Newark Bears: The Sixteen Year Run Is Over

From the desk of: A Bears Fan Shaking His Head In Disappointment

N.Y. Post, Thursday, April 10, 2014 - page 26

article by Josh Kosman

NEWARK BEARS: Show Me An Empty Ballpark, I'll Show You Bad Ownership.

Blaming the city, and the surrounding areas of Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium for the team's poor situation, or Hurricane Sandy for that matter, is not only easy, but a crutch.  For argument sake, let's eliminate a few situations MLB and affiliated teams face.  If (former) fellow independent Camden can sustain a vibrant fan base, then so should Newark.  Period.

I'll add a personal anecdote nonetheless.  As a young single-digit child in the 1970's, I routinely traveled either by subway or car, from Brooklyn to Bronx, with pop so he could get his New York Yankees fix.  Newark is Disney compared to Bronx and Coney Island back then - so stop.  I continue the tradition till this day with my own son, unfortunately, also a Yankees fan.

Several times a season, he'd even accompany me to Bears games.  There's the rub.  My son arrived at Broad Street through me.  That's partly how the game of baseball gets transcended through generations.  I, in turn, was drawn to Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium through listening to Bears games on the radio in Brooklyn!

Bears fans have been unable to listen to games on the radio for years now.  Outside of their website, marketing became nonexistent.  The whole process fell apart.  Having no radio outlet is ponderous.  So, in blaming anemic attendance figures, one needs only look in the mirror.  Show me an empty ballpark, and I'll show you bad ownership.

It's unfair to point fingers at one, or two persons alone.  Present ownership should not be blamed for....EVERYTHING.  But, make no mistake, a fish rots from the head down.  After Rick Cerone founded, and eventually sold the team, many people came, saw, and failed this organization.

The sad reality is that New Jersey's largest city will be without the national pastime this summer. This was the inevitable end to a long running dilemma.  The 16 year run of independent baseball in Newark is officially over.  The long endangered Broad Street Bears are out of business.




Mike.BTB