South Jersey rate opposing players, coaches and fans on sportsmanship. The past six seasons the Haddonfield girls team finished first in the voting. Losers? Not unless you call five South Jersey Group two championships and two State Cups over that time span being losers. (They’re also pretty good students. Forty-four players in the program were on the honor roll this past fall.)

Sorry, my friend, but I think you’re wrong on this one.