[外電] Rebound

[AdamHmc ()]

NBA team valuations Big winners: The Trail Blazers resurrected their brand and
the Celtics won the title.

評估NBA隊伍最大的贏家:拓荒者重建了他們的招牌，塞爾提克贏得了冠軍

Last Easter Paul Allen, owner of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, held the
fate of his team in his hands. With the Trail Blazers scheduled to play in
Seattle the next day, Allen--who lives just outside the city--invited his team
over for dinner. Coach Nate McMillan decided to hold a practice on the NBA-size
basketball court on Allen's estate and told the players that they were either
going to run hard or take it easy. The determining factor: If Allen, the
55-year-old cofounder of Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ), could sink
a free throw, the players could relax.

去年復活節，Paul Allen，拓荒者的老闆，掌握一個球隊的球隊命運。在當拓荒者隔天被
排定要在西雅圖出賽時，住在市郊外的Allen邀請他的球隊過來吃晚餐。McMillan決定
在Allen他家NBA等級的球場上來練習，並告訴球員們，他們有可能得非常賣命，也有可能只
要輕鬆打就好。

這全都決定於：如果Paul Allen，55歲的微軟共同創辦人，能夠投進一顆罰球的話，球員們
就能放鬆了。

The shy and unassuming Allen was--per his custom--standing off to the side of
the court, away from the center of the action. Allen was momentarily taken
aback by the proposal but then picked up a basketball, strode up to the
free-throw line, dribbled twice and coolly made the shot. "The players kind of
went crazy," says Allen.

害羞且不愛表現的Allen對於這個計畫並不知情，站離場邊還有段距離。而Allen一時之間被
這計畫嚇到不知道該做什麼，但隨後他撿起籃球，站上罰球線，運了兩下，把球投進。

"球員們都像瘋了一樣。" Allen說。

It was one of the few times in the 20 years that he's owned the team that Allen
hit something right. Under his watch, one of the best brands in the NBA was
nearly destroyed. Since the mid-1990s the franchise has lost hundreds of
millions of dollars off the court while fielding a team of overpaid
troublemakers, crushing the long love affair that sponsors and fans had with
the only big league professional team in the city.

這是這二十年他擁有球隊以來，少數幾次作對事情的時候。在他的掌控之下，這支曾經在
NBA赫赫有名的球隊近乎毀滅。自從1990年代中期，這支球隊因為一群領高薪的麻煩製造者
而在場外損失了數億美元，破壞了贊助商和球迷對於這支在這個城市裡頭唯一個職業運動球
隊的愛。

But as in basketball, life occasionally affords a stunning comeback. In the
last two years Allen has managed to turn the franchise completely around and,
in the process, repair his own reputation. "We had to start from scratch," says
Allen.

但就像籃球一樣，機運有時候也會出現驚人的轉變。在過去的兩年，Allen把這支球隊經營
得完全不一樣了，更進一步恢復了他的名聲。"我們必須從起跑線開始出發。" Allen說。

Allen bought the team in 1988 for $70 million. He had a brief honeymoon. The
team, led by popular players Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter, made the NBA
finals in 1990 and 1992. For 18 years ending in 1995, the team sold out every
single home game.

Allen在1988年時用七千萬美金買了這支球隊。當時有受歡迎的Clyde Drexler 和 Terry
Porter帶領這支球隊，並在1990和1992年闖進NBA冠軍賽。到1995年之前的18年，這支球隊
都賣光每晚在主場比賽的門票。

That year Allen opened a new arena named the Rose Garden. It should have been
the beginning of a fruitful new era. Unusual for a team owner, Allen didn't
reach deep into taxpayers' pockets. Only $35 million of the stadium's $262
million cost came from the public. Allen put down $46 million of his own money
and borrowed $155 million in a private placement. Replete with luxury suites
and all the modern amenities needed to be a gold mine, the stadium should have
increased Allen's fortune.

