One of the top researchers in the field of the economic impact of sports, Dennis Coates, has rightly gotten a bit sarcastic over at The Sports Economist:*
I read with interest the article on the Ravens' impact on local business activity. It seems that Baltimore Ravens fans have several reasons to celebrate the team. One reason is that were it not for the Ravens success this year, many area residents would have cold heads and bare chests. But because the team is winning, area residents are buying hats and shirts.
Of course, that benefit is relatively small compared to the effects of the Ravens' presence in Baltimore on the area's hunger problem. From reading the article, I learned that many people in Baltimore would not think to eat or drink on Sundays were it not for the Ravens playing in town.
I am also pleased to learn that WBAL radio and 98Rock are able to charge more for ad time than they were last year and are getting more advertising than last year, when they didn't broadcast Ravens games. I am sure that the stations that had the broadcast rights last year are equally happy for the increased advertising experienced by WBAL radio and 98Rock. They were probably just so overcome with joy for their brother broadcasters that they couldn't speak when asked to comment.
So, thanks Ravens, for all the benefits you bring to our city.
*When I originally wrote this, the link to Dennis' post didn't work. I kept in just in case the problem gets fixed and the URL stays the same. I'll make changes as necessary.