Nets Contemplating Move To Newark?

New Jersey Nets owner Bruce Ratner has been looking to build a new stadium in Brooklyn, New York, since he bought the team in 2003 but the real estate market meltdown and credit crisis has brought that project to a standstill even though they're claiming that ground will be broken this summer on the Brooklyn project (Atlantic Yards). The team still plays in the Meadowlands, but New Jersey built a shiny new arena in downtown Newark that hosts the New Jersey Devils and could be home to the Nets in the future.

While I think the Nets would benefit more from a move to Brooklyn, the move to the new arena in downtown Newark might be just the thing the team needs at this juncture. For now, the team is planning on holding two preseason games at the Prudential Center in October (the 2009-2010 season).

There are some obstacles to the Nets playing games at the Rock; namely that the Devils have a tight grasp on all the revenues from concessions at the arena.

But even if the Nets are unable to move to Brooklyn, given the difficulty in financing construction of the arena, there are obstacles to a Newark move as well.

Under the terms of the Devils’ lease, the National Hockey League team keeps nearly all of the revenue from all events held at the Prudential Center.

That raises questions about how much revenue a move to Newark would generate for the Nets. However, the value of luxury suites and corporate sponsorships would increase with a second major pro sports franchise.

The Nets have played in the Meadowlands since the arena opened in 1981. The club is losing an estimated $40 million a year playing in one of the NBA’s oldest facilities, which does not have the thousands of lucrative premium seats that newer buildings do.

Taxing the Rock

The new arena in Newark, the Prudential Center (aka The Rock), has provoked the interest of the New Jersey legislature. Tax and spenders as they are, they see an opportunity to tax and spend just a bit more.

The measure, designed to raise funds from sports fans and concertgoers to offset traffic control and security costs, won approval today from the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The endorsement comes less than two weeks after the bill authorizing the surcharge, (S-2971), was introduced on Nov. 29.

Separately, committee members deferred consideration of a companion measure (S-2891) that would let Newark, Elizabeth and Jersey City impose a 7 percent surcharge on parking fees for arena events to pay for municipal services associated with the arena.

Both measures were introduced after the November elections, and will die unless they are approved by both the Senate and Assembly before the current session ends Jan. 8.

The first measure would effectively increase ticket prices by 5% and would affect all events at the new arena.

How exactly is the tax going to make the arena competitive versus other arenas in the region? No tax is imposed on the ticket prices at the IZod Center, the former home of the Devils in the Meadowlands.

The Legislature simply cannot help itself when it comes to taxing and spending. No one in Trenton can hold the line on spending, so tax hikes are the only logical and convenient outcome for that mindset.

Bon Jovi at the Rock

Last night Mrs. Legalbgl and I, along with my sister-in-law and her friend, saw Bon Jovi at Newark New Jersey's new Prudential Center, a/k/a The Rock. For those of you who didn't know, last week the new arena opened in downtown Newark, with hopes of revitalizing the area. And, much like New Jersey's other son, Bruce Springsteen, did with the Brendan Byrne Arena years ago, Bon Jovi is playing 10 dates to open the new venue. Last night was show three.

Bon Jovi's first show, Thursday night, received mixed reviews. Eddie Trunk hated Thursday's show. Friday night I heard his review on Q104.3's Friday Night Rocks and was afraid that I wasted several hundred bucks on the tickets. I have listened to Eddie Trunk for years, and usually agree with his tastes. Generally, he is spot on in his assessments.

However, I think he is giving Bon Jovi a raw deal here. I thought Bon Jovi rocked on most of his hits. Excellent versions of "You Give Love A Bad Name", "Runaway" and "Blood on Blood". Even a great version of mediocre songs "Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars" and "Have a Nice Day". I though they did a poor version of "Lay your Hands On Me", way too slow and I thought they did to many songs from "Lost Highway" which is a horrible album. However, I don't think they just phoned it in like Eddie seems to think. Yes, they were better on the last tour. Yes, they could lose the fiddle player and the other two nobodies that no one cared to see on stage, and yes, the new album is way to country, but they did put on an excellent show.

As for the Prudential Center, the venue still has an unfinished quality to it. The walls are still stark white, with very little by way of decorations. The seats were comfortable. One thing, the ushers lined up by the main entrance at the end of the night and where cheering and doing a little dance number for you as you left. A cute touch. A few negatives: poor signage directing you to the parking lots. I never saw a sign directing you to turn off of Broad Street on to E. Kinney Street and no sign to turn from E. Kinney on to Mulberry Street and poor signage indicating which lot was which. Also, I felt as if Mulberry was poorly lit as you were walking from the parking lot to the arena. I must say though, the Newark PD did an excellent job of traffic control getting you out of the area and onto the highways.

Overall, I would rate the concert a 6.5-7, and the Rock a 8-8.5.