Monday, June 1, 2026

$80 World Cup Commuter Rail is worth the price

By Zachary Baru

At the risk of sounding like an MBTA apologist, the $80 round trip commuter rail ticket from Boston to the World Cup this summer is not really the exorbitant price much of the internet has been blasting about.

While the internet does have its way of making too much about just about everything, if you really break this down, the $40 per direction cost of a train ticket that avoids Gillette Stadium traffic is not really that terrible.  Especially considering the traffic expected during the World Cup.

Let's take for example, a regular New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium.  Let's say a game in September, versus the Jets.  The traffic is certainly going to be backed up many miles down Route 1, in any direction, regardless of the day of the week, or the start time.  If you've been to a Patriots game in Foxboro, you know this is a sure bet both before and after any game.  Carpooling does not usually begin to make this any better, as the traffic is bad enough to annoy basically anyone in the car, whether they are driving or a passenger.  Let's put it this way - if you are in the state of mind to remember the game, you are going to get annoyed with the traffic.  A limo would make it a little better of course, a bus might help, but either way, you are stuck in thick traffic for miles in either direction.  Bottom line, with the possible exception of the limo example, at this point many people might be thinking that an $80 commuter rail ticket to Downtown Boston might not be such a bad option.

A ride to let's say, Springfield, which should be an hour and forty-five minutes, easily could be 3-4 hours.  Especially with the threat of traffic on the Mass Pike.  Not taking the Pike?  Or not going to Western Mass.?  You are betting on I-93 or I-95/Route 128 being traffic-free.  There are a lot of reasons why rail can be a better travel option, and lets not even get into the environmental reasons, for which there are a lot.  

When it comes to traveling through major cities and from major events, rail can be a very good option.  MetLife Stadium has its own dedicated rail line during events, Denver has used light rail access since Empower Field opened, Madison Square Garden sees much more subway and rail access than cars, and Inter Miami's new stadium is connected to the terminus of Miami's commuter rail, creating record numbers for their Tri-Rail service.  This isn't a new concept in the U.S. by far, especially with Madison Square Garden's track record since its opening in 1968.  So why now, when Gillette Stadium's rail access is finally getting some attention, are people up in arms in what appears to be great numbers?  An increase from $20 to $80 is of course a lot, but is the $60 really enough to get so upset about?  Especially considering all of the above inconveniences that are all but removed with a rail ticket.

Perhaps it's the internet being the internet.  Controversy sells, and clicks will always be clicks.  But when all is taken into consideration, while a 300% increase will never be welcomed by customers in any industry, the real outcome here is a much improved experience for the fan.  It will be a safer way of traveling, and more or less worry-free for any fan taking advantage of the commuter rail service Gillette Stadium has to offer.  That sounds like an extra $60 well spent.  

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

No comments:

Friday, December 12, 2025

The Commonwealth Classic lives on, kind of

By Zachary Baru

Back when the Tip-Off Classic actually meant the tip-off of the NCAA men's basketball season, early season neutral-site games were a rarity.  Always around Thanksgiving, the annual neutral-site game traditionally marked the beginning of college basketball.  Sometimes nationally televised, always with a Tip-Off Parade in basketball's home of Springfield, Massachusetts, the Tip-Off Classic offered an interesting concept: two top teams, neutral-site, marking the beginning of the college basketball season.  

Fast-forward to 2025, every city and it's European sister city has a game.  Often with names like "Classic" branded in, or even "Tip-Off" or "Showdown", these games have become a dime a dozen.  But to many college basketball fans, more games means more opportunities to watch your favorite team, often times in a different city than the college town they typically play in.  

An In-State Rivalry is Born

Enter, the Commonwealth Classic.  In 1995 Governor Weld and state legislators introduced a new game for the then-new FleetCenter.  This game would be called the "Commonwealth Classic", putting two division 1 men's basketball rivalries against one another.  The game would always feature Boston College against UMass, playing for the "Governor's Cup".  

Back in 1995, the first Commonwealth Classic sold-out the FleetCenter, now TD Garden.  It was the first college basketball game played at the 1995-built arena.  The rivalry continued, mostly at on-campus locations in either Chestnut Hill or Amherst, with games through 2011.

End of an Era

In 2012, with an expanded ACC schedule, Boston College dropped it's Commonwealth Classic meeting with UMass, then an Atlantic-10 Conference school.  The two teams did meet once again in 2013 and 2014, but this time the "Commonwealth Classic" name had been reduced to just that, a name, often only appearing in a news article here and there, or a mention on TV and radio broadcasts.  As early season college basketball expanded, and traditions faded, the enormity of the Commonwealth Classic faded with it.

