Remember government is really just a collection of individuals. You can't discount the basic human motivations in things like this. Competing is fun, competing

Remember government is really just a collection of individuals. You can't discount the basic human motivations in things like this. Competing is fun, competing and winning is much more fun. Getting a big company/sport/etc to sign on to your city means you beat everybody else they were negotiating with, and those were all big players. That's a big win. It also helps build your legacy. The guy who brings "The SportsTeamers" to a city is going to be remembered for exactly that, not the net economic effect. And yeah that does no doubt open the door to 'consulting positions' after leaving office though I do not think that's a primary driver in the deals, just icing.