With Lebron coming to Miami, what effect will it have on the City and jobs?

[BoredOutMyMind]

Is it likely the economy will improve with Lebron coming to Miami as far as jobs and other opportunities???

[Maria de los Angeles]

You might want to post this question over at this thread: The Official Welcome to Miami LEBRON JAMES Thread

[Matt Meltzer]

Well, I mean there might be a few more sports opening up for concessionaires at the American Airlines arena. Ticket scalping might become a slightly more lucrative industry. Also, parking lot attendants may become in higher demand.

Past that, we're talking 41 games a year here. 55 if you count the Playoffs. So aside from maybe 100,000 or so more visitors over the course of basketball season, I'm not thinking this puts much of a dent in our gross unemployment.

Pro sports reviving a city are pretty rare occurrences. Maybe Pittsburgh in the 70s and New Orleans now. Past that, look good the Pistons and Red Wings have been over the past decade, then look at the city they play in. Neff said.

[fredgarvin]

I'm not sayin I agree with this, but a writer at the Herald has this to say:

LeBron means big bucks flow to Miami - Miami Heat - MiamiHerald.com

Being from Chicago and experiencing the Championship and 5 'petes," I'd be hard pressed to see this kind of response long term.. But I guess, anything that helps the local economy is good. Nevertheless, I think Matt's sage warnings should be used to temper 'irrational exeuberence!'

[Blackford Oakes]

After reading that article FG, maybe we can eventually sell our Miami perches for a profit.

I'm not certain how the windfall is going to play out in Miami. There will be streams comming in in, but this is not Cleveland. It is estimated the each home game brings in a revenue of $1M. The Heat this year I believe only had two post season games at home.You have to calculate they'll go deeper next season - maybe 6m. Money will trickle down to the local economy and our minds will be distracted from any oil flows off the Eastern Pennisula for awhile. The city of Miami and MB will get free advertisements nationwide and all that. It will be felt here more than perhaps Chicago or LA which has more attention diversification than Miami. There is plenty of math ahead of us to measure the benefits but I'll think Miami will be better off than Lebomb because how he handled HIS transition. Wasn't THE DESICION his marketing move to conquer world markets ? Wonder what Nike is thinking on the flop.

The Heat catapulted in value overnight, just behind NYK and LAL. Lets hope it trickles down to those that need the immediate help.

By the way: What did you mean by 5peat ?

[Blackford Oakes]

FG - AS AAA is the only arena that has a dock, perhaps we can rent our balcony's to those that want to view Lebomb yacht his way to work. In my case, I'll have to discount the cost, as I'll have to grab heels for those who want a side view of the approach from my balcony.

I understand the phone is ringing off the hook the the Heat offices for sponsership/ advertisements, so the effect has already begun. Hopefully Michelle and Gus will reap in as well.


There will be many clever ways to milk the situation. That is our nature.

[fredgarvin]

We had 2 3peats in terms of NBA championships in chicago. SNL had a superfan episode (when MJ was on just before the second championship) talking on how the bulls would repeat 8 times calling them 'peats.' Thus, the first championship and 5 additional (or 5 peats) albiet with a 2 yr gap.


Let's see if the Heat can rack up some 'peats!'


Love to see a positive economic impact, but other than for lebron, I dunno.

Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Bill Swerkski's Super Fans

[sungal]

As far as jobs, I'm sure a few of the below average heat dancers will be replaced.

[Blackford Oakes]

We had 2 3peats in terms of NBA championships in chicago. SNL had a superfan episode (when MJ was on just before the second championship) talking on how the bulls would repeat 8 times calling them 'peats.' Thus, the first championship and 5 additional (or 5 peats) albiet with a 2 yr gap.


Let's see if the Heat can rack up some 'peats!'


Love to see a positive economic impact, but other than for lebron, I dunno.

Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Bill Swerkski's Super Fans

Fred help me out on this one: Riley got the copy right on the term three peat when he was in LA. I know that prohibited CHI using the term without paying. What was the term that was actually used ?

[fredgarvin]

As I understand it, you are spot on!

[Maria de los Angeles]

I think this is only going to help the Miami Heat and a particular sector of businesses that only wealthy Miamians can patronize.

