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Old 08-17-2017, 09:21 AM   #1
Lanny_McDonald
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Icon20 Bruins caught skimping on charitable fund raising

This is kind of a bizarre story. Students from an inner city neighborhood are suing the Jacobs family and the Bruins because they have not followed through on a requirement in the agreement that allowed them to raise the old Garden and the TD Center. It turns out that in that agreement the Bruins and the Jacobs family agreed to hold three different charitable fund raisers each year, and distribute the funds to the local community. The Bruins have not held up to that end of the bargain. But you have to ask, why are the students suing?

https://www.thescore.com/news/133360...fae67485ac3dba

It turns out these inner city kids want an arena built so they can get off the street and play the game they love. Yup, these high school kids want a place to go play hockey that is accessible within their inner city community. They tried doing all sorts of fund raising, but ran into too many roadblocks. But they managed to stumble across this condition in the contract with the city, the Jacobs family, and the Bruins, and noticed no fundraising had been done in 24 years! So these enterprising hockey loving kids reached out to Jacobs. Acknowledging this commitment he cut them a check for $1.5 million. The students didn't feel that was enough, given the time and their desire to build an arena, so they are suing Jacobs and the Bruins for $14 million.

I think this is such an opportunity for the Bruins and the NHL to do the right thing. They could generate so much good will if they got out in front of this and admitted that there was a wrong here, and they want to make amends. The NHL should get Jacobs to belly up half that amount, and then build these kids an arena, picking up the remainder of the costs. The goodwill this would buy within the Boston market (no, not the delicious fast food joint) and the positive press this would buy the league would be incredible. The league could even try to get their visiting member clubs to go in and practice in the facility as part of their game development and community outreach programs. This could play out so well, if the NHL and the Bruins had any vision.

What do you think? Worth the investment?
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Old 08-17-2017, 09:35 AM   #2
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When it comes to kids and sport, it's always worth the investment, in my opinion.

Get them off the couch, away from the gaming consoles and into a team or semi-competitive environment to learn how to win and lose with class and create some pride.
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Old 08-17-2017, 09:51 AM   #3
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I'm confused, was the agreement specifically to fund these kids (or more appropriately the initiative they represent) or just hold "events" for any charity?

If it's the latter, while I respect what the kids are doing, you can't just turn over $14M to some random kids regardless of the nobility of their cause. Why should all of the funds that are owed go to this group versus distribution to across many others as well?
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Old 08-17-2017, 09:52 AM   #4
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They gotta save money so they can give Pasternak his big contract!
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Old 08-17-2017, 10:09 AM   #5
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Came for the witty "gotta pay Pasternak" comment, yet leaving without thanking it...
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Old 08-17-2017, 10:28 AM   #6
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It seems to me that there is no privity between the team and the kids. The article seems to suggest that the fundraising commitment was a promise made by the team to the state government in exchange for funding the arena project. Only the state government can enforce the fundraising clause. And even if that were to happen, unless these group of kiddies is specifically mentioned as the recipients of the fundraisng clause, they are not entitled to anything. Having said that, the team could simply give the kiddies money in an effort to sqaure things with the state government and make the issue go away.
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Old 08-17-2017, 12:22 PM   #7
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Does this money count against the cap?
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Old 08-17-2017, 12:26 PM   #8
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Does this money count against the cap?
I doubt it, it seems like the agreement was made long before the Cap even existed.

Then again, it also doesnt sound like this was disingenuous on the part of the Bruins, it was just an eclectic clause that got lost in the shuffle much like our clause from when the Saddledome was built that after 35 years the Captain of the Calgary Flames has to spend a day spinning plates on his head in Olympic Plaza while riding a unicycle.

Gio has been practicing.
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Old 08-17-2017, 05:16 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era View Post
The NHL should get Jacobs to belly up half that amount, and then build these kids an arena, picking up the remainder of the costs. The goodwill this would buy within the Boston market (no, not the delicious fast food joint) and the positive press this would buy the league would be incredible. The league could even try to get their visiting member clubs to go in and practice in the facility as part of their game development and community outreach programs. This could play out so well, if the NHL and the Bruins had any vision.

What do you think? Worth the investment?
That depends, are the kids uppity?

More seriously though, this is one of those situations where I think the Bruins would be fools to fight it. It's not like the kids want the arena for themselves, or that Jacobs can't afford it. It's also a good opportunity to make a big gesture once without having to explain why you won't give the same to the next guy. Unique situation.
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Old 08-18-2017, 11:54 AM   #10
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I was surprised to hear that most people in Boston were upset when Jacobs was selected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Beginning to see why.
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Old 08-18-2017, 12:17 PM   #11
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Quote:
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I was surprised to hear that most people in Boston were upset when Jacobs was selected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Beginning to see why.
Jacobs was hated by Bruins fans before the Lockout. He's a notorious cheap skate. In the pre-cap NHL, he was second to Bill Wirtz for rich owner who didn't want to spend anything on his team. Like Wirtz he had access to a market that will go crazy for hockey when the team is winning, but instead he was so caught up on not wanting to spend money. Jacobs in the pre cap NHL would be like the Red Sox trying to operate on a Tampa Bay Rays budget.

He was as influential as there was for owners in getting a cap. Part of me thinks it was more to do with him wanting the cap to not make him look so bad, than for the good of the league.
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