It's the same scenario as when Jordan was getting $36 million from the Bulls. It sounds like no one should be paid that much. Not even considering the impact of the attendance, concessions, etc.. the owner looks at the value of the franchise. The value of the Bulls skyrocketed while Jordan was there until it was one of the most valuable teams in all of sports. Reinsdorf bought the team for around $20 million and it was worth over $250 million at one point. I haven't seen the recent values of teams, but I would guess that the value of the Bulls is down from the Jordan era.

That being said, I don't see how adding ARod adds value to the Yankees. They are like gold as it is with all the TV/radio revenue on top of attendance. It is great for the fans, though.