Never Say Newark?
by Mark Ginocchio
Oct 12, 2009 2009 Preseason, Opinion, Prudential Center
For a few years now, Newark has been an oft-proposed alternate destination for the Nets if their controversial move to Brooklyn ever falls through. The Prudential Center, which opened in 2007 as the new home for the New Jersey Devils – who had toiled alongside the Nets at the inaccessible and undesirable Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ, for years – has been received warmly by attendees and is just a short walk away from Newark-Penn Station, providing access from both New York and New Jersey.
The Nets have always been coy about these proposals, which have been made from a wide-range of sources, including diehard New Jersey-based fans, opponents of the Brooklyn plans, and politicians like Newark Mayor Cory Booker. A lot of time, energy and most importantly money, has been spent on trying to making the Brooklyn Nets a reality. Publicly being open to a “Plan B,” while “Plan A” is under assault in the court of law and the court of public opinion, would be a poor strategic decision for ownership, which is currently trying to amass financing before the end of the year to qualify for tax-exempt bond status.
Or so we thought. While ownership is still publicly saying “Brooklyn or bust,” the team has agreed to play two preseason games at the Prudential Center over the next two weeks, including the first of two tomorrow night against the Cetics. And last week, the organization held its “Netstoberfest,” a free pep rally, at the Prudential Center rather than in Brooklyn or at the Izod Center.
“We’re promoting our preseason games in Newark,” a Nets spokesman told the Bergen Record last week about all of the Newark events.
Regardless of their public positions about Brooklyn and Newark, the Nets organization shouldn’t be surprised that they opened themselves up to scrutiny. On Wednesday, opponents of the Atlantic Yards Development will have their day in New York State’s highest court, as they argue the planned use of eminent domain by the developer to build the prospective Barclays Arena in Brooklyn. While some are painting this hearing as the “last stand” of sorts for the opposition, there is no indicator that this will be the last legal block thrown at Nets ownership in their quest to land in Brooklyn. In fact, quite the contrary. Next on the legal itinerary is a lawsuit that claims a state development board failed to do due diligence before approving the Atlantic Yards plans, the New York Post reported last week.
So while it’s seemingly the intention of the Nets ownership, and the NBA as a whole to have basketball in Brooklyn, I think it’s appropriate to wonder how playing two, otherwise harmless, typically under-the-radar preseason games in Newark could potentially affect the course of this long-planned and long-stalled real estate move to Brooklyn. Opponents have been fighting the Brooklyn move for years and show no signs of letting up. Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has signed a letter of intent to take a majority stake of the team, but how much of that ultimately hinges on the move to Brooklyn? Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils have watched their attendance go up nearly 11 percent since they moved to Newark. Walking through New York’s Penn Station the other day, there were a stream of blue Rangers jerseys headed towards Madison Square Garden, and another line of red Devils jerseys headed towards NJ TRANSIT. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that on days when both the Knicks and Nets were at home.
There are a number of reasons Newark won’t and shouldn’t happen. The league doesn’t want it. NBA basketball has already proven to be a failure in New Jersey. Why would the league approve a reshuffling of the same deck? Also, the Nets would be beholden to the Devils, an organization they’ve had some heat with in the past, in order to share the space. Why do that when they can have their very own space in Brooklyn, or perhaps, elsewhere?
But there’s basketball being played in Newark this week, and ownership is still fighting lawsuits preventing ground from being broken in Brooklyn. As long as those two things coincide, the question will inevitably be raised and the possibility still exists, regardless of the organization and the league’s ultimate intent.
October 12th, 2009 at 6:46 AM
It’s actually quite simple: the Devils quietly gave the Nets a $300,000 guarantee for both games. That’s why the games are being played in Newark.
October 12th, 2009 at 8:58 AM
“the inaccessible and undesirable Izod Center in East Rutherford.” Hahhaha. Now, come on. Words mean things. If it was “inaccessible,” nobody would have ever gone to the game. And it was not “undesirable” either. Like all of us, it just got old. And as for undersized, it’s funny, ’cause all I ever read in the sports media (and read one, you’ve read them all) is sneering about how the Devils don’t sell out.
As for the Nets, they’ll have a hard time coming back what with removing NJ from their uniforms, but it seems it’d be much better to stay in New Jersey.
