Obligatory catchphrase.

The Yanks are money. That's a fact. They are now worth, on paper, more than one billion dollars.

I would take the time to read the article, especially if you are a Yankee fan. Read it and remember what it says so that the next time some uninformed "fan of baseball" says that the Yankees are bad for baseball, you can refrain from violence and recite it to them.

But the league's reliance on Steinbrenner's Yankees goes far beyond revenue sharing. For example, a visit by the Yankees can increase a home team's ticket sales by as much as 25%. And the Yankees account for 27% of all league merchandise sales, the profits of which get shared equally throughout the league to the tune of more than $3 million per franchise. In effect, much of the league operates as subsidiaries of the Bronx Bombers.

Evil empire indeed.