Hard times on the hardwood: Nets take austerity measures to the next level.
Yes, it is more than a game over there in New Jersey. I came across this article in the NY Observer. The Nets owner, Bruce Rattner, is now “renting” out his players off the court. According to the article, “For $25,000 you can get courtside tickets to 10 games and, for one hour, you can have a Nets player at your beckon call.” A representative from The Nets followed up with this
“It will be interesting to have an NBA player come to your birthday party or come to your Bar Mitzvah or even just coming to your house for dinner for an hour when your friends are over,”
Interesting? Really? I can’t imagine the players are in love with this idea, or at least those players with a sweat bead of integrity. As if it’s not enough to be traded around the league like a Yugioh Card, it’s another to be reminded that someone else can buy or sell your “companionship” on a whim. Although the visual of Yi Jianlian at a Bar Mitzvah or Josh Boone babysitting the kids is interesting in a YouTube Video kind-of-way, it’s not interesting as a serious means of revenue generation. I mean, can you imagine Kobe coming over to Joe Businessman’s house to flip burgers just ’cause Joe got some extra pricey courtside tickets? Would never happen. And thus illustrates how the Haves and The Have Nots are playing themselves out in The NBA.
If you want to read all about how the rich just got richer in The NBA, check out the latest from SI. It’s no wonder that Bruce Rattner is itching to sell off The Nets to a Russian Gazillionaire after losing 70 Million on the club last year. And so it looks like that’s the trend in The League, and unless there’s more Russian Tycoons (or maybe Larry Ellisons?) around to swoop in and buy some of the lowliest teams, we’re probably going to see lot’s more “bake sale-type” money making gimmicks. Robert Rowell, that’s your cue.
M. Meschery
There will be a backlash. Hell, I wouldn’t do this if my company decided that this was a viable revenue-generation strategy. It kind of smacks of some creepy old slavery-times bullshit if you ask me. For the most part, the Nets seem to have a roster well suited for outreach work but still. Even Brooke Lopez has to have a breaking point.
Comment by admin | 10.23.2009 | 3:12 pm
Although, if I was ballin’ like that, the idea of spending 100K to get four of the Nets to be on my squad for a pickup game down at The Y would be appealing. Of course, if I was ballin’ like that, I wouldn’t be ballin’ down at the Y.
Comment by matthewmeschery | 10.23.2009 | 6:43 pm