Capitalists in Socialists’ Kits: The Answer
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This pair of posts was inspired by a brilliant insight from my sports and capitalist loving wife (how far you’ve come babe!)
If you said that Industry A was Europe and B was the USA - congratulations, you’re right. If you knew that Industry A was the English Premier League (soccer) and Industry B was the National Football League (USA – American football) – even better.
The argument that America is considered more capitalistic and Europe more socialist simply fails in the case of sport.
Here’s the explanation of each table-entry:
Dominated by 4 major entities
- The “big four” (Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal) almost always win the major trophies.
Key assets may be bought and sold
- Players are sold or bought for cash. A top player will be sold for £30m or more. That does not include the salary. That’s simply buying the rights to the player from another club. This can be an easy way to make money for a struggling club.
Salaries for employees have no restrictions
- Player salaries are negotiated separately
No labor unions
- Just like it sounds
New employees are recruited at a young age and developed through extensive programs for many years
- Teams have youth academies that take players from their pre-teen years and educate and develop them. The best go on to play for their clubs (or get sold for a profit).
The bottom 15% of performers are terminated annually
- In a league of 20, the worst three teams are expelled at the end of the season. While the best 3 from the minor league are promoted. This repeats every year. (by far my favourite part of the sport. makes every game until the end count)
Employs people from across the world
- The best players from every country play here (and many leave their home leagues to play here because of the competition.)
* A “kit” is the English term for an athletic teams’ uniform or what Esther might wear to the gym. What I wear to the gym is called a t-shirt and shorts – also known as a slob.
