Baseball superstar and new Red Sox signing Carl Crawford came at a high price. But this is good news, for Sox fans and Liverpool supporters.
And not just because Crawford wore a Liverpool FC tie to his press conference.
While it may not have been a calculated move—the article suggests Crawford didn’t have the right color neckwear and Sox VP Sam Kennedy just loaned him the red tie—it is certainly fortuitous and maybe even predictive of a future that will bring a strong partnership between the two sporting organizations. And perhaps rich rewards.
“the tension between the Sox and the Reds is more of a sibling rivalry.”
Sibling Rivalry
Ever since New England Sports Ventures (NESV) purchased Liverpool, there have been grumblings from each fan-base concerning the sharing of limited resources. As manager Roy Hodgson made his first few signings in August, including the hefty £11.5 million ($18 million US) price-tag of Raul Meireles, fans of the Boston-based baseball team have been voicing concerns that the ownership, whose lavish spending wrangled a long overdue World Series, would stop spending on baseball players at the same rate. Sox fans were concerned that they would have to share funds with the Merseyside-based club, and no longer be able to hold a candle—or even a match—to their eternal rivals, the New York Yankees, who are the most expensive team in all of sports.
Liverpool supporters have likewise whinged—“complained persistently and in a peevish or irritating way,” for our American readers—about not spending the money on players that they feel is necessary if they are to live up to their history as the most successful English football club. Liverpool, too, have to compete with high-spending rivals (i.e., Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, etc.).
American national media has even covered the brooding between the two organizations. However, rather than true animosity, I believe that the tension between the Sox and the Reds is more of a sibling rivalry. Indeed, there are a lot of things in common between Liverpool and Boston, Reds and Red Sox:
- A rich and storied history
- Port cities with maritime, naval, shipping, and trade foundations
- Passionate local support
- Strong national and international support
- The Red connection, of course
- A strong Irish heritage in the cities
- Legendary stadiums with less than adequate revenue capabilities
- Just bad bad winter weather
“By building a global brand partnership, one team’s success travels across all borders to increase revenue elsewhere.”
Synergy
While NESV insists that the funding for the two sporting organizations is and will be completely separated, one has to wonder if there isn’t some sort of effect across the pond. One example may be in supporters and merchandise revenues.
It’s unlikely that baseball will really take hold in Britain any time soon—though a Blue I know suggested it will happen before Liverpool win the Premier League, the bastard. However, Liverpool is a global brand, and baseball is even more popular than football (soccer) in many Asian nations. In Korea, for example, where Manchester United is the biggest English club thanks to Park Ji-Sung (박지성), baseball is regarded as a more popular sport than the even the wildly well-attended and followed K-League. The same is true of China, Japan, and Taiwan.
In Japan, especially, because of Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka (松坂 大輔), the Red Sox now rival the Yankees for second most popular Major League Baseball team. As a testament to the importance of iconic players to the Japanese market, the most popular American team in Japan is the Seattle Mariners—because Ichiro Suzuki, who is bigger than the Beatles in Japan, plays there.
(Even in less popular sports, like basketball, iconic players have a big impact in international popularity. For example, one of the highest grossing jerseys from the NBA? Yao Ming, the Chinese center for the Houston Rockets. Factor in the amount of counterfeit Yao shirts floating around and he is probably the most successful name in basketball. And basketball isn’t even popular in China!)
On the other hand, football (soccer) is becoming popular in the United States. Beckham is in Los Angeles, Henry is in New York, and Freddie Ljungberg is in Chicago. And Major League Soccer has increased profits and attendance year after year and added several franchises of late. While Manchester United sells best of all English clubs in the US, the second top grossing in shirt sales? Everton. Why, you ask, mind blown? You guessed it, Landon Donovan.
It gives you reason to think thrice about signing Clint “Deuce” Dempsey!
“fans of each club should be building a bond that will synergistically benefit both sides.”
My point is this: Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox can grow internationally together. By building a global brand partnership, one team’s success travels across all borders to increase revenue elsewhere. And the Reds link had to be in the mind of NESG when they did the deal.
Although I was brought up a Detroit Tigers fan, I am now more of a Boston Red Sox fan, despite never traveling to Titletown. Why? Because the successes of these teams are tied together.
The Future is Red
If the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC use each other’s reputations to build their global brands and build an even larger fan-base, the value of their advertising, marketing, and merchandise sales will all increase in leaps and bounds. There is no underestimating the impact that an American market, and especially the burgeoning Asian markets, will have on the Merseyside Reds.
And why not be brothers? After all, do we not wear red socks?
The suggestion is simple: rather than being upset about sharing owners—parents, *cough cough*—fans of each club should be building a bond that will synergistically benefit both sides.
The future is bright. The future holds trophies. And, if we do this right, the future is Red.
Links:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703766704576009491324310136.html
http://www.nesn.com/2010/12/carl-crawford-wears-liverpool-tie-to-red-sox-news-conference.html
Kopsource.com is the brainchild of passionate Liverpool FC fans whose desire for real and regular news, opinions and statistics could not be satiated by any of the other existing sites online.
I think LFC is more known globally than Red Sox, especially if you go to Asia(Europe is already hiusehold brand name), beside Korea and Japan where baseball is quite popular, all the rest of Asia is football(soccer) crazy and LFC has VERY BIG followers. For Red Sox, I don’t think most of the asian people know about the club.
Red Sox will get more benefit as global brand by linking with LFC. For example as soon as NESV John W Henry bought LFC, Red sox immediately known by millions of LFC supporters around the world and most of them immediately become Red Sox fans.
