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September 4, 2012
OMG, where will the Nets players live? Times devotes two articles, six reporters, to investigation, promotion
Atlantic Yards Report
In a Sports section front-page story (B7) headlined Nets Will Play in Brooklyn but Will Practice and Live Outside Borough, the New York Times relies on five reporters to explore the vital conundrum, as expressed in the article's closing paragraph:
Brooklyn seems ready to adopt the Nets. It may be a while before the Nets adopt Brooklyn.
Of course the "ready to adopt" is evidenced, in the main, by the team's extensive advertising campaign--and the Times's promotion, in two articles covering at least 1.6 pages today (and nearly 3 pages a few weeks back).
Because the Nets will practice in New Jersey for two years--they're looking for a site in Red Hook--the players are mainly living in New Jersey or Manhattan. Howard Beck writes:
The team is making plans to ease the commuting strain. The Nets will provide hotel rooms in Brooklyn on game days, allowing them to hold a morning shootaround at the arena’s practice court without forcing players to crisscross Manhattan multiple times before tipoff.
And guess what, Alabama native Gerald Wallace says "I’m afraid of the city... Hopefully, I can find a driver to take me back and forth.”
So much for arena slogan of "Eleven Trains. One Destination."
Related content...
The Times loves nothing more than its development partner's basketball arena, hollow Brooklyn-themed "trend" pieces, and a chance to mention the Park Slope Food Coop. And wrapping them all in one package? Better than winning a Pulitzer!
The New York Times, Nets Will Play in Brooklyn but Will Practice and Live Outside Borough
The Nets will call Brooklyn home this fall, but you won’t find them bagging organic tomatoes at the Park Slope Food Co-op, antique hunting at the Brooklyn Flea or enjoying a pleasant fall evening on the nearest brownstone stoop. For reasons both practical and personal, the Brooklyn Nets will not be living in Brooklyn, at least for their inaugural season.
The New York Times, Nets Players May Find Brooklyn a Tempting Place to Live
For now, Nets players may be Brooklyn in name only, since they will practice and live elsewhere.
But given the chance to spend a little more time in the borough, and on the blocks beyond the Barclays Center, they might reach the same conclusion that waves of ex-Manhattanites, fresh college grads and longtime locals already have — that Brooklyn is a fairly trendy, sort of chic and all in all pretty nice place to live.
Posted by eric at September 4, 2012 11:16 AM