Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "Going Green"
LEICESTER — The Boston Celtics are a legendary franchise in professional basketball, but eight years ago the team had been in the doldrums, an occasional playoff contender that bore little resemblance to the team that rolled off eight consecutive championships in the 1960s.
But rather than hoping for a magic mix of athleticism, coaching and team chemistry to materialize, the new ownership of the Celtics in 2002 decided to take the team's destiny into its own hands, using a different business approach to boost ticket sales and apply the additional revenue to drafting and retaining top players, said Rich Gotham, Celtics president.
The goal of winning a 17th championship was central to its business plan, with the ownership even naming one of its affiliated corporations Banner 17 LLC, he said, during a talk at Becker College's Leicester campus yesterday.
"The Celtics are not in business to make profits to reward shareholders," Mr. Gotham told the audience of about 80. "We're in the business of winning. We have a very clear mission statement. When you play basketball in Boston … your goal is to win championships."
But with the team ranked 19th in the National Basketball League in attendance, and team merchandise sales lukewarm, giving fans a reason to go to a Celtics game — beyond the team's performance — would be critical to turning the team's fortunes around, he said.
As a result, games became the "equivalent of a Broadway show," with the entertainment and fan interaction the organization introduced to games, he said. Between periods and when there is a suspension in play, fans are treated to a leprechaun who dunks basketballs, dancers, Celtics T-shirts thrown into the crowd and the opportunity for children to get on the court and try free throws, he said.
And Mr. Gotham, a Milford native who had previously spent 15 years in Internet sales, knew the value of using the emerging social networking sites to help connect with potential fans.
"When you're losing, how do you get people to buy tickets? The Patriots were on a run, and the Red Sox were in the process of breaking the curse,"
