Introduction
Sports play a very vital role in the American community. Professional sports have continued to bring major benefits to most communities in the American public sphere. These benefits have spanned political, social, and economic spheres. Professional sports receive enormous support from the public and hence have continued to impact the daily lives of citizens. Sports play a critical role in promoting important values like justice, fair play, and teamwork. This paper will look at how professional sport has brought immense benefits to local communities, with emphasis on the Chicago area.
Chicago is one of the largest cities in the U.S which a large presence of popular professional sports teams. Popular teams in Chicago include the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Chicago White Sox of the Major Baseball League (MBL), Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), among others (Baade & Victor, 2001). All these teams have impacted the social and economic development of the Chicago area tremendously.
One positive impact that has been brought about by professional sport is the increased revenues by the local businesses as a result of increased spending by visitors and the residents of the community.
There is a direct expenditure that boosts businesses relating to transportation, hotels, and the food industry, and those selling souvenirs (p. 24).
These revenues, on the other, leads to more taxes that are used to improve social services in the community.
They help support local social services and other tax-supported activities like any other income payments originating from sources outside the community. The additional dollars brought about by the spending play a crucial role in promoting the economy of the city. Furthermore, the presence of these teams in the Chicago community has brought with it a sense of pride to the residents who feel associated with the success and popularity of the teams in the national arena. They have brought with them a sense of civic pride and community awareness. Also, sports have motivated many young people to engage in physical exercises as a result of watching adult professionals who are fit. Thus, it has helped in mitigating risks relating to weight problems. The fame that comes with being professional players has motivated many kids to engage in sports instead of engaging in less rewarding activities like watching television (Jasina &Kurt, 2008).
Additionally, professional sports have been cited as one of the largest contributors to integration among various races in the United States. Their integration of both Black and White players played a significant role in bringing about harmony among different social and racial groups in Chicago (p. 42). All the players have now become role models for young people who view them as a model of success worth emulating, regardless of their racial or social background.
Moreover, there has been an increase in the physical development of the Chicago area through the building sports facilities like stadiums and infrastructure. Through these initiatives, there has been the creation of more job opportunities for residents as generating more incomes for businesses. All these have spurred economic growth in the area. A study by in 1988 on the impacts of sports in the Chicago metropolitan showed that professional sports teams in Chicago contributed approximately $700 million to the city’s economy in 1985 (Baade & Victor, p. 26). Thus, the economic impacts brought by these sport teams cannot be underestimated.
Even with all these benefits that are associated with the Chicago metropolitan, there those who argue that professional sports has not done anything significant to the development of the Chicago metropolitan. Some argue that instead of spending huge sums of money financing the building of large franchise stadiums, the money should be channeled in other community projects like education and roads. Also, professional sport has been accused of fueling conflicts between rival groups which has on various occasions led to fights (Jasina& Kurt, p. 47). Other people have become too obsessed with the sports at the expense of doing other productive work at home or in offices. Furthermore, the majority of the revenues that accrue from sports go into paying huge salaries for players, coaches, and those who train and little is invested back into the community. All these reasons have been cited by opponents of professional sports who see it as less beneficial to the Chicago neighborhood.
Conclusion
Sports have become part and parcel of the American society in general and the Chicago community In particular. The benefits accruing from various sporting activities, especially professional sports, are immense. There is a need for investment in more sporting activities, especially among the Chicago urban poor through providing cheaper and accessible sporting facilities. Also, professional players need to play a more active role in motivating other upcoming players and also serve as role model for young people. Sports are part of the daily lifestyle and therefore it should be promoted in ways that will bring about more benefits as opposed to costs.
References
Baade, R, and Victor M. (2001). Home run or wild pitch? Assessing the economic impact of major league baseball’s all-star game. Journal of Sports Economics 2:307-27.
Jasina, J and Kurt W. (2008). The Impact of a Professional Sports Franchise on County Employment and Wages. International Journal of Sport Finance. Web.