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Sponsorships are down, attendance is slipping and staffers are being jettisoned to the unemployment line.

The San Diego Padres owner wants out of baseball, while his counterpart at the New York Mets reportedly lost a fortune with Bernie Madoff. Neither the Dallas Cowboys nor the New York Giants can find a company willing to put its name on the door of their new stadiums. NBA season-ticket renewal rates are down. The Arena Football League is closing its doors--at least for now--while the Houston Comets basketball team, the original powerhouse of the WNBA, is folding the tent for good.

NBA Commissioner David Stern says the league says he's concerned about the economy's effect on the league, but he doesn't plan to scale back aggressive plans to grow the business in China and other overseas locations. "We're moving along prudently," he says, "We fully expect to have to work doubly hard when the economy is difficult."

For the first time anyone can remember, the usually bulletproof sports industry is feeling an economic pinch along with the rest of the world. Make no mistake, pro sports should weather the economic storm better than most industries. People are passionate about sports and are willing to shell out cash for the diversion a game can provide. Still, teams and players will be making do with less for a while. As with any other business, sometimes it takes an economic slump to shake management into paying closer attention to costs.

"No one is immune," says NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, whose league has seen a 1% dip in attendance this year, even though most of those tickets were purchased well in advance of the financial crisis. Think of how many empty seats that could mean by the fall of 2009. "We're concerned about next year's attendance," McCarthy says.

As a media-driven league, the NFL is less susceptible to a slump at the gate than most other sports. But other concerns include the drawn-out naming-rights sagas in New York and Dallas and the ability to charge premium prices for the post season games. The NFL is lowering prices 10% across the board for January 2009 playoff games and scaling back some Super Bowl tickets to $500 a pop from $800.

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- A grandmother, mother and young child died when a military fighter jet crashed into a house in San Diego, California, on Monday, igniting a huge fireball, authorities said.

Another child is missing, officials said. A search ended at nightfall Monday but will continue Tuesday morning, a representative for the medical examiner said.

The father is a businessman who was at work at the time of the crash and was not reached for comment, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The F/A-18D plane, which authorities described as disabled, was trying to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The jet had just performed landing training on a Navy aircraft carrier before the pilot reported having trouble, according to the Marine Corps. See satellite photo showing crash site, airfield »

"It was, oh gosh, maybe a couple of hundred feet off the ground. And it was quiet -- I think the engine was off," said San Diego resident Ian Lerner, who was heading to lunch at a shopping center about a half-mile from the neighborhood of about 20 homes when he saw the jet flying low. iReport.com: See Lerner's photos

"Then all of a sudden, we saw the canopy of the jet explode and go up, and then we saw the pilot blast out of the plane and the parachute open," Lerner said.

Another witness said the jet was flying at a low altitude, and "just spiraled, right out of [the movie] 'Top Gun.'" Watch witnesses describe the scene »

The house was destroyed. A photograph taken at the scene showed the pilot, who ejected safely, sitting on the front lawn, making a call on his cell phone. He was taken to the hospital, the Marine Corps said in a written statement Monday. Watch burning debris near crash site »

The pilot, whose name was not released, was the only occupant of the two-seat aircraft, according to the Marine Corps.

The Union-Tribune spoke with Steve Diamond, a retired naval aviator, who said he found the pilot in a tree behind a house. He told the paper he helped the man, who Diamond said was a lieutenant in his 20s, down from the tree.

The pilot told him that after he lost power in one engine, it was decided he would try to get the jet to Miramar on the single working engine, Diamond told the paper.

The pilot was in communication with military air traffic controllers before the jet crashed, and the crash site is about two miles from the airfield, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the pilot ejected moments before the crash and landed without injury in a tree about two miles from Miramar. Jason Widmer said he talked to the pilot, who said he had tried to steer the jet from the homes and into a brushy canyon.

He was pretty shook up and pretty concerned if he had killed anyone," Widmer told San Diego 6. "He had seen his bird go into a house."

A retired general, a pilot who has flown for 40 years and more than 270 missions in Vietnam, said the decision to eject is up to the pilot. F/A-18D planes are very dependable, but any aircraft is given to error.

That model has two engines, and it can operate with one engine fine. But if one engine malfunctions, it's possible that a blade can break off and fly into the other engine, causing it to malfunction, too. If both engines are inoperable, and the plane descends below 10,000 feet, it's likely the pilot will soon lose control.

