WASHINGTON POST POLL SAYS FANS WANT POLITICIANS BENCHED

     The ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST poll surveyed 1,026 randomly
selected adults (382 of which identified themselves as baseball
fans) from January 26-29.  The margin of error on the poll is +/-
 3% for the full sample, and +/- 6% for the fans subsample
(Richard Morin, WASHINGTON POST, 2/1).
QUESTION:  As you may know, professional baseball players have
been on strike since August.  Whose side would you say you're on
-- the players' or the owners'?

                         

  
 
    
 
      

    
    
 
      
ALL
    
    
 
      
FANS
    
  
  
 
    
OWNERS' 
      SIDE
    
 
      
48%
    
    
 
      
55%
    
  
  
 
    
PLAYERS' 
      SIDE
    
 
      
27
    
    
 
      
28
    
  
  
 
    
OTHER
    
 
      
25
    
    
 
      
17
    
  


QUESTION:  Do you think baseball players are paid too much, not
enough or do you think they are paid about right?

                              

  
 
    
 
      

    
    
 
      
ALL
    
    
 
      
FANS
    
  
  
 
    
TOO 
      MUCH
    
 
      
70%
    
    
 
      
71%
    
  
  
 
    
NOT ENOUGH
    
 
      
2
    
    
 
      
1
    
  
  
 
    
ABOUT 
      RIGHT
    
 
      
24
    
    
 
      
27
    
  



QUESTION:  Do you think there should be a limit or "cap" on what
major league baseball owners may pay their players, or don't you
think there should be a limit?

                              

  
 
    
 
      

    
    
 
      
ALL
    
    
 
      
FANS
    
  
  
 
    
SHOULD 
      BE LIMIT
    
 
      
71%
    
    
 
      
73%
    
  
  
 
    
NO LIMIT
    
 
      
26
    
    
 
      
26
    
  



QUESTION:  Do you favor or oppose using replacement players in
major league baseball games if the strike is not settled by the
scheduled opening day of baseball season in April?

                              

  
 
    
 
      

    
    
 
      
ALL
    
    
 
      
FANS
    
  
  
 
    
FAVOR
    
 
      
59%
    
    
 
      
 
        61%
    
  
  
 
    
OPPOSE
    
 
      
35
    
    
 
      
38
    
  



QUESTION:  Do you think you, personally, will be as big a
baseball fan as you were before the strike, more of a fan or less
of a baseball fan?

                              

  
 
    
 
      

    
    
 
      
ALL
    
    
 
      
FANS
    
  
  
 
    
AS BIG 
      A FAN
    
 
      
35%
    
    
 
      
47%
    
  
  
 
    
MORE OF 
      A FAN
    
 
      
6
    
    
 
      
7
    
  
  
 
    
LESS OF 
      A FAN
    
 
      
42
    
    
 
      
44
    
  
  
 
    
NOT A FAN
    
 
      
17
    
    
 
      
1
    
  



QUESTION:  As you may know, President Clinton may ask Congress to
step in to settle the baseball strike if the owners and players
have not reached an agreement by Feb. 6.  Suppose no agreement is
reached by then:  Do you think Clinton and Congress should force
a settlement of the strike, or should the players and owners be
left alone to work out an agreement for themselves?

                                        

  
 
    
 
      

    
    
 
      
ALL
    
    
 
      
FANS
    
  
  
 
    
CLINTON/CONGRESS SHOULD FORCE 
      AGREEMENT
    
 
      
21%
    
    
 
      
32%
    
  
  
 
  
 
    
LEFT ALONE TO WORKOUT AGREEMENT THEMSELVES
    
 
      
78
    
    
 
      
68
    
  
  
 



     REACTIONS TO THE SURVEY:  WASHINGTON POST pollster Richard
Morin writes that the survey indicates that MLB owners -- and not
the players -- "are winning the important battle for public
support."  But, Morin adds, "However quickly a settlement comes,
the survey suggests that the strike has hurt professional
baseball and particularly the image of professional baseball
players."  MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr "dismissed the findings and
suggested that the language of many of the poll questions
produced biased results that favored the owners."  Fehr:  "I
would not pay serious attention to it."  Acting MLB Commissioner
Bud Selig:  "These numbers are absolutely consistent with all the
polling we've done. ... Having said that, it only points again to
the fact that we have to get back to the table and make a deal"
(Richard Morin, WASHINGTON POST, 2/1).