Real Competition

"The defeatist attitude that we always will be Chicago's second team just doesn't fly with me. And we all accept the challenge that we must win again and probably again after that to change the culture. More winning will result in the changing of that culture." - Ken Williams, White Sox General Manager

The above quote is going to get a lot of play today. What it also shows is something more subtle. Ken Williams understands the real competition isn't on the field, it's for the public's dollars.

Sports is entertainment and competes with everything from movies to restaurants to bowling alleys for everyone's limited budget for leisure.

Williams understands that the real reason to win is so that the White Sox will be a more viable business. They have to compete for revenue with, among other things, a business that provides a nearly identical form of entertainment with a much lower hurdle rate for success.

See, when fans blindly throw their money at a team, they remove the incentive to win from the ownership of the team. It's when a team has to compete financially that the incentive to improve the level of entertainment is enhanced.

Some people will tell you that they like going to Cubs games and watching baseball at Wrigley Field. Some of these people buy 81 games worth of tickets per year for multiple seats. Great. Enjoy yourself.

But when these same people say that they also want the Cubs to win, they are fooling themselves. If they have no plans of changing their viewing habits, why should the team change what the ticket buyers are viewing?

Kenny Williams understands this. It's why he has his job in the first place -- the guys before him didn't put butts in the seats.

Williams is trying to keep winning in an attempt to make the White Sox franchise more valuable. He knows that failure for his franchise reduces revenues.

Too bad the Cubs don't have the same incentive. If they had, 13 years of Andy MacPhail would have ended about 5 or 6 years ago.

The reason Andy and his long list of failing subordinates are still allowed to have keys to 1060 West Addison is our fault. We don't demand change.

White Sox fans stayed away because the team wasn't interesting enough. Jerry Reinsdorf kept changing things until he found the right mix. Detroit Lions fans are, correctly, directing their ire at Matt Millen by wearing bags on their heads and wearing t-shirts that say "FIRE MILLEN." The Toronto Blue Jays, one of the most successful franchises of the early 90's, are now spending like there's no tomorrow. Why? In large part in an attempt to attract customers.

Businesses that need to attract customers tend to be more innovative and accommodating. Ones that take the customers for granted tend to be rather unsuccessful.

It's all in the motivation. If the Cubs aren't motivated properly, it's our fault. Both sides of town get this. It's fascinating how each responds.

And pretty obvious.