It's not only a matter of investment (more difficult yes, impossible no), but the attendance changes significantly if you have a 16-1 record or if you are in a more competitive league with more losses.
That is exactly, why I gave ESV Laim as a example (even better, have a look at the Tall Blacks.. they are usually between 40% and 60% at the end of the season). I knew that somebody would write about the 16-1 record of the Bulls... but that is not the point, I think.
1. It wasn't me who suggested to tax the arenas (although I don't think it would be a bad idea).
2. What does it have to do with punishing?
3. Well, at least a couple of recent changes (potential, economy) have modified quite a bit the long term programming.
1. I know that is wasn't you, who initially suggested it. I just addressed my post to you, because you have been the last one that you have been the last one who tried to "defend" this idea.
2. Less money is not a punishment? Maybe you could buy one of my players (just joking) :P
3. About the potential: You are right, the implementation of the potential changed a lot for long-term strategies. The thing here is, that it affected all teams in the same way, didn't it?
I think, if all bigger nations would have acted the way the italian mangers did it, we wouldn't have this discussion. But it is the choice of the manager if he want to have the best team NOW or if he want the stay at the top for more then 2 seasons but therefor 2 seasons later.
Probably a few Italian managers decided to, that they want to win the BBB asap and therefor the others had to spent their money in new players to have a chance of winning the Serie A... and so on, but it still was their own choice how to spend the money.
We should keep in mind that there is a big difference of changes, which affect all managers in the same way and changes that favour some people and handicap others.