The Decline Of The NFL And Major League Sports

I'm going a bit off topic today to mention an article I came across yesterday on the zero hedge website. The article discussed the decline of the NFL and how the mainstream media is blaming it on the players kneeling during the playing of the U.S. national anthem. The article goes on to mention that there are several reasons why NFL viewership is declining and that it's been steadily going on for a number of years now.
Well, I could see all of this coming from a mile away, so to speak.

Example 1: Quarterback Matthew Stafford signed a contract extension this summer that will see him earn a salary of over $135 Million over the next 5 years. Is he really worth it? Who will pay for this exorbitantly high salary? The fans of course.

Example 2: The average cost of a team jersey is now $295. With millenials earning mcminimum wage, expect to see jersey sales tank going forward. The sad part is, a lot of these are replicas made in China or some other low wage country.

Example 3: Average cost of a game ticket is about $86. It's just a matter of time until the cost of a ticket surpasses $100. Why pay a hundred bucks to see a game, many times in the freezing cold, when you can watch the game on tv for free or watch minute long highlights on Youtube.

Example 4: Who wants to pay $10 for a little cup of beer. While we're at it. Who wants to pay $10 for a cheap hot dog. Who wants to stand in line for half an hour waiting to get your beer or hot dog (or tacos).

Example 5: Collector cards, produced by the millions go up in price, year in and year out. There are so many of these collector cards that they really are a poor investment. Maybe your kids' grandkids might make a few bucks if the cards are saved for a hundred plus years but don't expect to make any money on it yourself.

Fans of major sports leagues have unwittingly allowed themselves to be suckers in a scheme that allows a certain few to make millions, tens of millions and even hundred of millions of dollars throwing or kicking a football or hitting baseballs to the outfield or slap a puck back and forth on the ice.
Truth is, all the major league sports are in very real trouble. I think Major League Baseball is next. Three years ago, 21 MLB players made over $20 Million in a year. Now, 36 players make over $20 Mil. After 5 years, that's a hundred million each player. That amounts to $3.6 Billion to shell out to 36 players over the next 5 years. Think about that because the plan is to get that money from your pockets to theirs.

Ultimately, I see a future where we return to localized sports leagues that cost a fraction of today's major league fees. The players will earn a decent wage more in line with the masses and viewership will again be on the rise. Alas, I don't see that happening for a while yet as the big leagues put up the fight for their lives and hang on for as long as possible.

What are your thoughts on this subject.

References:
http://www.businessinsider.com/mlb-highest-paid-players-2017-6
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-15/have-we-reached-peak-nfl