Full Court Press

This is my final entry. I have found that I love to blog. I have two other blogs both work related and I thoroughly enjoy freely writing my opinions and just sending them out into the abyss. Over the last few weeks I have blogged about Boston's major sports teams. The Red Sox are facing a big decision about Jason Varitek and are favored to win the World Series next year in Las Vegas with odds at 5-1. The Celtics have a rivalry that is only just re-heating with an option to be such a money maker and a new player that may be the secret ingredient to the Celtics success. In Patriots news we have Matt Cassel the new starting quarterback who is also up for free agency and had a traumatic death in the family. I also commented real quick on Belichick's "lucky" fashion sense or lack there of. Then there is the Bruins, who I mentioned once and not again because frankly that's all they really deserve. If you can name three players on the Bruins right now without looking it up I will eat my words and give you a cookie.

After blogging about sports and the sports industry I think I learned the most about free agency. I decided to do two stories on it and I think the whole concept is a bit confusing however I understand it's appeal and it's use now. The Boston sports industry is unlike anything I've seen, because its the only city, it seems that is unified in its beliefs. We all hate New York no matter what team no matter what sport, unless its the Mets and that's only because they aren't the Yankees. The chants "Beat LA" and "Yankees Suck" can be heard at any event where there are many Beantown enthusiasts , no matter the reason. It could be a political rally and someone will start the "Yankees Suck" chant and the whole place will start yelling along and clapping. There are so many aspects that go into marketing a team and marketing a sport, but the Boston teams don't just do that, they market the city as well and just being a Boston fan. It's the best sports city in the world, I said in the beginning and I stand by it.

Good Luck to all the teams in 2009!

Yankees still suck.... Giants too.

RIP Greg Cassel

My heart goes out to our new favorite New England Patriots Quarterback Matt Cassel, as his Dad passed away on Monday night.

Cassel did not practice with the team yesterday because he returned home, obviously to deal with this tragic event. Coach Belichick has not said whether or not Cassel will play on Sunday against Oakland. "It's bigger than football," Belichick said. "I've been through that during the season as well, a personal situation you just have to deal with, and as I said, our thoughts and prayers are with him." Belichick lost his father during the 2005 season.

So what does this mean for the Pats if Matt doesn't play on Sunday? Behind Cassel is Kevin O'Connell a rookie drafted out of San Diego State in the 2008 draft. He is a baby barely older than I am with minimal pro action. The Oakland Raiders are 3-10 so baby Kevin might stand a chance.

Either way Matt we're sorry for your loss. Losing a father in the middle of your shinning moment cannot be easy at all. You're doing a great job and we are all proud of you even if we tare you to shreds sometimes.

The Hunter and Gatherer

Rajon Rondo is starting his second year in the Celtics line up and shinning like the star he is. Rondo recorded the first triple-double of his NBA career with 16 points, 17 assists, and 13 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers last night. His outstanding performance helped the Celtics win 114-96. Hanging out at the guard position, Rondo makes it his job to make sure the "Big Three" of Garnett, Allen and Pierce are in position to score again helping bring the Celtics to victory. Both Allen and Peirce have spoken publicly about their ability to play with Rondo easily they know where he is going to be and in turn know where they need to be on the court for him to make the big plays. So is Rondo going to be on the All-Star team? Probably, well at least I hope so, again though it is way too early in the season to start making such predictions. However, with Garnett, the highest paid player in the NBA, making over 24 mil this season and Paul Pierce close behind with 18 mil and Ray Allen with a little over 17 mil; you would think the play maker Rajon Rondo would be making more than 1.3 mil. Granted he is a new player and I can't even believe I am saying this with the economy being the way that it is, but I think maybe at the end of this season if he does make it to the All-Star game and he keeps playing the way that he does, maybe Rondo should ask for a raise... I'm just saying.

The Odds are Not Against Us

According to Las Vegas... the Red Sox are 5-1 odds to be in the 2009 World Series tied with the Cubs and the Yankees trailing with 6-1 odds. I thought you weren't supposed to bet on professional sporting events? I guess what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Those of you who are Fantasy Baseball players this may sway your team when it comes time for the draft, maybe you're a betting kind of person and your starting to save up to place your bets in the spring; either way expectations are REAL high for this spring. This whole thing is kind of disconcerning because as a Red Sox fan I know that you are never supposed to talk about it, its like fight club you don't talk about fight club. So the hopes are high for the Red Sox, at least in the betting world, which may actually be the Red Sox down fall. We will see, we will see.

I like your sleeves...

Ok just a quick one today... let's talk about Bill Belichick's cut off sweat shirt. I am a girl and I am entitled to make a small comment on the fashion that may catch my eye. I realize that its his lucky hoodie or whatever and that he needs to wear it, and I have made amens with the fact that all the other coaches look nice and he looks like a homeless man. It's part of Boston's charm, Johnny Damon wouldn't have been the same without that caveman beard, looking homeless I guess is just a New England thing. But the cut off sleeves are rediculous. Here is a money making idea, why doesn't someone make him a short sleeve sweatshirt, and then mass market them? You too can look like a crazy homeless man just like your favorite Superbowl Champion football coach!

