What Will It Take?
Most Bulls fans are pointing the finger of blame at general manager Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson, but we’re not the ones with the power to fire them. Johnson reported last week that even if the Bulls miss the playoffs for the second straight season, Reinsdorf won’t fire either of them. So I asked K.C. what it would take for GarPax to get the ax.
“I can only go by previous example, and that was the Jerry Krause situation. The dynasty ended in ’98 and he went to ’03. He resigned under the auspices of health reasons, but it was certainly a forced resignation. So he gave Krause a five year plan and Jerry [Reinsdorf] reached his breaking point. [Reinsdorf] is in a different stage of his life now, he’s 80 years old. He values these peoples’ stewardship. He values loyalty. So I don’t know if he has a certain time limit like he did on Krause back then.” – K.C. Johnson
There it is. Any time fans think GarPax have screwed up badly enough to warrant a pink slip, Reinsdorf’s loyalty rears its ugly head. But will this fan protest inside his building bother Jerry and his son, team president Michael Reinsdorf, enough to finally make a change?
“It’s clear that [Jerry] and his son Michael respect John and Gar, they respect the basketball operations staff…They think [GarPax] have a nice process in place in terms of how they approach the draft. They’re comfortable with the free agency process. So in their minds, they understand why fans are frustrated by a couple seasons of mediocrity, but they also don’t think that’s enough to make any changes at the management level.” – K.C. Johnson
My Team, Not Yours
In essence, that’s a fat “No.” The Reinsdorfs may be aware that fans are upset, but they’re not about to let the fans start calling the shots. If #FireGarPax soldiers do storm the gates of the Madhouse like the beaches of Normandy, they’re still paying customers. Upset paying customers are still paying customers.
“I know there’s a perception that the Bulls don’t care about the fans, that the Bulls don’t want to win, they’re about marketing. Look, they’re a business. Absolutely they’re about marketing…But yeah, of course they’d rather win than lose.” – K.C. Johnson
The Reinsdorf family wants to win, and they believe that Forman and Paxson are the right men to lead the team back to the promised land. In the meantime, it’s a business. And thanks to loyal fans everywhere, business is booming.
Remember that Forbes article about NBA jersey sales and merchandise? Well, the business publication just released another this week, ranking NBA teams’ overall values. The Bulls come in at #4, worth an estimated $2.5 billion. Only the Knicks ($3.3 billion), Lakers ($3 billion) and Warriors ($2.6 billion) are worth more than Reinsdorf’s team. Of that $2.5 billion, tens of millions come from ticket sales, concessions and merchandising. Hundreds of millions more come from TV deals.
LoyalTees
That begs the ugly question: whose loyalty is worse? Jerry might be too loyal to fire GarPax despite their recent draft busts and backfired free agent signings. But we as Bulls fans are too loyal to the team we love; spending our dollars on tickets and jerseys and watching bad basketball on our TVs. Because of our loyalty, Jerry owns one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world.
This #FireGarPax protest could be the beginning of something bigger. Sure, on the surface it’s more ticket revenue in Jerry’s pocket. But this peaceful protest – a “sit-in”, if you will – could lead to an even larger walk-out. Ratings are plummeting and the actual crowds at the United Center aren’t mirroring the sellout numbers.
On March 4th, Bulls fans will flood into the United Center wearing a sea of “Fire GarPax” t-shirts. It’s a clear and direct message to the owner of a franchise whose fanbase is finally fed up. No more paying for past glories. If owners shouldn’t overpay athletes for their past accomplishments (*cough*Boozer, Pau, Wade, Rondo*cough*), why should fans overpay owners for theirs?
It might be hard for Jerry to ignore that sea of black t-shirts, but his business’s books are showing black too. And that’s what he cares about. What will he do if the ratings keep dropping and the sea of black shirts turns into an ocean of empty red seats?
…I’ll hang up and listen for Jerry’s answer.
To continue this conversation, follow me on Twitter @Bulls_Peck.