那年，Allen打造了全新的球館，Rose Garden。這應該是一個成功的嶄新年代。不同於一個
球隊老闆，Allen並沒有把手伸往納稅人的口袋裡。在建造球館兩億六千兩百萬的花費裡頭
，只有三千五百萬來自於政府。Allen自己出了四千六百萬，並從私人機構借了一億五千五
百萬。充滿了高級的房間，以及現代化的設備，像極了一座金礦，而這座球館應該會增加
Allen的財富。

It didn't. The creditors--TIAA-CREF and Prudential among them--hit Allen up for
a 9% interest rate, which meant $14 million in annual debt service. Other NBA
arenas were built in the same fashion--in Boston in 1995 and Philadelphia in
1996--but they also housed NHL teams, which made the debt less of a burden. For
the original deal to work, the team would have had to continue its streak of
sellouts, for both seats and luxury suites. "That assumption turned out to be
horribly false," says Allen.

但它並沒有。那些債權人，TIAA-CREF 和 Prudential，以9%的利率痛擊了Allen，這代表著
每年的債務高達一千四百萬元。而其他NBA的球館有一樣水準的，波士頓的在1995年蓋的以
及費城的在1996年蓋，這些球場通常也出租給NHL球隊，這讓債務的重擔減輕不少。對於原
本的計畫來說，這支球隊應該可以繼續賣光他的票，包括座位以及豪華的房間。

"這樣的假設 最後卻演變成了可怕的錯誤。" Allen說。

Beginning in the late 1990s Allen became one of the biggest payroll spenders in
the NBA, despite the fact that Portland was the eighth-smallest market and deep
in hock on the arena. By the 2002--03 season the Blazers' payroll was $105
million, the highest in the league and enough to occasion a $52 million
penalty. A representative of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, the holding
company Allen set up to run the team, would later say the Blazers had a "broken
economic model" but neglected to mention that Allen was responsible for it. He
wanted Shawn Kemp, an out-of-shape player on the downside of his career, and
gave him $14 million a year. Scottie Pippen, another over-the-hill veteran,
made $13 million. The team was put together with little forethought about how
the individuals would play together. "The philosophy was talent at all costs,"
says Allen. Bob Whitsitt, the general manager at the time, told the media, "I'm
not a chemistry major."

從1990年代後期，Allen就成為NBA最敢給錢的老闆，相對於事實上波特蘭是NBA裡頭第八小
的市場，並因為球館而嚴重負債。在2002~2003賽季，拓荒者的薪資是一億五百萬美元，在
聯盟是最高的，並得付五千兩百萬美元的奢侈稅。Vulcan Sports and Entertainment，
Paul Allen設立來經營球隊的公司，來自裡面的一位代表提到，拓荒者已經毀了整個經營模
型，這也不可避免的提到Allen必須為這個負責。

他想要Shawn Kemp，一個已經身材走樣在走下坡的球員，還付他一千四百萬美元的年薪。
以及Scottie Pippen，另外一個已經過了巔峰的球員，付給他一千三百萬美元。

這個球隊把球員搞在一起，卻都很少思考這些球員要如何合作。

Allen講到，我的哲學就是花大錢。

當時的GM，Bob Whitsitt說到，我不是研究團隊氣氛的專家。

The Business Of Basketball

Unfortunately Allen's high-priced sharpshooters were involved in a different
form of chemistry. From 2002 to 2004, numerous players were arrested on drug
charges. One pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges. Though the team continued
to post wins, fans and sponsors were turned off. The team acquired the
sobriquet Jail Blazers. Attendance sank from 831,000 in the 2000--01 season to
617,000 in the 2005--06 season despite a slashing of the average ticket price
from $61 to $43. Fred Meyer, the grocery store chain and a sponsor of the team
since the early 1970s, dropped the Blazers in 2004. "Our main customers are
moms with kids," says Fred Meyer spokesperson Melinda Merrill. "The team
reached a place where it just didn't represent our values."

不幸的，Allen的高價球員們都捲入了另一種團隊氣氛。從2002年到2004年，多數的球員因
為毒品被逮捕起訴。另一位則是因為鬥狗被起訴。即使球隊繼續獲勝，球迷和贊助商卻不關
心了。這支球隊獲得了一個綽號，Jail Blazers。觀眾從2000~01的八十三萬人降到了
2005~06的六十一萬人，即使平均票價已經從$61降到$43了。從1970年早期就一直贊助拓荒
者的零售業和供應商，Fred Meyer也在2004年拋棄了拓荒者。

"我們主要的顧客是媽媽和小孩。" Fred Meyer的發言人Melinda Merrill講到，

"這支球隊已經爛到不能代表我們的價值了"

The franchise lost $200 million from 2001--06. "There was an enormous erosion
of a brand that had been well and profitably established," says NBA
commissioner David Stern. "But we were comfortable that Paul Allen would make
things right."

