Here's the latest look into the Atlantic Yards construction site.
Since Ground Breaking Day back in March, the project has evolved from just pushing dirt around. A massive circular foundation is taking form that will one day, in the not too distant future, support the Barclays Center which will house Brooklyn's member team in the National Basketball Association. The goal is for the Nets to open the 2012-2013 season in Kings County.
Click to enlarge.
The progress is a welcome sight. Visually at least, future supporters of the club have something tangible to work with now. It seems like a millennium has passed since the original plan to bring the Nets to Brooklyn was announced back in 2004. It was a long, rough and tumble, hard fought struggle for Bruce Ratner, and still, his problems have not subsided. There was a time when Brooklynites, to include myself, thought this project and the eventual relocation of the Nets would never happen. And while much of the greater Atlantic Yards project is still in questionable status, the Barclays Center site is buzzing with activity. Mikhail Prokhorov has since been added to the equation as the team's new principal owner and the appreciable progress being made in construction have excited this Brooklynite. It is with great anticipation I await the Nets arrival into the Borough and by that, reinstating our Professional status; stripped from us in 1957. Two years is still a long ways away and anything can happen between now and then. But this giant concrete circle in the ground at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush is a signal that our day is coming.
Click to enlarge.
Before any ribbon cutting ceremonies, there's a brewing matter regard how to brand this team and promote it. Branding the team after New York is an unwelcome consideration by some and me. It's said the Knicks are also meeting this with resistance and for that I'm thankful. For my part branding the team under the auspices of NEW YORK and not BROOKLYN would be a huge mistake. I do not say that because I live here.
In this new and still young century, branding this team as a Brooklyn enterprise could, and I believe will become, one of the most powerful Brand names in the NBA, and with a competitive team, one of the most powerful Brand names in all of sports. I truly believe that. A jersey sporting Brooklyn across the front would be an instant best seller. This is my humble belief.
(Brooklyn Nets jersey graciously provided by Junior's Restaurant. Thank You.)
A name change for the team is also being considered. The first name I heard under consideration came to me via NetsDaily.com on Twitter. Please check out the details in a possible name change on NetsDaily's web site HERE.
The original comments came from Sam Amico who writes for http://msn.foxsports.com/nba. On November 9th, Sam Amico made these comments on Twitter:
"Nets will no longer be called Nets when they move to Brooklyn in two seasons, by the way. One name being floated is "Ballers", says insider." 2:57p.m.
"Team in Brooklyn will also have to be called "Brooklyn". Knicks don't want another "New York", and word is, they made a stink about it." 2:57pm
"I vote for Brooklyn Dodgers. Sure don't think you can call them the Brooklyn Americans like the old NHL team, since their owner is Russian." 3:00pm
Find Sam Amico on Twitter:
On PBS-Channel 13, I once learned one out of every seven people in America can trace their family history back to and through Brooklyn. That is National reach my friend. They didn't put a guy from Brooklyn in every war flick for nuthin' ya know..! I was careful to say "this century" because for many of us "older people", the Establishment is still represented by Boston and Los Angeles. But moving forward, is it dealing in hyperbole to say an NBA franchise in Brooklyn will, within short time and positive competitive progression, become one of the elite Power Brokers of the NBA?
I honestly don't think it is.
If The Billboard Wars are any indication of the coming times and is indicative of a new burgeoning inner-city rivalry, winters will be getting awfully hot in New York City in the near future. But because the Atlantic Yards project is still in it's construction infancy, many still may not be grasping the enormity of the coming situation. I have every confidence in saying this will become the preeminent in-season rivalry in the NBA. Once the move is realized and things settle down, TV networks will salivate to feature this match-up as best it can. Expect this game on your flat-screens during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, MLK Day and everywhere else the League and the Networks can figure out scheduling.
Pffff!
G'head; say it. It's OK. It's not too early to start practicing.
"Live...! from the Barclays Center in Downtown Brooklyn...."
Sounds sweet doesn't it?
*..and a special Thank You to "NoLandGrab" for correcting
my principle/principal error; duly noted and corrected.
That's what having neighbors is all about ; )
Mike.BTB
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