Fenway Sports Group LLC, managed by John Henry, owns the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team. This group also owns Liverpool Football Club, a soccer team in the English Premiere League. Though it may seem that the business of owning these two sports franchises is very similar, the structures in which each franchise exist are very different. Discuss three (3) significant business advantages that the Fenway Sports Group has with their Major League Baseball that they do not have with their English Premiere League team.

You are talking to a friend about this class and you mention that the owners of most professional sports franchises are billionaires who made their fortunes in other business sectors. Your friend is impressed and states that it makes sense that these successful "capitalists" could easily focus their business talents on owning and operating a professional sport since the professional sport is just another capitalistic business. You point out that owning a professional sports franchise in North America may be a better example of socialism than capitalism. Your friend can't believe that you would take such a radical (and un-American) view and states that you do not know what you are talking about. What are three (3) arguments you would make to defend your view that professional sports leagues in the U.S. are socialistic structures?

An executive in the sports industry has spent the last few years as Chief Operating Officer of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She recently became the Chief Executive Officer of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Discuss three (3) major differences in the roles and duties associated with her new job as the leader of the WTA compared to the roles and duties she had as an executive with the WNBA (focus on structural issues).

Marketing activities related to the upcoming Major League Baseball playoffs are currently underway. However, MLB has to market something very different than the cars, beverages, services, and electronics that will be advertised by other companies during the playoffs. Discuss three (3) differences related to marketing the "MLB product" compared to marketing other products advertised during the playoffs.