| Parity in payroll and parity in competition are two entirely separate things, the MLB has parity in competition. Of the 8 teams that made the 2011 playoffs, 3 were in the top 10 of payrolls, 3 were in the middle 10 of payrolls, and 2 were in the bottom 10 of payrolls (#29 Tampa and #25 Arizona), that's an even distribution. The Yankees have made the World Series only twice and won once in the last decade despite outspending every team by miles while the Cardinals have shown up the most times while playing in a middle-revenue market. The Patriots have made the Super Bowl 4 times of the last 10 and the Steelers have been there 3 times, both leagues have powerhouses, both leagues have perennial losers, both leagues have parity in competition. Who cares about payroll? Sports are about what's put on the field, not what's put in the bank account. |