The money pit that is the proposed Nets arena in Brooklyn took another turn this week with team owner Bruce Ratner soliciting a new design team in an attempt to save face after the last idea was met with as much enthusiasm as a Pauly Shore movie. That's not the only idea the Nets have up their sleeve to try and curry favor with the public, though.
They've unveiled a promotion in conjunction with the American Dairy Association that will allow one lucky kid between the ages of 6 and 13 to bring a member of the Nets with them to school for a day. While winning would obviously be an exciting moment for any youngster, can you imagine the perspiration that will ensue as the little champion tries to choose between such icons as Keyon Dooling, Jarvis Hayes and Yi Jianlian?
The player will pick your kid up at school in the morning and accompany them to school where they and their classmates will get a free breakfast and t-shirts to enjoy. The best part of the day will undoubtedly be when little Johnny or Janie could have the chance to have dozens of their classmates surround them during recess peppering them with questions like "What are the Nets?" and "Who was that weird tall guy you brought to school with you?" Good times.
A few notes for parents of prospective winners. If your son or daughter wins the visit, you might want to steer them clear of Sean Williams unless you're looking to give your youngster an early introduction to the wide world of pot. Brook Lopez enjoys a more wholesome off-court lifestyle, but his love of all things Disney may have the older range of kids feeling like they're stuck with an annoying younger brother for the day.
While we applaud any effort to reach out to kids and generate a fanbase, it's odd that the Nets would go this route rather than abandoning their white whale Brooklyn arena and just cornering the market on the youth of New Jersey by moving to Newark. The franchise's refusal to even consider that option has eroded the limited number of people that were rooting for them in the first place, while their continued salary dumping trades have made it impossible for any new fans to take an interest in a team with no designs on competing.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