這支球隊在2001~06年損失了兩億美元。"這對於一個過去曾經很棒以及賺錢的隊伍來說是一
個很大的損失。" NBA的主席 David Stern說，"但我們相信Paul Allen會做出對的事情的。
"

Allen apparently wasn't as confident. He tried to renegotiate with the Rose
Garden's creditors, maneuvering to get out of the deal by offering less than
half of what note holders demanded. The creditors balked. So Allen effectively
threw them the keys and declared the arena bankrupt, thus forfeiting revenues
associated with it (luxury suites, concessions, merchandise), the lifeblood of
the team. "There is no such thing as a modern professional sports franchise
that can survive without those revenues," says Marc Ganis, president of
Sportscorp, a Chicago consultancy. "It was the single dumbest thing I've ever
seen in sports business."

Allen明顯的不在那麼有自信了。他試著要和Rose Garden的債權人協商，希望能透過付少於
債權人所要求的一半金額來擺脫之前的交易。債權人拒絕了。所以Allen很快的把鑰匙丟給
他們，並宣告球館破產了，這也讓與球館相關的收入被沒收，包括豪華的套房，出租權和商
品，這些都是一支球隊的血脈來源。

"沒有一支現在的職業球隊可以在沒有這些收入下存活 ，沒有這種事。"

一家在芝加哥的顧問公司，Sportscorp的總經理 Marc Ganis 說，"這是我看過在職業運動
面最蠢的一件事..."

To add to the misery, the team posted a 48--116 record from 2004 to 2006. "We
had a toxic mixture of a losing team and unpopular players," says Allen. So why
didn't one of the richest men in America just pony up the cash for the arena?
Allen says he was willing to write a check but wanted to get it down to what he
considered a reasonable number.

屋漏偏逢連夜雨，這支球隊在2004~06賽季間拿到了48勝116敗的紀錄。"我們整個就是失敗
的球隊和不受歡迎球員的組合" Allen說。所以這個美國最有錢的男人為什麼不直接付錢給
球館呢？Allen說，他也想寫張支票，但他還在想合理的價碼是多少？

Meanwhile Allen's reputation took a beating. "I'm not sure he knew how far he
had fallen in the eyes of the people of Portland," says Ganis. Allen was
crestfallen. "We kept thinking we had hit bottom, then we'd sink even lower,"
says Tod Leiweke, chief executive of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment. At the
same time, some of Allen's other investments--like his stake in mediocre cable
company Charter Communications (nasdaq: CHTR - news - people ) and funding of a
science fiction museum--looked dopey. In 2005 Allen began shopping the team
around. forbes estimates that he could have got, at best, $230 million at the
time, which would have meant a big loss on his original investment considering
hundreds of millions of dollars he poured in to cover losses.

正當Allen的名聲被狠狠的打擊，Ganis說，"我不知道他知不知道他在波特蘭居民的眼中已
經低到什麼地步了。"

Allen很沮喪。"我們持續認為已經夠慘了，但事實上我們又繼續慘下去。"

Vulcan Sports and Entertainment的執行長，Tod Leiweke說。同一時間，Allen其他的投
資，例如他投資的Charter Communications公司，一家通訊公司，以及籌資的科幻博物館，
都看起來很蠢。

在2005年，Allen開始兜售他的球隊。富比士評估他可以得到，最多的話，兩億三千萬美元
當時，這代表著對於他原本著眼於數億美元可以用來填補虧損的投資將有很大的損失。

In 2006 Allen had a change of heart and pulled the team off the market. Leiweke
says in the end it was his overriding love of the team and the game of
basketball that drove the decision. Allen, even through the dark times, was an
attentive owner, attending most home games, reviewing player statistics and
visiting the locker room after games (where he rarely addressed the team). As
Ganis points out, pro sports franchises are not like stocks. "It's hard to get
back in once you leave," he says.