Brady Light?

If you have been living under a rock then you don't know that Tom Brady quarterback for the New England Patriots hurt his knee. Now, Matt Cassel the backup is playing... and for a rookie playing pretty well and for playing pretty well he is being compensated... pretty well. He is up for free agent at the end of this season so will he stay with the Patriots or go to the highest bidder? We wouldn't be surprised if the Pats kept Matty just in case Brady goes to another doctor his girlfriend makes him go to, instead of the ones his coaches hand pick for him. Right now, Matt Cassel is the highest paid understudy in football and who wants to be stuck with that? I guess only time will tell.

BEAT LA

Ok, so the playoffs are a distant hope at this point... well maybe not so distant, with the Celtics 20-2 and Lakers 17-3 right now Boston's hopes are high for another Celtics Lakers playoff. I know, I know it's to early to tell but we can hope right. The rivalry between the two coast teams is one for the ages. In playoff history the Lakers and the Celtics have been matched 11 times, with LA only winning two out of the 11 match ups.

Starting in 1959 and through the 60's the Celtics beat the Lakers, who were then the Minneapolis Lakers, 8 times. Then in the 80's the rivalry heated up again when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird lead both teams in rivalry that may have been more about the superstars then the teams. Regardless, out of the 3 playoff match ups between the two titans Larry Bird only walked away with one playoff win against the Lakers. Once the two giants retired the rivalry between the two teams seemed to die off. LA inherited Kobe Bryant and Shaq, leaving them unstoppable against the under qualified Celtics, until 2008. This years match up was one of revenge. The Celtics now have the trifecta of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and the heart and soul of the team, the captain, Paul Pierce. So in 2008 the Celtics beat LA again, and how sweet it was.

So is the rivalry still alive? According to a Fox Sports Poll 86% of people find the match up "Still Compelling" (of 10,225 people polled). So what is Boston or the Celtics organization doing about this? Well, not much apparently. Where are the t-shirts, and the bumper stickers, and the facebook groups, and all the other knick-knacks that sports nuts love? The rivalry isn't dead, it is in fact alive and kicking so why isn't anyone trying to make any money off of this?

Mediocre team with Stanley Cup prices

Hockey used to be awsome. The Boston Bruins used to be awsome. The glory day of Boston hockey started in the late 60's with the arrival of Bobby Orr the greatest defensmen of all time, bringing a decade of awsome hockey with him. During the 70's the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup 4 times. In 1979 the bruins welcomed their newest super star Ray Bourque the team's all-time leader in games, assists and points and was the first non-goaltender in league history to win the Calder Trophy. Then the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team was lead by some of Boston's finest making Boston one of hockey's epicenters. As the decades melt away and we come to modern day Boston, and we look at how the team has, to put it nicely, fallen since its glory days why are we still paying Stanly cup prices?

We aren't paying to see a team win the Stanly cup, we aren't paying to see LeBron James or any real pop culture iconic name, are we paying for nostalgia or for the other people who didn't show up? As the economy declines one would think that the major sports would have pity on the average joe especially from a team that doesn't exactly fill the seats. Instead the average ticket for seats that you can actually see the ice from are priced between $50 and $200. There of course are the nose bleeds and the student section, but once you get past a certain age I'm sure those sort of seats lose their appeal. I'm sorry but I have no desire to pay $50 to see mediocre team. I'd rather pay a little bit more than that and sit in bad seats and watch the Celtics. High prices plus mediocre team equals empty seats.

Jason Varitek Files for Free Agency

Jason Varitek, captain of the Red Sox, catcher, and heart and soul of the team has filed for free agency. Jason has never played for any other team in his professional career, he started on Cape Cod playing for the elite Cape league and never left the state of Massachusetts. My dad remembers him being debaucherous and well a college boy haunting the main street of Hyannis. Varitek filed for free agency on Halloween and the Red Sox have a 15 day window to exlusive negotiating rights. During this time Varitek and his agent can talk to other franchises but no financial terms can be discussed.

So, what's next for the Sox? Well, its not like they have any minor league catching prospects and the Sox could trade for a younger catcher (Varitek will turn 37 in April) however the catcher free agent market is bleak, or they could resign Varitek like they did after the 2004 World Series, when the catcher was resigned for $40 million and 4 years. The most likely solution right now is a short term contract for Varitek, but only time will tell! Too bad Dougie is gone!

I hope Jason is going no where he is and always has been my favorite Red Sox.

What is this all about?

Don't worry, this is not a blog dedicated to the heroism of Boston teams and all their glory, but rather a few comments on the business and marketing aspect of the four major Boston teams. Granted, technically the New England Patriots are not in Boston, but close enough. I will be focusing on; the Patriots, the Red Sox, Boston Bruins, and Boston Celtics and will comment on any other Boston sporting event that may be newsworthy. So, to be clear this is not a "I don't care that the Patriots lost the super bowl 18-1 is still better than your teams record last year" blog, or a "The Yankees can take all of their rings and shove them, because when was the last time they won a world series?... Yeah, i can't remember either" blog, but simply a trades and endorsements kind of deal. Its not personal, its just business.