With the increasing involvement of state and local governments in the professional sports industry over the last quarter of a century, the debate has arisen over whether the luring of a professional sports franchise or the construction of a stadium for a professional sports franchise provides any type of significant economic stimulus to a city. There are those who have engaged in this debate who believe the potential impact of these events to be significant and positive for a city. There are others who believe the potential impact of these events to be insignificant and/or negative for a city. The goal of this thesis is to add to the debate by presenting an econometric analysis of whether or not introducing a professional sports franchise and/or constructing a stadium for a professional sports franchise has any effect on a city's employment level. Our research based on taking data for each of the four major professional sports (Basketball, Baseball, Football, and Hockey) for various cities from 1979 to 1999 provides some very interesting results. The results of our econometric analysis suggest that building a new football stadium in a city or luring a basketball or hockey franchise into a city has a negative impact on a city's employment growth rate. However, our results also indicate that building a new basketball or hockey arena in a city for a current franchise or attracting a new football franchise to a city has a positive impact on a city's employment growth rate. Our research concludes that depending on the professional sport and the event involved the impact on employment in a city may be positive, negative, or not significant at all. Results that to a certain degree contradict previous econometric studies on the subject. / Master of Arts

Special Activity Generators have been a policy popular with governments across the country seeking to revitalize lethargic downtowns. Sports facilities, a widespread form of Special Activity Generators, have been shown to be incapable of generating regional economic benefits, but are able to generate urban redevelopment. While sports facilities are well studied by academics, minor league stadiums have not been the focus of significant research despite the larger number of such projects. My dissertation uses a sequential explanatory mixed methodology to answer whether minor league baseball stadiums are successful as Special Activity Generators. I first use a quantitative analysis of sixteen stadiums built around the year 2000 which finds a significant effect of the stadium on nearby neighborhoods in comparison to the rest of the city. However, that growth is created by concentrating redevelopment, not creating unique activity. Two case studies clarify that the stadiums were critical to the observed redevelopment efforts, but also that there is a need for thorough planning and collocated amenities prior to construction in order to maximize the results from the public investment.

This thesis evaluates the practice of subsidizing entertainment projects as economic development strategy through a case study of the American Airlines Arena (AAA). Subsidy proponents argued that it would generate new tax revenue and jobs, and enhance the city’s image and pride. This rationale neglects factors that mitigate the economic impact of arenas and fails to consider the social costs. The AAA subsidy is evaluated using a cost-benefit method that has been underutilized in academic research. The economic impact is analyzed by estimating the fiscal return on the public’s investment and the number and quality of new jobs created. The social costs are considered in light of Miami’s economic development history and the policy implications are discussed. The AAA subsidy results in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses over the term of the public-private partnership and created a negligible number of low quality jobs. Furthermore, the AAA subsidy may have exacerbated relations between residents and leaders by prioritizing the leisure spending of visitors over the needs of inner city residents.

Sudden death in sport is a tragic event mediated primarily through the media. This thesis deals with sudden cardiac death from non-traumatic causes. The first section provides the overview of the issue, I mentioned specific cases of sudden death and the most common cause of sudden cardiac death among young and old athletes. The thesis focuses on the possibilities of preventive measures. In the second part, as part of my research, preparedness of Czech stadiums is evaluated situations of sudden cardiac death. In the conclusion section, I present the results of a questionnaire survey among representatives of clubs and stadiums and change proposals. The aim of the research is to find out how hockey and football stadiums are prepared for unpredictable situations of sudden cardiac death of athletes. Keywords: Sudden death, sport, sports stadiums, circulation disorder, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, AED, resuscitation, EKG, prevention