October 12th, 2009 at 9:42 AM
“Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has signed a letter of intent to take a majority stake of the team, but how much of that ultimately hinges on the move to Brooklyn?”
all of that hinges on the move to brooklyn.
October 12th, 2009 at 10:49 AM
William – the accessibility issue for the Izod Center has been noted for years – if I followed “inaccessible” “by convenient mass transit options” perhaps you would agree? And the Izod Center is the truest definition of undesirable as no sports team desire to play there.
October 12th, 2009 at 2:27 PM
Agree with Mark and William is simply showing his age. The entire Meadowlands complex was a planning mistake from day 1. As a state, I hope the younger generation is finally realizing that we can’t turn our backs on cities like Newark. An entertainment complex that could double as a highway rest stop is not nearly as desirable as a metropolitan downtown. Those who actually know what they’re talking about consider Downtown Newark an increasingly hip and cool location. Of course, that last sentence will undoubtedly be met with the brand of racism and ignorance that has given Conan O’Brien publicity at the cost of a slowly recovering inner city.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:49 PM
I am a resident of NYC, a basketball fan who would love a good team to root for. That said, I strongly disagree with Mr. Ginocchio that the Nets should not play in Newark.
I believe that putting games in Newark will increase the market for Nets games because it will be far more accessible for city residents and just as easily accessible to everyone else. New Jersey deserves a basketball team it it seems fitting that it take place in not only the largest city in the state, but a city that is clearly headed in the right direction with a growing population and reduction in crime. The Prudential Center is already constructed and is a perfectly fine facility to host games, and I’m sure they can manage a schedule with both hockey and basketball teams just as the Knicks and Rangers do at MSG, regardless of beef.
New York already has a franchise. I’d much rather see NYC focus on making the knicks good than simply settling for another team and having one decent team and one mediocre team. If my city can’t figure out how to make our team good, I don’t see why we should deserve another team on top of it.
October 12th, 2009 at 9:36 PM
Hey. I think IF the Nets win on the current case (I live in Albany and am a law student, so I might go to the oral arguments), they might be able to build while the other case is pending if they can show a likelihood of winning, although the other side might make a compelling sob story that stops the court from allowing the early building.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:41 AM
Your comment that NBA basketball has proven to be a failure in New Jersey was completely uncalled for and incorrect. What the Nets need is a change of scenery in their own state and the Prudential obviously provides that. Giving the Nets that accessible public transportation, a brand new arena and an inner city fanbase tailored for pro basketball would give this team much more appeal and likely many more full house crowds than it gets at the Meadowlands. There is no true interest for another team within the five brooughs of NYC – only a political hype machine going on there due to all the money Ratner has handed out to them.
October 13th, 2009 at 10:50 AM
If the Nets were committed to winning (Ratner was not) there is a large fanbase here in NJ that would love for the franchise to be moved to the sparkling Prudential Center.
The Nets drew very good crowds when Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin and others made the Finals in consecutive seasons.
The IZOD has become a dump over the years while the Pru Center is a state of the art first class facility right next to a major public transportation hub.
I have seen concerts and sporting events at “The Rock” and was very impressed with the arena and the convenience & proximity of mass transportation.
Brooklyn is just a way for Ratner to get richer, it is a bad idea to move a team into a city where 99% of the people are avid Knicks fans. At least in NJ there is an stablished fansbase that would expand if the Nets played in Newark.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Moving the Nets to Newark is a no-brainer. Brooklyn is a disaster waiting to implode. They should just rename the team Newark Nets, give the team a complete image make-over, and have them play in the Rock. If they played in the prudential center, I would definitely go to many, many games… but while this Brooklyn non-sense lingers, I refuse to give a crap about the team & will despise them once they move there, if they ever do, that is. The Rock is a state of the art, world-class facility & in fact having the team in Newark is a far better option than BK. The fans would return to root for their beloved team, while the team would also attract new ones… however, being neglected as they are now, I can see why attendance is dwindling & nobody cares. This whole Barclays Center move thing is a joke.
October 13th, 2009 at 1:11 PM
[...] and resolve before they can put the shovel in the ground. This might not be the last one either as Mark has alluded to, there’s buzz that they want to sue the ESDC as well. This now turns into a clock [...]