UPI en Espanol  Pro teams losing may not mean losing money
Sept. 29, 2011 at 11:40 PM 1 of 2 | License Photo ITHACA, N.Y.,
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Revenue sharing, television contracts and
other non-gate income make it possible for MLB teams to make
money whether they win or lose, U.S. researchers say.  Stephen
Mosher, professor of sport management and media at Ithaca
College, N.Y., noted that the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have just
posted their 19th consecutive losing season -- the longest
stretch of futility in any major professional American sport --
have been making millions of dollars annually.  In fact, the
cost of signing top-flight players to lucrative contracts would
take a deep bite out of annual profits, leading some analysts
and economists to conclude that if the Pirates turned themselves
into winners, they wouldn't be helping their bottom line, Mosher
suggested.  "The situation with the Pirates is just one example
where a team would benefit more from losing than winning,"
Mosher said in a statement. "Ma