ESPN’s pathetic attempt to slum-shame Cuba backfires in the most internet way https://t.co/Px4MVHsnZf pic.twitter.com/nmdCYcVLTM

— Xeni (@xeni) March 23, 2016

Having gone to Yankee and Met games over the past 30+ years, the area adjacent to both stadiums could easily be compared to the situation outside the baseball stadium in Havana where the game occurred yesterday.

NYC has been trying to redevelop Willets Point for years, and is essentially using eminent domain to force the car businesses there to sell out in order to redevelop the area in to housing, hotels, and restaurants that benefit the Wilpons who own the Mets.

You don’t have to go all that far to find run-down neighborhoods around ballparks in the nation. It’s one of the reasons that cities fund new arenas - to economically develop those areas. Of course, the benefits all run to the owners of the teams, and the locals see little benefit since teams play so infrequently (82 games in baseball and half that for basketball or hockey, and 8 games for football). The rest of the time, those ballparks serve as black holes often surrounded by parking lots.