The Yankees haven’t won a World Series in nine years. I mean, if that isn’t a recession, I don’t know what is.
Stay with me for a minute. I know the problems of the economy are very real. I understand there is no joke about people losing their homes or there jobs. But sports are our escape from all of that, aren't they?
But then I got to thinking, then I got to reading. That’s right, despite what you may think, I can read, and occasionally I do think before opening my mouth. I often don't do both, so this is special.
Quick background, the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened on May 26, 1896 with a score of 40.94.
From there it took until 1972 to hit 1000 points. But the scores I am interested in, follow the strike in 1994. So, just previous to the 1995 season, Feb. 23, 1995 to be exact, the DJI hit 4000.
It was in 1995 that the Yankees began a spending spree that, by 2007, had accounted for over $1.6 billion in pay roll. But let’s break it down shall we.
Find TicketsPowered by FanSnap.comThe index began its unprecedented climb. In the first four years, the New York Payroll was No. 1 in the majors only twice, but it did jump from $47 million to $63 million according to USA Today.
So what does that have to do with anything? I mean, tell us something you we didn’t know? Oh, how about the fact that, while the Yankees were on this run of consecutive post seasons the Dow Jones Industrial also pushed its way into uncharted territory.
The Yankees 13 straight playoff appearances are second all-time only to the Braves. But in the grand scheme of things, the Yankees appear to affect or mirror the economy. Atlanta, although a nice city, doesn’t have the same influence over the economy as Wall Street.
So, as the Yank’s were slam-dunking four rings, 13 straight playoff appearances, and repeatedly cracking the $200 million mark, Wall St. was climbing, and climbing. All the way up to 14,100 points it went.
So as Jeter and co. were setting Yankee records, the DJI was setting financial records. Why does this matter?
Well I just find it intriguing that the years the Yankees streak stopped are also the years the Dow Jones and the economy went in the tank.
Follow me from 1995 to 2000 when the Yankees rattled off four World Series Titles, the industrial average jumped from 4,000 to 11,700. Pretty unreal if you ask me, a 7,700 point jump is unprecedented—between 2000 and 2004 it barely moved. You think that has anything to do with the economy knowing the Bronx Bombers were about to cough up a 3-0 lead? I think so. Although continuing to make the playoffs, the Industrial was not as robust as in its growth.
Then the Yankees did the unthinkable, they missed the playoffs, and in that same year the average collapsed. Not only did it collapse, but it went into a free fall around Oct. 1. The same Oct. 1 that saw Jeter, Jorge, and Petite clean out their locker early in pin stripes for the first time.
Now this all looks a little suspicious with the Industrial Average at about 7,800 after the collapse of 2008.
The government was scrambling and they dreamt up a bailout package, as did Cashman and the Steinbrenners. So far the US government has spent approximately $1.5 trillion on a bailout since October. While the Yankees, in their version of a bailout package, have dedicated approximately a $.5 billion to contracts for C.C., AJ, and Tex to keep themselves “a float.”
This conspiracy may be bigger than steroids, greenies, HGH, Pete Rose, and the Black Sox Scandal all together.
But then again, there are no such things as conspiracies right?
No comments:
Post a Comment