Would the New York Times Co. please, please, please sell its 17 percent stake in the Red Sox? Then, when the Boston Globe publishes a press release like this on the front of the business section, we can attribute it to simple bad news judgment rather than more nefarious motives. Good grief.
Oh, yeah, and this one too — although I suppose it actually qualifies as news.
Update: Boston Daily beat me to it.
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Dan,When I went there, (late 60’s), students sat on the 40 yard line, most kids were too stoned to go to the game. Couldn’t give away tix. Why is free ink for the town’s only big-time program such a tragedy? So a political agenda is OK but hokey boosterism is verboten? (And criticism of same by BoMag, of all sources?)Hello? Pot? Kettle? NYT knew what they were getting into.
Anon: I think you’re missing the point. Seems to me The Globe (owned by the NYT, which owns a large stake of the Red Sox, which owns a jet that makes money by chartering to other groups, including the U.S. government, which flew alleged “terrorists” to other countries to be tortured under the extraordinary rendition program… ah.. but I’m getting off on a tangent…. The Globe story promotes a charter jet service for Boston College folks, with the profits from the charter jet lining the pockets of those who own (now pay attention): The Times, The Globe, part of the Red Sox and the airliner used for charters. Get it now?
Fenway Sports Group for clarification, Anon, which is the outside arm of the Red Sox. This arrangement is necessary in order to have this outside income not counted for revenue sharing purposes. I certainly don’t have a problem with that arrangement by Red Sox ownership, as it is pretty silly for that non-baseball revenue stream to flow to the likes of the Pirates and Tampa Bay.However, Dan, you are certainly on point here. It is pretty embarrassing for the Globe to be running such prominent puff pieces in the paper. Have you caught on to the expanded NASCAR coverage running this year yet? I don’t think there is a tremendous clamoring for expanded NASCAR coverage at the Globe or Herald to follow the travails of Ricky Bobby in this area. Oh yeah, I forgot. John Henry bought a 50% stake in Rousch Motorsports…
At least it wasn’t on the front page, as a related story was.The NHIS story is legit news.
Dan,It’s not a NYTimes problem. It’s a bad reporter problem. (And a bad editor problem.)The story probably was pitched by Raskey and the reporter and editor didn’t use it for the start of a story but used it as the whole story. There’s no context, no trend, nothing. No explanation of why it’s important. The banking/sports business beats have been where the Globe biz desk hide their weak reporters. And the editors, looking for a soft anchor story, I assume, go with it. Blame the Globe not the Times. Rant over.
Actually the story was not well done, but I think it qualifies as news. I seem to recall that football bowl organizers are disappointed in BC’s ability to inspire fans to travel with the team to bowl games. Also, Henry’s sports marketing firm is probably worthy of coverage because it is breaking new territory in the business of sports as the baseball team goes beyond mere marketing of itself and its co-owned television channel into a concept of sports as less a spectator sport than a vehicle to sell advertising of all sorts and varieties.They’ve already ruined Fenway Park by adopting a dreadful slogan to try to make the horrid seating palatable as part of “America’s most beloved ballpark” and covering the left field wall with obnoxious advertisements that make it look like part of some tacky 1920’s Appalachian League park. They’ve even gone so far as to expand into such things as selling sponsorship of a sing-a-long. Meanwhile these custodians of Boston’s baseball legacy continue to ignore the rich history of the Braves and in particular the passing of Spahn and Sain in recent years (Now time for the Cumberland Farms Moment of Silence, today marking the death of half of the most famous pitching duo in Boston baseball history. And fan’s don’t forget this Giant Glass historic tidbit: His pitching partner owned a diner right by the present site of Sullivan Tire, where you can pick up your official Red Sox schedule magnet presented by Dunkin Donuts)As for Henry buying the NASCAR track, his potential purchase of what may be the major auto racing venue in New England is undoubtedly news and his sports marketing push makes it bigger news. When he buys the track, expect heavy NASCAR marketing — and don’t underestimate the growing fan base stock car racing has once you get outside of Route 495.As for revenue sharing and baseball, all these additions to fenway park are financed, in part, by GASP! the pirates and Tampa Bay, since the collective bargaining agreement allows a reduction in the luxury tax for funds used for some ballpark improvements.
While pretty much no one hates the Globe as much as me, I’ll give them a pass on this one. BC is the only big-time college program in New England and the region is overrun with rabid Eagles fans. This is news – plain and simple. The Herald or any TV station would have run it as well.The fact that the Globe may profit off it is incidental.