But the Commonwealth Classic did not die.  Fast-forward again, this time to two nights ago, when Boston College and UMass faced off once again, thanks to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  If anyone would keep the tradition alive, it might as well be the Hall of Fame itself.  And this is exactly what happened on Wednesday night, when the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic hosted UMass and BC.  While no longer called the Commonwealth Classic, the tradition carried on.  There were mentions on broadcast and articles, and 5,853 fans saw what always was a storied intra-state rivalry.  

A Tradition, Continued

The Basketball Hall of Fame Classic has been one of many early season games hosted by the Basketball Hall of Fame since 2011, when the Tip-Off Committee moved their one-day game in Springfield to a two-day tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena.  The Committee did continue to host a UMass appearance in Springfield that year, and in subsequent years to continue to the tradition of early season basketball in the game's birthplace.  

In the end, two traditions, the Commonwealth Classic and Tip-Off Classic, both have been kept alive and merged into one.  The Tip-Off's early season basketball is still played in Springfield, and BC-UMass still faced off against one another, also in Springfield, on Wednesday night.  Neither might have the same name, but both are still alive in spirit.  As for one night, nearly 6,000 fans in the game's birthplace were able to experience what is left of the decades-old tradition of two historic games.  

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

No comments:

Friday, May 30, 2025

The good and the bad about the Shakira concert cancellation

By Zachary Baru

It's concert day.  Fans are flying in.  And not in the normal way they would for your typical Boston concert.  Yesterday's scheduled concert had a very, very international appeal.  With fans flying in from all over Latin America, and thousands more driving many hours away, concert day was ruined for somewhere around 37,000 excited fans.  Normally this would be a horrible thing - and in many ways it still was - but given the circumstances, what could have happened may have been much worse.  

A concert comes with many moving parts.  The stage, and the local crew who builds the stage, is just one of many.  For Shakira's Boston concert to be cancelled yesterday, and for the Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn show to be cancelled tonight, clearly the stage must have been extremely unsafe for this call to be made. 

It's a situation where a promoter cannot win.  You cannot move forward with the shows due to safety, but you will also upset a combined 74,000 fans, potentially.  Any promoter is going to take the former, but here lies the problem.  

Last night we saw what certainly seems like the right call made, and although it is just one time, what does this say for future Fenway shows?  Well for starters, Fenway Park has hosted many, many successful concerts.  And to say these two shows cause a threat to future ones is a bit unfair.  But still, it's 2025, and events of this magnitude happen daily throughout the world.  Setting up staging in Fenway is definitely not the same as setting up staging in a modern venue like Gillette Stadium or Met Life Stadium.  But still what happened last night should never have taken place.

Ultimately the right call was made, and we should be thankful no incident happened.  That is the good that came out of yesterday.  But with Gillette Stadium down I-95 and Harvard Athletic Complex hosting Boston Calling last week, there are other options for stadium shows.  Hopefully Fenway Park continues to host concerts.  And hopefully they and the promoters work with the right local crews to set up the stage correctly and safely.  But again, it's 2025, and a situation like this, affecting millions of dollars and so many lives, is a situation that simply shouldn't happen.

Source: Billboard, WCVB-TV

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

No comments:

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Billboard, Pollstar name TD Garden world’s 7th highest grossing venue

TD Garden has once again proven itself as one of the most significant venues in the world, earning a spot as the 7th highest-grossing venue globally for 2024, according to Pollstar and Billboard. The arena, with a basketball capacity of 19,156, achieved this ranking thanks to an impressive year in 2023 that saw a major increase in concerts. This surge in earnings reflects the arena’s continued commitment to providing a top-level live entertainment experience while hosting some of the biggest names in the industry.

The year was had many milestones for TD Garden, which hosted 57 concerts and six major comedy shows, along with celebrations surrounding the Boston Bruins' Centennial season. The arena also welcomed high-profile sporting events such as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the NBA Finals, and special moments in women’s sports, including the first-ever Women’s Beanpot Tournament and the debut WNBA regular-season game at the venue. These events helped propel TD Garden to its record-breaking year, securing its position among the world’s elite venues.

