ABC's 20/20 "Whatever happened to the middle class"?

[StormRichards]

Because the percentage is soooooooo low, the likelihood that any individual will see such violence is really tiny.

I get your point now but not sure where you are coming up with your statistics. Our friends that go to sporting events see fights all the time, most often at the football games.

Also, your stats whether reasonable or not certainly don't apply to drunk idiots yelling. That percentage that witness that at a NFL game would be 100% unless there is a deaf fan(s) in attendance.

For many, like myself, not subjecting my daughter to "are you f'ing blind ref?" is enough of a reason not to want to attend even if hot dogs, drinks and parking were all $1 each.

[Nutria]

I get your point now but not sure where you are coming up with your statistics. Our friends that go to sporting events see fights all the time, most often at the football games.

Also, your stats whether reasonable or not certainly don't apply to drunk idiots yelling. That percentage that witness that at a NFL game would be 100% unless there is a deaf fan(s) in attendance.

OK. As I first wrote, Let's hypothesize "3 fights per weekend with 4 people per fight". If that hypothesis doesn't match statistically relevant observation, then we change the hypothesis...

For many, like myself, not subjecting my daughter to "are you f'ing blind ref?" is enough of a reason not to want to attend even if hot dogs, drinks and parking were all $1 each.

That's also a valid point (though has nothing to do anymore with income).

[TexasHusker]

The purpose of salary caps was team parity, not fan affordability.

Well no wonder I can't afford to go to a ball game !

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I can't even find tickets to buy actually. But the tables will turn and teams will suck and then maybe tickets will become available. Although still pricey. But I heard baseball used to be a cheap family thing. But from what I can tell having gone a couple of times it's expensive. And that's usually just walking up and going to scalpers.

[Spiffster]

Not to promote way off-topic discussion but as a taxpayer you are still paying a pretty penny for sporting events. Those stadiums and arenas cost a lot of money, and guess who gets to foot the bill... certainly not the team owners, or those concession stand pricks charging 7 bucks for a hotdog.

In any case I never understood why people are so into watching sports on TV much less going to the game. Id much rather go out to the park for a game of baseball or flag football with my buddies than get into the sometimes WAY over the top (not to mention expensive) hobby of your average sports fan. I realize im a small minority in this case.