Capitalism in European soccer compared to American sports
Posted by Creaven on July 15, 2009 under Europe, United States, World | 
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On June 26, Cristiano Ronaldo completed a $132 million transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid. In strict business terms, Real Madrid bought an asset from another business in hopes of improving its own product. No government, federation or league was going to stand in the way of what Real Madrid thought was a smart business decision.
One day earlier, in New York City, the capital of capitalism, an annual experiment in socialism took place — the National Basketball Association draft. Though the Los Angeles Clippers are arguably the worst franchise in the history of American sports, they were awarded the first selection after another miserable season. A bad team was being rewarded in the hope it would become a better team; Ayn Rand would have barfed in disgust.
In January, I was in Dublin, Ireland staying in a hostel. I had just completed an exhausting week, with lots of sight-seeing and a lot more drinking. But, in my final day in the city (I would return two months later but that’s another story) I was ready to take a night off and go to bed early. Luckily, thanks to the world economy being on the brink of collapse, the hostel I was staying at was nearly empty and I was the only one in my six-bed room. But then the Belgians showed up…..