My question is why sports figures are not taking steps to generate tax- favored income by bargaining to get ownership interests in their teams. Imagine how much better off old timers like Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris would have been if they had been able to obtain even tiny shares of the Yankees franchise in 1961. In today's context, it is true enough that the tax rate on capital gains income may soon rise to 20%—but that's still far below the rates levied on top income earners