Major League Maneuver

The Major League Maneuver is a business plan named after and based on the plot of the Baseball comedy film: Major League. The plan is to manufacture crippling losses or commit corporate suicide in order to convince a governing body and or shareholders to approve a previously unpopular business plan. The term was coined in reference to the business of professional sports but can also be used to describe similar activities in other business sectors. [http://www.opinionman.ca/?p=90]

The following is a fictitious example of the maneuver's implementation in a professional sports business: Mr. S is a Texas oil tycoon who recently purchased the Portland Blizzards hockey team. The team has a solid fan base but because it is located in a small market (Portland) the team does not benefit from large television revenues. Mr. S was born and raised in Houston and would love to move his newly acquired team to his home town. Another motivating factor for Mr. S is the fact that Houston is one of the largest Television markets in the US. Therefore a move to Houston would increase his profit margin. Unfortunately for Mr. S, the league will not approve the move of a franchise that has a solid fan base and turns a profit. In order to get the league to accept his relocation plans Mr. S begins to implement the Major League Maneuver. As the new season rolls around, Mr. S orders his General Manager to cut costs and reduce the player salaries by fifty percent. He also instructs his marketing staff to focus their marketing efforts on fans of the team instead of going after lucrative corporate clients. The player salary dump results in the team's first losing season in a decade. The fan focused marketing campaign results in lower advertisement revenues and empty luxury boxes. Mr. S continues his implementation of the Major League Maneuver for another three seasons. The fans become disenchanted with the team's poor performances, the lack of corporate support means Mr. S is losing millions of dollars every season. After three seasons of crippling losses Mr. S begs the league's board of governors to allow him to relocate the team. Seeing that Portland is nothing but a money losing effort the league approves the relocation of the team to Houston. When asked why the team is moving Mr. S simply shrugs and says: "I tried my best but Portland is too small to support this franchise. I can't keep losing millions of dollars on this team. Perhaps if the fan support and corporate support was there we could have kept the team here." By successfully deflecting the blame to the city and fans, Mr. S had an easier time convincing the league to approve his franchise relocation plan. [http://www.opinionman.ca/?p=90]

References

1. Xebus. “The Major League Maneuver” Opinionman.ca, Aug. 10, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-11 from http://www.opinionman.ca/?p=90