The Paducah Sun du lieu suivant : Paducah, Kentucky • B6

6B Friday, April 11, 2008 The Paducah Sun PORTS paducahsun.com BY RACHEL COHEN Associated Press NEW YORK A sports fan faced with rising mortgage payments and a sagging stock portfolio might think twice about buying a ticket to a game. But the reality of sports business is this: Those concerns matter much to the bottom lines of major league teams. Amid the talk of bank bailouts and slumping housing prices, the sports world chugs along not quite oblivious, but not as anxious as some other industries, either. are concerned, as sure all businesses are during a NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said. not prepared to say recession-proof.

I think to an extent recession-resistant, Analysts who follow sports leagues agree. big ones really do have an aura of being somewhat detached from short-term economic said George Van Horn of IBISWorld, which evaluates a wide range of industries. During the 2001 recession, he said, the sports business continued to grow, just at a slower rate. One main reason is that the major sports leagues derive so much revenue from long-term television contracts, which guarantee stable income. TV also plays into the equation in another way.

say many fans, feeling a crunch on their discretionary income, start attending fewer games. But they still care deeply about their teams, meaning they watch more of the action on TV. Higher ratings can mean more money for the leagues. if they go to games, still consuming said David Carter, executive director of the University of Southern Sports Business Institute. And history shows that economic downturns seem to drain passion, no matter what happens to their pocketbooks.

some cases, that fandom is a sanctuary during difficult Silver said. Representatives for Ticket- master and StubHub said the companies have not noticed any decrease in ticket sales yet. Carter predicted that if sports leagues feel the pinch from a recession, it will be because of spending cuts by corporations whose money become more reliant on than that of individual fans. guy in the seat is less significant than 20 years Van Horn said. Season tickets have a greater impact on finances than sales to individual games.

By nature, they encourage a long- term commitment. Fans with season tickets are often reluctant to give them up, even in lean times, for fear of losing access to prime seats. Recession not likely to hurt major league teams BY RICHARD DURRETT McClatchy-Tribune Services NASCAR research and development usually focuses on minute technical details such as gear ratios and air displacement. Last winter, one topic was fan displacement. The racing giant took note of increasing numbers of empty seats and declining television ratings during the 2006 and Cup seasons.

It determined its most ardent supporters were watching six minutes less of the races than they had previously. Research also showed those fans were attending half as many races as they used to an average of three to five as opposed to six to 10. NASCAR has addressed what it considers erosion to its foundation, the core fans who have followed the sport for years long before there was a Chase, a Texas Motor Speedway, a Car of Tomorrow or a Toyota parked in Victory Lane. That mean going back to abandoned tracks such as Rockingham or North Wilkesboro. But NAS- CAR chairman Brian France and several NASCAR executives talked with track presidents to get an idea of how to better serve the loyal fans.

The sanctioning body has a new marketing campaign, NAS- designed to thank fans, especially the longtime fans, and remind them why the sport means so much to them. It also has loosened rules pertaining to driver conduct and done an about-face with tangential issues such as race day entertainment. is different from other sports in that most people grow up competing in it like baseball or said Mike Helton, NAS- president. NASCAR fans must spend more time to understand the nuances and strategy of the sport. That commitment and understanding translates into fans with deep roots in the sport the so- called We have a tremendous respect for these most dedicated fans who represent such a big part of So far this season, the news is get- ting a little better for NASCAR.

Television ratings for the first five races on Fox showed a 7 percent increase over 2007, not counting Monday finish. still up 4 percent if you include California.) Ratings for viewers 50 and older are up 14 percent. Overall ratings in the Dallas- Fort Worth market have increased 13 percent. Attendance at the Daytona 500 increased slightly, but it lagged at Las Vegas, Martinsville and Atlanta. Inclement weather might have hurt the Martinsville and Atlanta races.

TMS officials expect about the same number of fans for race as last year. It might be an indicator that the core fans are re-engaging with a sport. Or at least they are watching more of most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt as he stays in contention most weeks with a top team. no doubt that everyone agrees there was too much change in a very short amount of said Ray Evernham, a longtime participant in Cup racing. think what NASCAR is doing are good Dealing with changes Andy Hillenburg talks to some of core fans every day.

part of the responsibility that comes from purchasing North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham for $4.4 million in an auction last October. Longtime NASCAR fans grew up around the track, which held Cup races from 1965 until 2004. It was sold to Speedway Motorsports Inc. and its last remaining Cup date transferred to Texas Motor Speedway. e-mail inbox fills up and his phone rings regularly as passionate fans want to talk about coping with widespread changes to the sport in recent years.

Many of them feel NASCAR forgot about them in an effort to attract new fans. Some are disheartened by NAS- departure from traditional locations such as Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. Others know what to make of a playoff system, a foreign manufacturer and a new race car. happened more than anything is that there have been Hillenburg said. you change something someone really likes, they say, did you do Fans were frustrated.

They like all the Core fans are vocal. Many wrote letters in the off-season to NASCAR headquarters, mostly addressed to chairman Brian France. One fan detailed 12 things wrong with the sport. Another writer, Chris Hohman from Washington, signed his letter as an ex-racer and fan and I want to stay that know they go back to the way things said Hohman, 45. can understand bringing in more fans, but I feel like pushing me away.

not the way racing used to NASCAR also talked with its television partners about moving some races earlier in the day. old line, hardcore fans were accustomed to going to church on Sunday morning and watching it that NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said. start races all the time like that anymore, but trying to come up with more consistent start Even the pre-race entertainment was analyzed. Hunter said many longtime fans like last lineup and wanted the sport affiliated with country music again. NASCAR plans action to regain traditional fan base Associated Press Carl Edwards, front, takes the flag in front of Jimmie Johnson to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup series Sam- sung 500 race in Fort Worth, Texas, with another big crowd of faithful NASCAR fans watching..