Follow-up: Over 5,000 fans witness first NLL game in New England since loss of Blazers

By Zachary Baru

For the region's lacrosse fans, Friday night was all about the return of indoor lacrosse to New England for the first time in more than three years.  The Mohegan Sun Arena was the site, as 5,768 fans saw the New England Black Wolves top the Buffalo Bandits 12-8 in the franchise's first National Lacrosse League game in Uncasville, Connecticut.

While the attendance was reported in the media as a success, area sports fans will have to give a little more support if they wish to see the team succeed off the field.  The NLL may not have the national television exposure that the four major sports leagues have, but the league still sees its fair share of large crowds.

With nine franchises from Connecticut to British Columbia, the league remains strong and shows the potential for growth.  One success of the league is its reach to the mobile viewer, which comes at a time when online digital content continues to be a major emphasis for the sports and entertainment industry.  The NLL's partnership with ESPN is currently in its fourth-straight season, as 21 games will be broadcast live on ESPN3, available on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.

Friday's game at the Mohegan Sun Arena was broadcast live on ESPN3, and a replay can be viewed anytime on WatchESPN.

The Black Wolves continue their first season at the 9,323-seat Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on Saturday, January 10.  The previous NLL franchise that played in New England was the Boston Blazers, playing at TD Garden from 2009 through 2011.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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Three years after Blazers, NLL returns to New England

By Zachary Baru

It was August 30, 2011, and lacrosse fans throughout New England found out the bad news.  The Boston Blazers had suspended operations, leaving a void of professional indoor lacrosse in the region.  Three years later, the National Lacrosse League returns, this time at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The 9,313-seat Mohegan Sun Arena in November 2014.

Come Friday night, the New England Black Wolves will debut a new chapter in the history of their franchise, which recently moved from Philadelphia where they played since the inception of the league in 1987.  The league was originally known as the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League before becoming the National Lacrosse League in 1998.

The NLL is comprised of nine franchises with Buffalo, Rochester, Toronto and Minnesota making up the other teams in the Eastern Conference.  The Western Conference includes Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton and Vancouver.

The Blazers played three seasons at the 17,565-seat TD Garden from 2009 until 2011.  As for single-game crowds, season-high attendances were 9,313, 10,302 and 11,273, respectively.  The latter came during the franchise's final game - their first and only home playoff game.

When the Black Wolves debut Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena, it will mark the third time a professional indoor lacrosse team has played in New England.  The original New England Blazers began playing in the Worcester Centrum in 1989 and moved to the Boston Garden in 1992 to become the Boston Blazers.  The Blazers continued to play in the new FleetCenter until the end of the 1997 season when the Major Indoor Lacrosse League became the NLL of today.

Fast-forward to 2015, and lacrosse has become the nation's fastest growing sport at both the high school and collegiate levels.  A report released earlier in 2014 by U.S. Lacrosse shows that 746,859 players competed on organized lacrosse teams in 2013.  There is no doubt that lacrosse is on the rise, and while the NLL may no longer be played in Boston, this Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena the region will welcome back indoor lacrosse after more than a three-year absence.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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Revs game draws third-largest stand-alone regular season crowd

By Zachary Baru

The Revolution have had many great double-headers over the years in Foxborough, welcoming international teams to play exhibitions following the Revs' matches.  And while they are great for attendance, there always seemed to be less focus on the Revolution match preceding the international event.

Saturday at Gillette Stadium it was a different story.  The Revolution were the main-event, drawing a season-high 32,766 fans on the team's regular season home finale.  The massive crowd was good enough for the Revolution's third-largest stand-alone regular season attendance, factoring out all of the international double-headers the Revs have featured in Foxborough over the years.

The boisterous crowd filled the lower level, and in a rare occurrence caused the Revolution front office to open up the mezzanine seats for fans who could not secure a seat in the lower level.  Typically, the Revolution do not sell mezzanine seats, opening up only the lower level and one of the club levels in the stadium.

Had the front office wanted to, the event could have been deemed a sell out, and fans could have been prevented from entering.  But the Revolution wisely chose to scratch the sellout in favor of a large crowd, which can only help the franchise's chances of luring fans back to future games once playoff soccer returns to Foxborough next week.

As the Revolution travel to Columbus to face the Crew in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the front office is hoping for a big response from fans for the Revs' first home playoff game. When the Revs host the Crew on November 9 at Gillette Stadium, Revolution President Brian Biello told Boston.com that he expects 20,000 fans for the match.  Early-round playoffs in MLS can be tough for teams to draw large crowds, as many of the promotions do not exist and the length of time for pre-sales are minimal.

As the Revolution's play on the field continues to improve, their success off the field improves along with it.  Next Sunday's match at Gillette looks to be an exciting atmosphere, as the MLS playoffs return to Foxborough for a second consecutive year.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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Red Sox finish 6th in MLB attendance, 3rd in percent of capacity

By Zachary Baru

While the Boston Red Sox suffered problems on the field for much of the 2014 season, the franchise's performance off the field was somewhat of a different story.  The Red Sox finished 6th out of 30 Major League Baseball franchises in attendance during 2014, the highest ranking for the team during the John Henry ownership-era.

