PR Move of the Day: The New York Knicks have not had an easy time of it from any angle this season, but through the on-court problems and public struggles the fans have remained loyal, and to recognize that the team will take a sizeable hit financially Monday night and offer free food to all in attendance to the sellout game with the Boston Celtics. Now while there are many that will say that this token gesture is just that, but for those in the business who realize the financial cost that the team will absorb in the name of season-ending goodwill should see this as a smart move that can bring some long term change, and help soften the non-playoff season for one of the NBA's most valuable franchises. Finding ways to generate good will in the nation's toughest media market is never easy, but credit has to go where credit is due, and the Knicks brand deserves credit for pushing the idea through on a night where they could make some good season-ending revenue. This is really the second long-thinking and solid move by the Garden in recent weeks…two weeks ago, the Rangers announced the righting of what many deemed a dead issue by announcing the retiring of two NHL Hall of Famers from the past, Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate. Many teams tend to focus on the current generation at the expense of a past that current fans cannot relate to, and hence may not be as big a draw. But the team here should great reverance for tradition, and will create some special memories for current fans, by making asure these two legends also get their due. Nice job also by the Rangers PR staff in finding the right way to break the story, with longtime New York Post hockey write.Larry Brooks getting first crack at it.
On to other topics…whether it was an intentional stunt or not, the Yankees scored big points the last few days by pulling up the buried David Ortiz jersey from the new Yankee Stadium…they got some great exposure, helped out a charity and did what the Yankees have done best this spring, seized a mundane moment and made it special…will be interesting to see if the Mets can find a Derek Jeter jersey buried somewhere in the new Citi Field...speaking of new stadiums, the Cowboys potential naming rights deal with A T and T for their new stadium will have digital rights as a key component, a stadium naming rights first and probably a sign of things to come...more importantly it sends a clear sign to all those brands who have given their digital rights away at low cost to date that holding on to those valuable rights may be the biggest asset a brand has…also another good read is the AP piece on Tulane's baseball program and its long return back home following an extended Hurricane Katrina cleanup and rebuild …and finally, a nice piece on Boston College's NCAA Hockey champions, crowned on Saturday night and the long road to get there the team took..good backgrounder by Barbra Matson in the Globe.