在2006年，Allen改變態度，並把球隊從市場架上收回來。 Leiweke說，到最後是他對球隊
的愛以及籃球比賽才有這樣的決定。Allen，即使渡過了他最後黑暗的時期，是個投入的老
闆，幾乎每場主場的比賽都到場，觀看球員的統計數據，和在比賽後去更衣室晃晃。就像
Ganis指出的，職業球隊不像是股票一樣，一旦你放棄他的，就很難拿回來了。

Allen began running the team as a business rather than a rich man's hobby. He
had learned a lesson. "In retrospect we should have done better financial
modeling with the original deal," Allen says. He got a second chance. He went
back to the negotiating table with the Rose Garden creditors and worked out a
deal to buy back the arena in 2007. Vulcan declines to disclose the terms of
the deal, but Leiweke says though the team still has some debt, "the new deal
is much more competitive."

Allen開始經營球隊像經營生意一樣，不再只是把這當興趣。他學到了一個教訓，" 回顧過
來，我們應該在財務上做更好的評估的。" Allen說。他也得到了第二個機會。他回到了談
判桌上和Rose Garden的債權人談判，並討論出將在2007年把球場買回來。Vulcan公司不願
意透漏交易的價錢，但Leiweke說，雖然球隊還有些負債，但新的交易更具有競爭力了。

Allen has also been cutting costs. This season's payroll is $82 million, which
includes $17 million being paid to Steve Francis, who the Trail Blazers got rid
of in 2007. Gone are the days of trying to buy a championship. Allen and Kevin
Pritchard, the general manager since the 2006--07 season, have focused on
building a team of young players through the draft, a strategy befitting a
small market. With the first pick in the 2007 draft the Blazers chose promising
center Greg Oden. And third-year player Brandon Roy was an All-Star last year.
The character of the players is now paramount. "We had to reconnect with the
city," says Allen.

Allen開始減少花費，這季球隊的薪資是八千兩百萬，包含了一千七百萬給Steve Francis，
一位2007年被買斷的球員。過往靠錢買冠軍的日子越來越遠，KP，2006~07開始擔任的球隊
經理，和Allen開始透過選秀來重建一支年輕人球隊，這個是有利於小市場的政策。當2007
年拿到了狀元籤，拓荒者選了中鋒Oden。而第三年的球員，Roy，去年是明星賽隊員。現在
球員的品行越來越重要。"我們要重新和這個城市接軌" Allen說。

In 2007 Allen brought in Larry G. Miller, a Nike (nyse: NKE - news - people )
executive who had run Brand Jordan and Nike's worldwide basketball operations,
as team president. "Larry brought the experience of running a billion-dollar
company, and he was a local guy," says Leiweke. Miller insisted on financial
discipline but also spent where necessary. He boosted the marketing budget by
6% and added nine staff members to that department. The new marketing campaign
focused on the team as opposed to individual players. One billboard shows three
unnamed players with the tagline "Rise With Us."

在2007年，Allen引進了Larry G. Miller擔任球隊總裁，一位Nike的執行長，過去曾推出
Jordan鞋，以及負責經營Nike在全世界的籃球運動。"Laryy帶了一些過去經營數十億公司的
經驗，同時他也是當地人。" Leiweke說。 Miller堅持財務的原則，但也懂得錢要花在刀口
上。一個告示板上秀出了三個不知名的球員，並附帶著一個標語"Rise With Us" 。


'We know it was bad and we know why you left, but here's how we're changing,'"
says Fred Meyer's Merrill. After a three-year hiatus the grocery chain became a
sponsor of the team again in 2007. The Blazers have added 20 new sponsors this
year, boosting sponsorship revenue 16% over last year. The fans have come back,
too. The team sold out the last 27 home games last year, and "we expect to sell
out every home game this year," says Miller. Ticket revenue is up 28% this year
over last. Luxury suite sales are up 8%.