During the 2014 season, the Red Sox averaged 36,494 fans per home game, a capacity of 98.5 percent.  The Los Angeles Dodgers claimed the top attendance ranking during 2014 with an average of 46,695.  The Cardinals, Yankees, Giants and Angels finished out the top 5 respectfully.

In terms of percent of capacity, the Red Sox ranked even higher, finishing 3rd overall.  The Red Sox also fell just short of the 3 million mark in total attendance, finishing with 2,956,089, also good for 6th in the league.

What does all of the this mean?  Despite a season which fell short of expectations, this market can still fill the ballpark night after night.  The number of seats filled with fans versus the number of seats filled with corporations entertaining their clients is irrelevant - they are still seats sold.  And for the bottom line of the Red Sox, seats sold is ultimately what matters.  Sure, demand in the secondary markets has decreased, but fans are still coming out, and doing so in near-capacity numbers.

Source: ESPN.com

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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Deutsche Bank Championship, an invaluable asset to the region

By Zachary Baru

Not many sporting events can offer the top 100 athletes and playoff atmosphere right in your own backyard.  Fortunately for New England golf fans, the Deutsche Bank Championship gives you just that, right here in Norton, Massachusetts.

This weekend at TPC Boston, just off I-495, the Deutsche Bank Championship is serving as the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs.  This is not just any PGA Tour event, and the Boston-area is fortunate to have been the host of this event since 2003.

In 2007, when the PGA Tour began the season-long race for the FedEx Cup, the Deutsche Bank Championship became one of four events designated as a playoff.  And with this change, the tournament morphed into an even more internationally covered event.  All eyes in the golf world are now on Norton, meaning increased attention for tourism, and a boost for the local economy around the I-495 corridor.

As for tourism, according to a 2014 study, the economic impact from golf-related hospitality and tourism in Massachusetts during 2012 was estimated at $366.7 million.  As millions watch the Deutsche Bank Championship worldwide, the tournament puts Massachusetts golf tourism in the spotlight.  With resorts from the Berkshires to Cape Cod, the Commonwealth is home to 376 golf courses.

In terms of other economic impact, the Deutsche Bank Championship attracts thousands of spectators and media members to the region, benefiting nearby hotels and restaurants, as well as additional local and state tax revenue.

The Deutsche Bank Championship is an invaluable asset to the region.  From creating state-wide exposure for tourism, to generating economic impact along the I-495 corridor, the Deutsche Bank Championship continues to be one of New England's premier sporting events.

Source: Alliance of Massachusetts Golf Organizations

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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What the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center expansion could mean for the NFL Draft

By Zachary Baru

While the chance of Boston luring the NFL Draft from New York may seem like a Hale Mary, a June bill passed by the Massachusetts Senate has helped Boston's chances of making the draft a reality.

The Massachusetts Senate approved a bill last Thursday that would allow for a $1 billion expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.  The bill was passed 31-6.

The convention center, located in South Boston, lacks the size of competing venues across the country, in addition to lacking an adequate number of adjacent hotel rooms.  The expansion would allow the convention center to be more competitive with venues nationwide, enabling Boston to attract more conventions into the city, boosting the region's economy.

What does all of this mean for Boston's chances of hosting the NFL Draft?  According to a report in May by the New York Post's Bart Hubboch, Boston was one of seven cities to apply to host the NFL Draft.  Boston.com later reported that Mayor Martin J. Walsh has expressed interest in hosting the draft in Boston.

As the convention space expands, the opportunity for Boston to host the draft will grow along with it.  Hosting the draft would be a big win for the city, bringing in thousands of media members, fans, and both league and team officials.  Economic benefits would range from packed hotels and restaurants, to additional local and state tax revenue.

Regardless of whether the convention center expansion opens the door for the NFL Draft in Boston, the project is a much needed step in making Boston more competitive with other large cities for conventions and events.  While the chances of the city hosting the draft seemed like a long shot, the convention center expansion just may have changed the game in Boston.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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Bruins finish third in local-market TV ratings

By Zachary Baru

During a season that saw the Bruins finish with the Eastern Conference's best record, Bruins fans proved their loyalty to the franchise, enough to help the team finish third in local-market TV ratings during the 2013-14 season according to SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily.

The ranking only represents franchises that make their Nielsen data available.

Bruins games on NESN averaged a 5.04 rating in the Boston market.  But the high rankings did not end there, as the Bruins also finished second in average audience size (123,000).

This is an impressive display for the Bruins, which play in a media market that is only the seventh largest in the U.S according to Nielsen.  The Bruins' high ratings are an example of the strong support the fans have for the franchise, which shows no signs of slowing down.

With a two phase, $70 million renovation of TD Garden beginning this summer, the franchise appears to be once again heading in the right direction.  As the fan-base remains strong, the renovated arena should be completed in time to ensure long-term success for the Bruins off-the-ice.

Source: SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily, Nielsen

Zach Baru can be followed @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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