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Utah Jazz: Travel expenses hurting Jazz, other local teams

And I'm supposed to feel sorry for multi millionares that have to pay a few bucks more to fly their chartered air planes?
They'll just raise ticket prices.

We're all feeling the pinch from higher feul costs. Even if Larry Mille's Sports & Entertainment Group has to spend extra on travel costs, I don't think it's going to affect his lifestyle. The Jazz are worth over 200 million, with multiple players earning over 8 million per year. Paying a little on jet feul isn't going to make me feel bad for the team. What's the difference between netting 100 million on the year compared to 98 million?

You could charge a fee to the players and they could use some of their easy earned money to help out their franchise. Sorry, not feeling too bad for you

I feel so bad for these spoiled millionaire athletes. I vote that the State of Utah raise taxes and Miller raises ticket prices so that these athletes can continue private charter flights and "top" hotels. How can they possibly play basketball if they are forced to sleep at "regular" hotels that most of us? My heart goes out to each one of them...bless them.

I also feel terrible for theses athletes. I mean, how can they afford to feed their families. $90 million goes fast.

It has been really hot in the Middle East this summer and their air conditioning bills have sky rocketed. I feel really bad for them! Why don't we pay a little more for our fuel so they don't feel the pinch on the billions they make. Give me a break Deseret News - you seriously have no credibility if you write stories like this. Why don't you put some effort into world news that actually matters instead of this trash.

Just look at the picture of D-Will and Brewer accompanying this article. The fuel pinch has even forced them to wear bowling shoes around. These poor, poor millionaire athletes...what is this world coming to?

Tell me that's a nickname and not an actual name!

I'm crying crocadile tears! Poor, poor, poor, NBA athletes. What are they going to do? And I bet they have to pay what us peaons have to pay in their Lamborgini's. Whaaaaaaa!

To the professional athletes and organizations: SUCK IT UP!!!!

I am soooo done with watching these boobs!

The answer is very simple - Reduce expenses! Player salaries are outrageous. While talent acquisition is important, as a business you have to manage the cost of acquisition against expenses such as travel. Obviously, this is not an easy thing to do given the player's association and existing contracts. My concern is that the ticket holder or fan will end up paying for these luxurious expenses. Attending a professional sporting event is already beyond the average fan's economic ability to pay. This will further distance the game from the average fan, which overtime will jeopardize the ability for certain sports to remain financially viable and relevant to their existing fan bases. I recommend alternative forms of travel such as Greyhound, Southwest Airlines etc... If you look at history, bus travel was a common method of transportation for all sports. With all of the other issues we have as a society, it's hard to believe that this would make the front page of our online newspapers...

These guys make more on travel per diem per day than I do per day in addition to multi million dollar salaries and I am supposed to feel sorry for them. Come on DesNews, why bring this up in the first place? I am sure they will all survive.

Why are so many of you railing on the athletes? It's not their fault the cost of fuel has gone up. What are they supposed to do...take a pay cut because their employers cost of doing business goes up? Yeah, right. Just like all you poor whiners are voluntarily taking pay cuts at work because your employers costs are rising. It's not a matter of how much they get paid or where they stay. It's a matter of their employers cost to get them delivered to the venues where the income is generated. Don't forget, the owners sign those contracts that include salary and travel perks too.

NEWS FLASH...it's called good ole American capitalism at work...supply and demand...As long as you whiners pay the ticket prices the player salaries will continue to rise. Don't fault D-Will for signing a market value contract. And don't be so naive as to think the players should bail the employers out because their cost of doing business rises.

Get a life!

Oh, and let us know when you take that pay cut to support your employer's rising business costs. Losers...

So DesNews... Let me get this straight. These profitable entertainment organizations are struggling because airlines are charging 10-15% more? You do realize that with airlines' fuel expenses increasing over 100%, that they have much more of a burden than these sports org's. You make it sound like the airlines are the villains because they're raising their fares. How else would you suggest airlines offset the much more than 10-15% increase in their travel expenses? Airlines are going out of business every week, cutting jobs, going into bankruptcy protection, and making some very difficult decisions because they can't offset their higher costs; and you're worried about profitable sports franchises travel budgets increasing 10-15%? Wow.. I'm a little unimpressed.

This news just breaks my heart! Perhaps the NBA should stop paying them these outrageous salaries or make them pay their own travel expenses. I hope they don't have to cut back on the number of cars they own. I'm a public school teacher/coach, and I often pay for not only my food, but often for food of athletes who can't afford to buy their own. School districts all over are feeling the effects of increased travel costs and these guys are crying? This is the reason why I have lost interest in professional sports.

Who cares about the pro teams they can raise ticket prices or what ever. The big question hear is the collage teams. They are running around on the taxpayers dime, and the school systems are crying they don't have enough money. Cut the programs and do what schools are supposed to do, teach!!!

Im a little surprised by all the negativity.

1. Realize the players have nothing to do with this, all these agreements where made in there respective CBAs.

2. The idiot that said whats the difference between netting 98 mil over a 100. Ha, you really think the Jazz have ever made that much in a yr...lol. I cant speak for the Bees, but Real is losing money and the Jazz up until recently had been losing money. Now they turn a very small profit.

Lastly I think the whole point of the article is to point out that you should be lucky to have owners that keep a team in such a small market when they could make more money elsewhere.

Mr. Miller is having tough times with transporting his professional teams. Costs have risen and have cut into his budget. News flash...everyone's budget is being cut into. Unfortunately, the only way we average workers can meet these increases is to work more or spend less. I would recommend this same philosophy to Mr. Miller. Either sell more cars, cut back on salaries, or take the bus!!

What a stupid story. Like the common man really cares if these millionaires have to pay a little more? Cry me a river. In comparison, the additional that they are paying isn't as much of an impact as it is for me just to take my kids to school.

Here's the biggest problem. This increased cost doesn't affect big market teams like New York, Boston and LA, but it will affect every small market team like Utah, Minnesota, Portland... You going to see fewer teams playing in small markets becuase the small markets can't afford these price increases. The players will still get paid the same, but the Jazz won't be in Utah anymore within 10 years. If the Sonics can leave Seattle, then the Jazz can leave SLC.

WHO CARES!!!!
I wish I could get paid by my employer to PAY for my travel expenses back and fourth to work. These overpaid brats should pay their own fare. These guys gives me the creeps. Talk about sitting in their Ivory Towers!