Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Kraft Family, Patriots Continue to Help Community in Wake of Tornado

By Zach Baru

The Kraft family provide an excellent example of how a professional sports franchise and its fans can work together to achieve more than just sports and entertainment.  Last week, the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation came to Springfield, Massachusetts to pledge to match up to $100,000 of donations made to the United Way to help the victims of the June 1 tornado.

As if that was not good enough for a region that was hit by the tornado just three weeks prior, the Patriots returned to Springfield three days later for a free youth football clinic.  It is efforts like these that make the Kraft family and the Patriots a model for all franchises, showing the great bond that can be made between a franchise and its community.

The charitable efforts the Patriots have made throughout New England is a great example of what reaching out to the community can do for a franchise.  They literally have become part of the region, making it so much easier for the fans who do not necessarily like football to still root for the team.  Starting the foundation in 1994 was key for establishing the team as not just a source of entertainment, but a part of the community as well.

And for communities like Springfield and Monson, among others that were hit hard by the tornado, the Patriots will always be a part of the community.  It is a great concept that the Kraft family perfects so well, and really makes their franchise more than just a football team, but an important part of the entire region.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Report Card: Boston Bruins Parade

By Zach Baru

Boston Bruins: A+

For the lucky fans that were able to attend the parade, last Saturday was an amazing opportunity to see so many of the players up close, and experience the excitement that can only be fulfilled in the midst of a Stanley Cup.  Everything from the production to logistics was excellently planned out, and made for a great celebration.  This included not only the players, but all personnel.  Everyone from coaches, to scouts, to media, to front office was on hand to celebrate.

Many signs were placed on the duck boats so that fans could easily read who was on each boat.  The organization was excellent.  What was really a nice touch was the fact that players were able to communicate with the fans via microphones and speakers on the floats.  The players shouted messages to the crowd, giving the fans a real chance to feel a part of the celebration.

Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority: D+

First, the stats:

Number of passengers on commuter rail Saturday (the day of parade): 120,000
Number of passengers on commuter rail normally for weekdays: 67,000
Number of commuter rail trains added for parade: 90

Although there were plenty of fans who were able to take commuter rail, subways, and busses to the parade route, there were also many fans who were simply shut out.  For Boston, a city of 645,000 people, that is just not acceptable.  There most certainly should have been a better plan for transportation to and from the parade route.  The MBTA has been through championship parades seven times since 2004, and has no excuse not to have done the job right. 

Many of the commuter trains were run without double decker cars, which would have vastly increased the amount of passengers able to ride the trains to the parade route.  In addition, during the parade, many sets of trains were spotted vacant in the yard just outside of North Station.  Whether it be a lack of planning, or a lack of staffing, the bottom line is the MBTA failed to do it's job.

Boston Police Department and Boston Fire Department: A+

Besides the fact that an estimated 1,000,000 plus people attended the parade, the route went past countless bars with an unbelievably controlled crowd.  The overall behavior was something that not only the city should be proud of, but the Police and Fire departments should be proud of as well.  It was an excellent execution on their part to pull off such a large parade in such little time.  The many police and fire dispatched to the parade were a large reason for the peaceful and organized outcome of the parade.

City of Boston: B-

Overall, the city should be celebrating due to the fact that the parade was held on a weekend, greatly impacting the Boston economy.  Not only did the restaurants, bars and hotels see a substantial one-day revenue increase, but stores of all kinds saw new customers who may soon return.  Not to mention the fact that Saturday was one giant commercial for the city, showcasing all of the great attractions Boston has to offer.  

On the other hand, the transportation mess was inexcusable, certainly with the many modes of travel that the city has to offer.  And with the parade partially being an advertisement for the city, more money could have been put into production costs.  This would have given the presentation a more eye-catching effect to the millions who viewed it either on news broadcasts, sports broadcasts, and internet media worldwide.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at

Friday, June 17, 2011

Bruins Parade Has High Costs, Big Rewards

By Zach Baru

Unfortunately Mark Cuban won't be here to pick up the tab, but the city of Boston is anticipating the rewards to outweigh the costs for Saturday's championship parade.  Streets will be packed from the TD Garden all along the parade route to Copley Square, as numerous bars, restaurants, and businesses of all kinds will see huge spikes in sales.

This is much welcomed news to any business along the parade route, as crowds are expected to be enormous given the scheduling of this year's parade.  Having it on a Saturday lets the city fully capitalize on the parade's tourism impact.  Commuter rail will be offering a special $10 round-trip ticket, and additional subways will be run, both in anticipation of the unusual amount of people expected to try use public transportation.

Not only does public transportation bring in more revenue, the city benefits from the simple promotion of showing what it has to offer.  With fans driving from near and far, this parade is more than just a celebration, it's an advertisement for the city.  The more people the parade attracts, the potential for future tourism increases.

No official word has been given on what the price tag will be, however whatever that figure is will not be a clear representation of the parade's effect.  Even if the costs outweigh those of the Celtics' 2008 championship parade at $360,000, the city will still benefit.  Tourism dollars will likely take weeks to be tallied, but one can be sure that it will be a significant impact to the local economy.

Saturday is much more than just a championship parade for the city.   It is a unique opportunity to show 1,000,000 spectators everything Boston has to offer.  Whether it be local restaurants or shops, or city museums or parks.  Saturday will be a chance to generate tourist revenue, but also to potentially generate it for months and years to come.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at

Thursday, June 16, 2011

What the Bruins Stanley Cup Win Means for the Boston Economy

By Zach Baru

The Boston Bruins may have won the Stanley Cup Wednesday night, but they weren't the only big winner in the city.  Bringing a championship to the seventh largest media market in the country meant big economic impact for many Boston businesses.  And fortunately for any sports-related business in the city, this is only the beginning.

With so much passion and excitement now being displayed for the Bruins, restaurants and bars surrounding the TD Garden will greatly benefit from the increased number of people flooding the streets in and around Causeway Street.  Area businesses will see packed bars and restaurants on game nights, meaning more revenues for the local business owners, and more job opportunities for bar and restaurant staff.

The flow of pedestrian traffic in the North End shows no signs of winding down, as the Bruins had to cap their season tickets at 13,000 last season, and have again sold out of season tickets for 2011-2012.  This is good news for downtown hotels which will see similar benefits to that of bars and restaurants.  As the Bruins keep packing the crowds in, the potential for local businesses continues to grow.

And that growth is certainly not limited to hospitality.  As the foot traffic around the arena grows, so will numbers of potential shoppers for all businesses.  It's a win for the Bruins, and an even bigger win for the city.

On the other side of the spectrum, the state of Massachusetts sees its share of benefits through increased sales tax revenue.  Anyone eating before, during, or after the games will pay 6.25% sales tax on meals.  For any of the 1,150 cars that can fit into the TD Garden garage, the state collects 21-cents per gallon in gasoline tax if they choose to fill up.  And lastly, for the remaining of the 17,565 fans per game who opt to take public transportation to the Garden.  The arena is accessible to two subway lines, and four commuter rail lines, bringing in even more revenue for the state.

The bottom line is that it's not just the Bruins who are profiting from a championship, it's the entire local economy.  On game nights, the TD Garden isn't the only place full of fans.  The bars are packed, restaurants are filled, and businesses all around Boston are seeing the success of a hockey team flourishing the local economy.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at