Commercialization of Sports

The home-run records have also been baseballs most glorified records and in early nineties players started using steroids helping them hit homers. "Chicks dig the longball," a baseball commercial with the Braves pitchers in the batting cage practicing hitting used to say. The chase for Maris' home-run record captivated America and put the strike of 1994 in the past. In 2005 there now have been Congressional hearings on the issue of steroids in baseball and in the other major sports. The influence of commercialization not only helped lead the players into taking the steroids it also has influenced younger players to start taking steroids because power is what scouts starting looking for. The marketing of baseball has turned people so obsessed with home-runs that when Ichiro broke the single season hit record it basically went unnoticed. The over commercialization of baseball has hurt the way the game is played and the youth that inspire to some day become baseball players.

Money is the driving force behind the sports world and now that players can make the same if not more money from sponsors than from their salaries agents are playing a larger part in the world of sports. Three of the four major US sports have suffered from players' strikes in the last 15 years. The NBA is currently renegotiating the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players and the issue of the agents has come up. David Stern has blamed the agents for the inability to make any progress. The agents represent the players and therefore have every right to be there, but if the NBA fails to get an agreement it will be another indication of the negative impact commercialization has had on sports.