他在贊助商方面的推行也很成功。"他們跑過來找我們，非常地恭敬，並對我們說，我們知
道球隊過去很糟，我們也知道你為什麼會離開，但現在我們也經改變了。" Fred Meyer的
Merrill說。在過了三年的中斷，這位零售商又再度在2007年成為球隊的贊助商。拓荒者今
年增加了20個新的贊助商，比起去年在贊助商這塊的收入成長了16%，相當大的進步。球迷
也開始回籠了。球隊去年有27場的主場門票售光，" 而我們今年預估每場主場比賽都可以賣
光" Miller說。比起去年，門票的收入今年上升了28%。高級的套房也成長了8%。

During the past two years the Blazers spent $5 million on a high-definition
scoreboard, and added concessions and doubled merchandise space, boosting sales
in these segments by 27% and 60%, respectively. In 2007 the team signed a
reported $130 million, ten-year deal with Comcast (nasdaq: CMCSA - news -
people ) for cable television broadcast rights. For the first time the team is
actively seeking a naming rights deal for the arena (the Blazers are one of
five teams currently without one). They've even dusted off old plans for
developing the area surrounding the arena, known as the Rose Quarter (the
franchise owns the developing rights on the land, which is owned by the city).

在過去的兩年，拓荒者花了五百萬在高解析度的計分板上，釋出更多出租權，以及加倍販賣
商品的空間，使得這些部分分別成長了27%和60%。在2007年，球隊和Comcast簽了十年一億
三千萬的轉播合約。

此外這是第一次，這支球隊主動尋找這個球館的冠名權 (拓荒者是現在五支球隊其中一支還
沒有的。) 他們已經開始實行過去舊的計畫要來開發球場附近的地區，Rose Quarter.

The Business Of Basketball

The Blazers were given an unexpected opportunity when Seattle's franchise moved
to Oklahoma City, Okla. earlier this year. "We hope to become the NBA team for
the entire region," says Miller. The team now broadcasts games in Seattle and
recently added two radio affiliates in Washington State. It has other Seattle
connections besides Allen: Head coach McMillan was a popular pro player there,
and Roy attended the University of Washington.

當西雅圖被遷移到奧克拉荷馬市，拓荒者被給予了一個意外的機會。"我們有機會成為這個
地區的NBA球隊。" Miller說。這支球隊現在在西雅圖會轉播，此外最近還多了兩個廣播節
目在華盛頓州。除了Allen之外，其他西雅圖有結合的地方有：教練McMillan過去在這是明
星球員，Roy是華盛頓大學畢業的。

The team is on the upswing. The Blazers are worth $307 million this year, a 21%
jump. "We're not profitable, and we aren't at the break-even point yet," says
Miller. "But we're getting there." The team is young, hungry and popular. When
Allen attends home games, the arena is packed. Says the NBA's Stern: "They're a
good product again." The fate of the team rests in Allen's hands. Suddenly,
that's a good thing.

這支球隊上扶搖直上。拓荒者今年價值三億七百萬美金，21%的成長率。"我們還沒獲利，也
還沒到損益平衡點。" Miller說， "但我們正朝那個方向前進。" 這支球隊年輕，渴望，又
受歡迎。當Allen去主場看球，球場都是爆滿。

NBA的主席 Stern說:

"他們又是火熱的商品了。這支球隊的命運掌握在Allen的手中，忽然之間，一切又是那麼的
美好。"

--
來點不同於球員的外電，關心一下我們的老闆。

感謝Paul Allen選擇了KP當GM，準備充足的銀彈。

永遠記得選Sergio時，平息大家為了三百萬爭論的那句 - "那就買了吧"

今年又靠著三百萬加上原本的選秀拿到了Batum~~~

Paul Allen~ 糾甘心

--
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◆ From: 203.196.98.32
※ 編輯: AdamHmc         來自: 203.196.98.32        (12/10 17:07)
推 and629:有看有推 ~
推 kneckss:那就買了吧~
推 cokelon:買RUDY也是300
推 wanggogo:老闆真的就甘心Q_Q
推 PaulAllen:謝謝關心Q_Q
推 kotime:感恩
推 behind0416:有看有推~~~  ^^
推 and1018:老闆 就甘心!!
推 Fernandez05:老闆就甘心
推 MinShooter:有看有推    就甘心~~
推 Homunculu:Paul Allen~ 糾甘心
推 teapot43:300壯士 XD
推 knight0123:老闆大好人一個~~~
→ sneak: 買RUDY也是300 https://muxiv.com
→ muxiv: 買RUDY也是300 http://yaxiv.com