The Meaning of Success: Let the Rich Show Us the Way

At a time when the Yankees have exercised their right to optimism, to the tune of over $400 million for the services of three players, the Dallas Cowboys, "America's Team" no less, went crashing short of the playoffs with a no-show against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

It was perhaps a bit of foreshadowing from the Good Lord, courtesy his favorite football team, an example of what may transpire for the Bronx Bombers come October, a reminder that throwing money at the problem of winning doesn’t really work.

If you are the Cowboys, you could try to blame the perils of "any given Sunday." No matter what kind of talent Jerry Jones can lure to Dallas with mammoth signing bonuses, there is no escaping the salary cap, and the fact that 16 games over the course of four months is precious little time for any kind of superiority to tell.

A run of three indifferent weeks could mean the difference between a healthy 11–5 (though not so healthy for this year’s Patriots) and a forgettable 8–8, and the single elimination format of the playoffs can deny even the greatest of teams (just ask last year’s Patriots).

If you are the Yankees, you can try to blame October. In spite of the fact that they grossly overpay, they have regularly fielded teams of elite talent and through the time afforded by 162 games, have regularly made the postseason.

But once there, it’s all about who’s hot for that month, and so it has been the better part of the decade since the Yanks have taken it all, indeed it’s a relative rarity for the best team in the regular season to become World Series Champions.

Across the pond in soccer, the shock and awe approach to team building yields similar results, in spite of a system that is much more equitable. The lottery of a playoff system is absent and schedule strength is a non-issue, as every club plays the other home and away.

Yet the obscene wealth of Chelsea and Real Madrid have not allowed them to outdistance the merely extreme wealth of their respective rivals Manchester United and Barcelona, who have an equal chance at any trophy. The returns of buying talent diminish considerably, especially when up against the alternative of developing it.

When the costs are so high, especially given the returns, why do the superpowers of sport still insist upon throwing around hundreds of millions like pocket change? One answer is that they can; that is, they have so much money that $100 million for a one percent increase in the likelihood of success may simply be an acceptable price. 

Another is the cold truth that sport is also business, and that the act of winning can be counted not only in terms of championships, but in the financial statements as well. In an age where there’s no such thing as bad publicity, a massive signing bonus, free-agent contract, or transfer fee is not just the cost for a player, but also marketing money that ultimately grows the brand.

And so Real Madrid, the Yankees, and the Dallas Cowboys routinely sit atop their respective sports when it comes to revenues and franchise value, and here, Champions be damned, there can be no arguing with success.