When the pilot pulls a ring-like lever between his legs, a series of automatic actions is set off: The pilot's harness comes loose, and he is pushed through a canopy, which is rigged to facilitate him breaking through it without causing injury. A pilot can opt to manually activate his parachute, but if he doesn't, the parachute will open on a timer.

The plane would crash randomly once the pilot is no longer in control.

Burning debris scorched two additional homes, and a piece of the jet struck another home. "This could have wiped out half a dozen homes, depending on how it landed," said Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. See photos of fiery crash site »

Inside one of those houses, Robert Johnson sat in his living room with his daughter, Heather Certain, and her 2-year-old son, Nicholas, according to the Union-Tribune. They heard the explosion, then saw a giant fireball in the picture window facing their front yard, the newspaper reported. They ran out of the house. Watch aerial footage of crash site »

"The house shook like an earthquake," Johnson said. "I saw the flames right there in front of my house."

iReporter Chris Morrow of San Diego said she went to the crash site Monday and saw "two houses that looked like they'd blown up."

The Marine Corps said it is investigating what went wrong with the plane. The military has jurisdiction over the crash site. iReport.com: Smoke rises from fiery crash

magine you were offered a dream job that required you to relocate to your favorite city. Which city would it be? And why?

If you're like most Americans, you might select New York, San Diego, or San Francisco, according to a soon-to-be released survey of 2,500 employees and entrepreneurs across the nation by the Human Capital Institute, a Washington-based think tank and professional association largely made up of human resources professionals.

More from BusinessWeek.com » America's Most and Least Favorite Cities » How Much Home You Can Buy for $500,000 » Where to Trade-Down and Live for Less

As the economy softens, this becomes more of a pressing issue because many Americans will find that they may be forced to relocate to find work. But even though some workers may not have the luxury of choice, some cities remain more desirable than others.

Favorite, Least Favorite? New York, New York

Interestingly, New York, which seems to evoke strong feelings in people, also topped the list of America's least favorite places to live and work. Survey-takers who like the Big Apple gave it high marks for entertainment options, professional and personal opportunities, and ease of transportation. Workers who don't like it overwhelmingly point to the high cost of living.

Detroit, which has seen its image only worsen with the collapsing auto industry, was the second-least appealing city, followed by Los Angeles (also No. 5 on the best cities list) and New Orleans.

"People have a love-hate relationship with New York," said Allan Schweyer, the industry group's executive director. "There are still people who think New York isn't part of the United States....There are people who might think that even if they were offered their dream job in New York, they don't want to go from a 3,000-square-foot house in the suburbs to a 1,200-square-foot apartment."

Leading Factors: Environment, Affordability

The survey is part of the professional organization's 2009 National Talent Markets report, which is meant to help cities determine how to improve and properly market themselves to attract talented out-of-town workers. The most important issue for workers in determining where to relocate is environment, including climate and park space, according to the survey.

Affordability, which was No. 4 in last year's list, is now the second-most important attribute workers consider before relocating, thanks to the economic downturn. Affordability might have something to do with the fact that Las Vegas, where home prices have fallen faster than in most cities, climbed to fourth place on this year's list of America's favorite cities.

Companies often have trouble recruiting out-of-state talent because people-especially older professionals-simply don't like to move. The slumping real estate market has made it even more difficult for many homeowners to move because they can't easily sell their homes. According to the survey, 65% of responders said they were satisfied with the city area where they live now and 67% said they are unlikely to move within the next five years. The most mobile workers are in their mid-20s to mid-30s, have a degree or an advanced degree, earn more than $100,000 a year, and work in science and technology, media and entertainment, or professional services, the report said.

Image Is Also a Part of It

Scott Simmons is vice-president and founding partner of Crist|Kolder Associates, an executive recruiting firm in Chicago, said it's easier to find workers willing to move to big cities such as New York, Chicago, or San Francisco than it is to convince people to move to a midsize city such as Erie, Pa., which is a one-hour 45-minute drive from either Pittsburgh or Cleveland. People on the coasts, especially in California, are reluctant to move, he said. And workers often would rather not move to cold rust-belt cities such as Cleveland, Detroit, and Buffalo, he said.