In 2023, TD Garden experienced a 14% increase in concerts and a 20% boost in comedy shows compared to the previous year, driven by wide array of top-tier artists. Major performers like Aventura, Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Bunny, Usher, Madonna, and Travis Scott played multiple nights, adding to the venue’s high earnings. Additionally, TD Garden was one of only two cities to host multiple stops for Simone Biles' Gold Over America Tour, further establishing the arena as a hub for major live events that draw international crowds.

Much of TD Garden's success can also be attributed to recent renovations and the addition of the Hub on Causeway, a dynamic new development that has transformed the surrounding area. The expansion has enhanced the fan experience, with new restaurants, retail spaces, and hotels, turning the location into a year-round destination. These upgrades, along with a diverse event calendar, solidify TD Garden as one of the premier entertainment venues not just in Boston, but worldwide.

Looking into 2025 the momentum established by the 2023-24 schedule continues into the new year. Notable events on the next year include performances from Kelsea Ballerini, Linkin Park, and Gracie Abrams, as well as significant international sporting events like the 2025 NHL Four Nations Tournament and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. With its world-class facilities and prime location, TD Garden is in great position to maintain itself as a global leader in the entertainment industry.

No comments:

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Why the Connecticut Sun’s Boston sellout should spark a return to TD Garden

The Connecticut Sun made history this past August by selling out TD Garden for their game against the Los Angeles Sparks, marking the first WNBA matchup ever held in the venue's history.  This begs the question, should the Sun explore the opportunity to play more games at TD Garden, New England’s largest indoor venue.

With 19,156 tickets sold, the game on August 20 not only highlights the growing interest in women’s basketball but also showcases the Sun’s expanding footprint in the league. Glen Thornborough, President of TD Garden, noted that the sellout reflects Boston’s strong support for women’s sports, echoing the excitement generated earlier this year during the Dunkin’ Women’s Beanpot. This sellout represents the Sun's fifth of the 2024 season and the third highest attendance at a WNBA game this year. It underscores the franchise's ability to draw fans beyond their home market, signaling a significant opportunity for growth. 

Jen Rizzotti, President of the Connecticut Sun, articulated the importance of this game, emphasizing that it was a pivotal moment for women’s sports and a chance to elevate the Sun brand in a major market. The enthusiasm displayed by Boston fans illustrates a robust appetite for women’s sports, making TD Garden a compelling venue for future Connecticut Sun games. 

Hosting the first-ever professional women's basketball game at such a prestigious location not only honors the sport but also sets a precedent for more events that could further engage fans across New England. Given the success of this historic game, the Connecticut Sun should explore regular appearances at TD Garden moving forward. 

The arena's rich basketball tradition and the overwhelming local support create a promising environment for the Sun to cultivate a broader fan base and continue the momentum for women’s professional sports in the region.  The time is here for the Sun to capitalize off this opportunity and make TD Garden a staple in their future schedules.
No comments:

Thursday, February 8, 2024

It's time to bring the NLL back to Boston

By Zachary Baru

We have the venues, we have the fans, we're just missing the league.  That league is the National Lacrosse League, and it is possibly growing better than it ever has before in its 37-year history.  

Beginning in 1987, and currently with 15 franchises, the NLL is capitalizing off growing youth lacrosse participation rates throughout the nation.  No longer is lacrosse just a northeast or mid-Atlantic sport, the game is growing throughout the country with an increasing amount of high school and college programs in non-traditional markets.  Children and teenagers in newer markets like Florida and California, along with basically every region in between, are now playing lacrosse in both the youth-level and high school level.  The NCAA is seeing increased lacrosse coverage across television networks, most notably ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and especially ESPN+.  The latter is now offering a great deal of Division I lacrosse games each week during the season, and ESPN2 and ESPNU have routinely televised the NLL on Friday and Saturday nights.  The NLL now has a deal with ESPN, as every NLL match is streamed live on ESPN+, with some being televised on the national networks.  With a growing lacrosse culture throughout the country, where does this leave a traditional lacrosse market such as Boston?

Boston has an outstanding opportunity as a new market for the league.  If you want to begin with the venue, the region has at least three very good options.  The first and obvious choice is the 17,850-seat TD Garden, which would be perfect for television, accommodating premium seating and media, and also great for larger games.  However, TD Garden would likely be too large for the majority of the games, leaving fans in the arena and on TV possibly seeing an unenergetic crowd.