I don’t think Red Sox can get as much fans by itself within 2-3 months without linking to LFC, on the other hand I don’t think LFC gain much US fans by linking to Red Sox
Anyway it benefit for Both Clubs.
Great piece, but a point a correction. Bostonians don’t call their city “Bean Town.” New Yorkers call us that. That said, I feel an affinity with Liverpool. Always have, but I didn’t know why. Maybe it was the Beatles, but Liverpool struck a cord with me. I was born in Boston, raised in a working class and largely Irish city on its outskirts, and then lived in Boston. Through it all, I was and remain a die hard Red Sox fan. Here’s a toast to the Reds, my favorite ‘football’ club (in ‘ ‘ given my undying allegiance to the Patriots!). May the Red Sox and Reds both prosper.
Thanks Chuck. I’ll make that Bean Town correction!
And good to see the Patriots getting back to where they should be this season.
Wow talk about trying to build bridges …what a load of tripe you write..erase my emaile from your data base im not on here again
I, for one, wish there weren’t all these comparisons between Boston and Liverpool. As far as franchises go, the Red Sox were more like Newcastle, until they got back on track with their sixth and seventh MLB titles.
But…and I’m sorry….Boston is such a cultured, European city, that it is levels above both Liverpool and Newcaslte. It is closer to Dublin in size and demographics (tons of college students in both cities). I love Newcastle, and even I have to acknowledge that most of their people are the UK equivalent of trailer trash.
Liverpool is special. But it just cannot be compared to Beantown.
Boston proper is a city of neighborhoods, mostly working class and very distinct from each other. True, the city’s changing, becoming gentrified (sadly), but the colleges Dhalgren mentions are largely in the surrounding cities. Harvard and MIT are in Cambridge, Tufts is in Medford, Brandeis in Waltham and Boston College isn’t even in Boston – it’s in Newton. Liverpool may have something in common with Charlestown and South Boston, two of Boston’s large Irish-American neighborhoods.
What? A sibling rivalry?
No one in Boston knows who Liverpool is, and they certainly don’t consider there to be any sort of “rivalry,” sibling or otherwise.
You got bought out. Not because anyone in the U.S. cares. Because it was an easy way for NESV to turn a buck.
Now buzz off.
No one? There is Boston Lfc fan club already there haha.
And yeah nobody cares about baseball apart from yanks.
Asia? Central/South America?
Baseball kinda sucks ass anyway, its ok i mean, nut nothing to football. What always makes me laugh is that americans are generally only good at sports which not really anyone else in the world either cares about or plays themselves. American football, you guys own. Baseball, you guys rule. Basketball, you guys are on top. The only one is really tennis, that is the only sport where the rest of the world gives a toss as well as americans. but you’re top 3 are almost exclusively played at a high intensity in the US
Most Americans dont even know where the rest of the world is.We play baseball in England only its called Rounders and is played by girls
Ha ha – brilliant!
They even call it the world series to make themselves feel like the rest of the world give a shit!
I don’t understand the negative comments…I’m a Sox fan and a New Englander and I wish Liverpool all the best. I don’t know that the cities have a great deal in common (aside from the Irishness and the fact that its architecture and baffling street lay-out wouldn’t look out of place in England), but from what I’ve heard of the Reds, the fan bases certainly do. Sox fans are the most passionate and knowledgeable in baseball, and both have a devoted following tested by adversity. I would say that having watched the ownership here over the past decade, Liverpool has nothing to worry about. Henry et al are quite shrewd and genuinely seem to believe that the best way to build up a franchise’s brand is by winning, and are not averse to spending (smartly) when necessary. The fact that the management and owners have withstood the witheringly critical Boston media and fans without any memorable controversies should tell you everything you need to know. Cheers!
Meireles was bought in August. NESN bought Liverpool in October. What’s the point?
nesv should know it matter how much they spend to acquired. They team manager who teach them to spendless. New Team manager who can fix player in a right position.
nesv should know it matter how much they spend to acquired. They team manager who teach them to spendless. New Team manager who can fix player in a right position. fan from nigeria
Brought up as a Red Sox fan, I grew to love the atmosphere of Fenway Park, the passion of the fans, and the way in which the team has emerged through adversity over the years. Both my parents were born in raised in Boston, and my whole extended family are all Red Sox fans. As my interest grew in soccer after my own experiences in playing in high school and the 2006 World Cup during my freshman year, I didn’t know how to continue my passion for soccer after the tournament. Turning to the Premiership, the most popular league in the world, there was only one team I could support: Liverpool. They were the only team I could somehow see myself cheering on and watching every match. The similarities between the club might not be very apparent, but you can see it in the fans and the history of both clubs, there is something special in tradition that brought me to love Liverpool as I do the Sox….. Now all I need is that 19th league title and an CL spot for next year and I’ll be good! A World Series win for the Sox wouldn’t be too bad either.
p.s. please don’t call it beantown. not in one word, or two words.
also, don’t support the signing of Dempsey. He’ll be thirty next year, we need to look younger. And he is just not world class, thats what we need to be aiming for, players that are under 25 and are already world class or players that are under 20 and have the potential to be world class. As much as I Clint Dempsey, he just doesn’t fit the bill.
The one connection I have yet to see anyone make between the two clubs? Both teams were down 3-0 and improbably ended up winning.
Hello. impressive job. I did not anticipate this. This is a splendid story. Thanks!
Hey, may I ask when you put this site up? because on the top it says 2013, but we are in 2010. what the he**?