Do you really think the average Joe from Hialeah is going to spend more money because of this? Sure, he'll continue going to the games because he's always been a fan. He'll pay $10 to park where the crackheads are but he's probably not going to take his rugrats and wife to eat at Bayside just because Lebron is playing here now.

And this certainly isn't going to convert people into basketballs fans.

Oh, and we're totally forgetting about the new Museum Park ... I think THAT is going to bring way more locals and tourists downtown on a regular basis than basketball.

[Maria de los Angeles]

Another Lebron article from the Herald: LeBron James could mean millions for Miami tourism - Sports Breaking News - MiamiHerald.com (basically a shorter version of the previously quoted article).

Real estate agents say James' move drove up the price of at least one condo near the American Airlines Arena, and home buyers want Heat tickets as part of the deal.


The star already has snack named for him: the "Le-Brat James" bratwurst at the Shake Shack in South Beach.

But as Lesley Abravanel said on twitter: "Yeah, he made Cleveland into such a hot spot."

Twitter / Lesley Abravanel : Yeah, he made Cleveland in ...

[Blackford Oakes]

I think Cleveland will suffer more than Miami benefits. The main beneficiaries will be the sweat shops in Indonesia and Vietnam and a clever few in the states.

Advertisers will have a field day, both in Miami and Madison Ave.

Wonder if Lebomb recieved his 1st spanish lesson yet.

[Blackford Oakes]

The NBA is outfitted by Adidas. So Nike is f..... in a way. No complaints here.

[Mario]

I doubt Lebron being here, will make a huge financial impact. Has anyone ever tried seeing if Shaq had a large economic impact on the city? I can't picture this fictitious Miami Herald title: "Lebron James creates 100,000 new jobs in SoFla".

[Blackford Oakes]

As far as jobs, I'm sure a few of the below average heat dancers will be replaced.

Maybe they can get Betty White to be a dancer to compliment her 2011 Calender. That might even draw Matt to gio to a few games and cheer for the Heat.

[Matt Meltzer]

I have been boycotting the NBA since 2006. I only go to games when other people give me tickets. And I despise this Heat team so much, I am seriously considering becoming a part of Laker nation just because they're really the only team that has a chance to make LeBron look like an idiot for making this decision.

I saw that spectacle on Friday. It made me wonder if our city is capable of doing ANYTHING with class. When the Lakers signed Gasol, did they feel the need to do that nonsense? When the Celtics got Garnett and Allen, did they have an arm-flexing contest at a crowded arena? No, because those tow are class organization. The Heat is a trash organization and a poor reflection on our city. That being said, working at Finnegan's River yesterday, I was reminded that sad as it is, that reflection might be accurate.

AAAANYWAY, yeah, a lot of what's going on right now is the initial exuberance and euphoria over the signing. Which, lets be honest, is waaaay premature. I was actually not here when Shaq got traded, but was the buzz the same? Seems to me like a similar situation with similar expectations. And, as I remember, aside from some renamed gyms it didn't transform Miami into some huge hotspot. I'm always amused by people's optimism over stuff like the, but let's be honest: It's not transforming the city. It'll just make the games bigger events.

And Maria, nobody form Hialeah is going to any Heat games. They've priced out (sell outs meaning you have to buy through brokers. The face values are still reasonable, I suppose) anyone who doesn't want to spend $100 a ticket so it becomes an elite event. This is how it works for the Lakers, anyway.

[Maria de los Angeles]

Matt, so who are all those people crossing the street on Biscayne when there games? They must be affording something. However, that turns me off to organized sports and this publicity campaign even more if our citizens can't even attend games.

I do agree though this is all must be initial hoopla, no pun intended.

[fredgarvin]

So, as I understand it, youz guys think LeBron will NOT: fix the bp oil spill, get unemployment down to 2% in soFla, break our dependance on fossil fuels, shelter and feed the homeless, and generally, bring about universal peace.

But will he bring a championship? And if so, how many 'peats?'

After all, he is "bringing his talents to south beach!"

[rk]

I and the TibetanMonkey are hoping his coming will result in more and safer bike paths.