Hova, The Games Over

     Shawn Corey Carter, also known as Jay Z (Hova) is a very well-known rapper. Him and his wife, Beyonce’ Knowles are the first black billionaire couple in the music industry. Both couples having their own club and clothing lines as well as selling millions of records helped them become successful. On the other hand, they have other attributions that pushed them to the top of the Forbes list.

Before music, Jay Z explains that he always had a passion for basketball. So he decided to become a partial owner of the Brooklyn Nets.  Jay Z was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York so the team moving from New Jersey was no shock to me. Not only did the Nets move to Brooklyn, their logo and color scheme changed as well. This is just like the Seattle Supersonics becoming the Oklahoma Thunder. This further explains that owners have the upper hand. They can control the games that we enjoy to fit their standards, but is this fair to the fans? In the book, Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love one story indicated how fans were extremely upset with the move that the Supersonics made, and they even tried to protest against it. Unfortunately, fans cannot over ride the decisions that owners make, let alone afford the costly seat prices to enjoy a game.

Some people may argue that the position was available for Jay Z because he was a popular artist, so being the face of the Nets was handed to him. This situation also reminds me of George W. Bush being a partial owner for the Texas Rangers. Does money and rank give them a higher advantage to lead a sport? Even though Jay Z only owns a small portion of the Nets 0.06% to be exact, it still adds up to a lot. According to Darren Rovell an ESPN business reporter, indicated that Jay Z’s share is worth $214,000. This may be pocket change for high paid rapper, but he is still able to do what he enjoys.

Needless to say, sports owners have a high advantage. They can switch a team colors, logo and city just like Jay Z did with the Nets. I can understand the hurt that a city may face knowing that their home team is moved to another city. The Bulls have represented Chicago way before I was born and I could not fathom another city having the Bulls as their home team. These are all memories that play a role in a persons’ patriotism towards their city. Cities may suffer from poverty but the government will make sure that the owners are funded for their new and improved stadiums. Seat prices are extremely high compared to the cost over the past few years, as well as the price of cable is sky high to watch your favorite teams. At the end of the day money talks, and our favorite teams can get swept away!