A second choice, and perhaps the best choice, would be Agannis Arena.  On the campus of Boston University, this 6,150-seat arena is much more intimate than TD Garden, and would ensure a better atmosphere for the games.  It would quite possibly encourage multiple sellout crowds, and potentially raise the demand for tickets.  Being on a college campus, not only would the crowds possibly be livelier, but the team could most likely attract a key demographic for lacrosse fans.  Many lacrosse fans are younger, and college-aged, making Agannis Arena an interesting choice for both the in-arena experience and the type of fans the team would reach.

Lastly, the 6,496-seat Tsongas Center in Lowell would be more outside of the city, something that could hurt the team, but the size and arena experience would be beneficial for the potential club's success.  The intimacy of the arena would greatly encourage sellout crowds, and with many lacrosse fans living in the area, including New Hampshire, the Tsongas Center wouldn't be a bad choice at all for the league.  Multiple teams in the league, including Las Vegas, Georgia and Rochester, have smaller arenas.  This can really boost the experience for the fans, and prevent them from seeing potentially a closed 300-level at TD Garden.  

All of the ingredients are there: good venues, a passionate fan base, and a growing demand for lacrosse across the media landscape.  A return for the NLL would be the first since 2011, when the Boston Blazers suspended their franchise and never returned.  New England once again saw professional indoor lacrosse in 2015 when Philadelphia relocated to the Mohegan Sun Arena and become the New England Black Wolves.  However that franchise moved to Albany in 2021, leaving a viable market like New England without a team.  Only time will tell what future pro indoor lacrosse has in Boston, but for an investor with the right capital, this investment could very well bring a positive return financially in an area that is just as ready for lacrosse as any other market throughout the nation. 

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

No comments:

Monday, December 19, 2022

New Bruins' digitally enhanced dasherboards yet another change to a sport full of tradition

By Zachary Baru

Just when fans might have started to warm up to the extra ads in the corners, there is yet another change for fans to accept - presenting the "digitally enhanced dasherboards", or DEDs, new to the 2022-23 National Hockey League season.

It's not just the Bruins or NESN that is debuting this change this season, it is all teams, all broadcasters, both local and national.  A monumental digital change that perhaps some fans will not even notice.  Many, however, will notice the change, which has taken seven years in the making.  The NHL has been working with ad company Supponor, according to ESPN.com.  Advertisements along the dasherboards began in 1981 with the Minnesota North Stars, and fast-forward to 2022, the ads are not only digitally on the ice, but "replacing" the in-arena ads on the dasherboards as well.  But are these ads really "replacing", or simply modernizing a decades-old practice?

The Bruins are an institution in Boston.  A franchise with a rich history and rich tradition.  Anytime something affects the in-game experience for fans, even slightly, it is going to undoubtedly create frustration.  So the question here is how have long-time fans responded thus far?  

One way to look at this is ask has this affected the actual television experience?  With the exception of players skating in the corners and the digital ads blocking players, or in rare cases causing players to disappear quickly, it really has not affected the game experience much at all.  But yes, these slight glitches have been know to happen, with players in some cases completely blocked behind the augmented reality technology of the ads.  Additionally, there is to some level a charm of the game being played the way it has been for decades, with no digital enhancement whatsoever.  And for a franchise like the Bruins who are all about history and tradition, these changes will likely take more getting used to compared to a franchise that began in the 1990's, for example.  

The technology is for the most part new, and while it did take seven years to develop for the NHL, it is still working off augmented reality technology that debuted in 1998 on "Sunday Night Football", which at the time was aired on ESPN.  This technology is best known for the first down markers that have become mainstream on all channels.  Later on, the AR graphics were implemented to full-screen stat graphics that are also mainstream on all national networks.  One example of this is when the NFL on Fox will show a full-screen stat graphic in-between plays, making the graphic look like it is part of the stadium.  In reality, of course, nothing is there - thus the augmented reality technology.  

Here in 2022, the AR technology has made its way to the TD Garden, and is a fixture on all NESN broadcasts.  Perhaps it should be put in the category of green screens used in Fenway Park for ads during Red Sox games, which most likely has not affected anyone's enjoyment of the game.  Or maybe even the category of the Green Monster adding ads, although that is quite a leap for a comparison.  The point is ultimately fans, for the most part, do adjust.  But even more so, ultimately sports as a whole will always evolve.  Like it or not, the game will always change.  The technology on and off the field or ice will always progress.  For the fans, there is nothing we can do about this, it is part of the business model of sport.  And at the end of the day, that is exactly what this is, not just a game, but a business.

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

No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)