“Take me out to the ballgame…” 

…If you can afford it.

Sporting events bring us together. But nowadays, a trip to the big game is out of reach for many Americans.

That’s because sports are a big business — and most teams are owned by billionaires or investment groups that want to squeeze as much profit out of fans as possible. 

Ticket prices alone have skyrocketed in recent years. But the price gouging doesn’t end there.

When you’re at the game to watch your favorite team, you’re a captive customer who can’t leave the stadium or bring in outside food. So teams know they can charge you an arm and a leg on concessions — sometimes double or triple what you’d spend across the street at a restaurant or grocery store for the same item.

When you add everything up — it costs the average family of four a fortune to attend a single game. Who can afford that?

But here’s the kicker, you’ve already paid most of these billionaire team owners with your tax dollars. 

In the last few decades, professional sports teams have raked in over $30 billion dollars in public funds to help build major league arenas. Sports teams and their billionaire owners have taken advantage of all sorts of sweetheart land deals, property tax breaks, and other public funding. I’ve got a whole video about the sports stadium scam you can watch later. 

It’s bad enough that we’re subsidizing extremely profitable sports teams with our tax dollars, but we’re letting them charge us $17 for a beer and $11 for a damn hotdog? 

There’s a way to tackle this. 

States and cities should pass what are known as “street pricing” laws for any stadium or venue that receives public funding from taxpayers.

This would require that stadium food and drink be sold at prices comparable to nearby bars or restaurants outside the stadiums. Street pricing is already being used effectively at some airports across the country.

Look, sports teams that are getting big taxpayer subsidies for their stadiums shouldn’t be allowed to just rip off the public. 

Not at the concession stand.

And not at the box office either. 

If sports teams are getting public money, they have a public responsibility to make tickets affordable. 

That way you can actually…TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME.