Taxpayers get stuck for pro stadiums and arenas. So is it too much to ask that fans en masse might get to own their beloved ball teams? For the doting devotees of the unlucky Boston Red Sox, the impossible dream these days is to do what the famous Wisconsin cheese-heads, football fans of the Green Bay Packers, did long ago: buy the team for the whole town. The Packers have several thousand shareholders in a non-profit community investment that has sustained a powerhouse contender over the years in the 71st ranking TV market in America, the smallest town in any of the big leagues.
When a snowstorm buried the field before a playoff game three years ago, it was a town where the Packers could call on volunteers to shovel them out-and they came in droves. The leagues actually prefer the Steinbrenner model of owner: egomaniacs with iron wills and deep pockets. But what if a collective of fans got a shot at a title, this hour on The Connection.
(Hosted by Christopher Lydon)
Guests:
Tom Davis
Willie Davis, NFL Hall of Famer, former Green Bay packer defensive end, and current member of the Green Bay Packers board of directors
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe sports columnist.