"Perception is a big deal when it comes to places," said Simmons, adding that it's important to have candidates visit the city before making a decision. "Everybody has preconceived notions.... Everybody thinks Chicago is Siberia when it comes to late fall and winter."

Detroit is a particular challenge, especially now that companies like General Motors (GM) are on the brink of bankruptcy. The city, which also suffers from crime and poverty, is still a one-industry town and could do more to diversify its economy, Simmons said.

Jane Howze, managing director of The Alexander Group, a national executive search firm headquartered in Houston, said workers who are flexible about relocating have a strong advantage in this economy.

"These are times where we're all asked to do more challenging things than we did a year ago," Howze said. "The winners are the ones that step up and do that.... Maybe you take that job and make it a better place than when you got there."   

• View Slide Show

Imagine you were offered a dream job that required you to relocate to your favorite city. Which city would it be? And why?

If you're like most Americans, you might select New York, San Diego, or San Francisco, according to a soon-to-be released survey of 2,500 employees and entrepreneurs across the nation by the Human Capital Institute, a Washington-based think tank and professional association largely made up of human resources professionals.

As the economy softens, this becomes more of a pressing issue because many Americans will find that they may be forced to relocate to find work. But even though some workers may not have the luxury of choice, some cities remain more desirable than others.

Favorite, Least Favorite? New York, New York

Interestingly, New York, which seems to evoke strong feelings in people, also topped the list of America's least favorite places to live and work. Survey-takers who like the Big Apple gave it high marks for entertainment options, professional and personal opportunities, and ease of transportation. Workers who don't like it overwhelmingly point to the high cost of living.

Detroit, which has seen its image only worsen with the collapsing auto industry, was the second-least appealing city, followed by Los Angeles (also No. 5 on the best cities list) and New Orleans.

"People have a love-hate relationship with New York," said Allan Schweyer, the industry group's executive director. "There are still people who think New York isn't part of the United States.…There are people who might think that even if they were offered their dream job in New York, they don't want to go from a 3,000-square-foot house in the suburbs to a 1,200-square-foot apartment."

Leading Factors: Environment, Affordability

The survey is part of the professional organization's 2009 National Talent Markets report, which is meant to help cities determine how to improve and properly market themselves to attract talented out-of-town workers. The most important issue for workers in determining where to relocate is environment, including climate and park space, according to the survey.

Affordability, which was No. 4 in last year's list, is now the second-most important attribute workers consider before relocating, thanks to the economic downturn. Affordability might have something to do with the fact that Las Vegas, where home prices have fallen faster than in most cities, climbed to fourth place on this year's list of America's favorite cities.

Companies often have trouble recruiting out-of-state talent because people—especially older professionals—simply don't like to move. The slumping real estate market has made it even more difficult for many homeowners to move because they can't easily sell their homes. According to the survey, 65% of responders said they were satisfied with the city area where they live now and 67% said they are unlikely to move within the next five years. The most mobile workers are in their mid-20s to mid-30s, have a degree or an advanced degree, earn more than $100,000 a year, and work in science and technology, media and entertainment, or professional services, the report said.

Image Is Also a Part of It

Scott Simmons is vice-president and founding partner of Crist|Kolder Associates, an executive recruiting firm in Chicago, said it's easier to find workers willing to move to big cities such as New York, Chicago, or San Francisco than it is to convince people to move to a midsize city such as Erie, Pa., which is a one-hour 45-minute drive from either Pittsburgh or Cleveland. People on the coasts, especially in California, are reluctant to move, he said. And workers often would rather not move to cold rust-belt cities such as Cleveland, Detroit, and Buffalo, he said.

"Perception is a big deal when it comes to places," said Simmons, adding that it's important to have candidates visit the city before making a decision. "Everybody has preconceived notions…. Everybody thinks Chicago is Siberia when it comes to late fall and winter."

Detroit is a particular challenge, especially now that companies like General Motors (GM) are on the brink of bankruptcy (BusinessWeek, 11/19/08). The city, which also suffers from crime and poverty, is still a one-industry town and could do more to diversify its economy, Simmons said.

Jane Howze, managing director of The Alexander Group, a national executive search firm headquartered in Houston, said workers who are flexible about relocating have a strong advantage in this economy.

"These are times where we're all asked to do more challenging things than we did a year ago," Howze said. "The winners are the ones that step up and do that…. Maybe you take that job and make it a better place than when you got there."