David Friedman Interview - 4.26.13

 

*What is the connection between Boston and our sports teams?

 

“Well, Boston is a sports town. And the people here are so passionate about their sports. Not just the Red Sox but also obviously with the Bruins, Celtics and Patriots. Sports, I think, bring the city together, give us something to cheer about when things are dark, and, you know, sports are a big part of what makes the city so special.”

 

*What do Boston athletes contribute to the city at large?

 

“I think the best way to answer that is just look at our Red Sox players since the tragedy at the Marathon, they spontaneously, without anyone’s direction did many, many things from ___8:33___ to creating other images in support of Boston to raising money for the One Fund which helps the victims of the bombings, I think that in itself is pretty good evidence of where our players’ hearts are and where their spirit is. A very spontaneous outpouring from Red Sox players, many of whom haven’t been here that long. I think that the response to what happened last week was extremely powerful, just, again, it shows where their spirit is. But beyond that, our guys, baseball players have a tougher schedule than anyone else just based on how many games they have to play but despite that they are all in huge support of charities like the Jimmy Fund, and with their help the Red Sox Foundation has raised over fifty million dollars. Some people criticize the actions of a couple guys but at least for the Red Sox, I can speak with confidence that they’re well intentioned and involved in the community.”

 

Kevin Faulk Interview - 5.1.13

 

*What’s the connection between Boston Sports and the Boston Community?

 

“There’s only one word to explain that, and that’s the passion. Passion for the game. The passion of the fans, it’s like they’re actually playing in the game with us. And as a player, we have passion for what we do.”

 

*What’s the difference between where you grew up, New Orleans, and Boston in the way that pro sports influence the city?

 

“Down in New Orleans, when I was growing up with the Saints not doing to good, people pay more attention to high school football rather than pro sports.”

 

*What makes Boston a ‘Sports Town’?

 

“Titles. Got a lot of titles between our teams. This city’s got the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, the Patriots. I mean, we got titles.”

 

*What do pro athletes contribute to the communities they play in?

 

“They contribute a whole lot...Athlete’s get involved in the community, and athletes are always doing good in communities they live in. More so even than that, helping people, it’s just a way of life, a way of living.”

 

*Do you feel more connected to the fans in Boston than you do to the fans in other cities?

 

“I could say it’s the same ‘cause I feel really connected to the fans in Louisiana but at the same time, yeah playing on the Patriots, you get extremely connected to the fans of Boston.

 

*Especially following the recent tragedy that happened in Boston, how do our teams give something more for the city, on top of just something to cheer for?

 

“Here, everything is really well coordinated [with the community and our teams]. Then there’s the passion that the fans have, and the players understand, like we’re so lucky to be here, so after something like that, everyone can really come together [around sports].”

 

*What are three words you could give me to describe the feeling of being on the field and getting to play in Boston for such committed diehard fans?

 

“Aw man, it’s awesome. I can’t give three words, it could be a whole science. Again, it’s the passion. Wherever you go, you get that warm feeling [from the fans].”

 

Larry Scott Interview - 5.2.13

 

* What do collegiate and professional sports teams give to their cities?

 

“A lot of things, they bring a lot of economic aide, they bring a lot of revenue, in different ways. They give support for local businesses. They bring a tremendous amount of pride for a city. They improve the quality of life in a city. And there are many forms of community interaction through sports, ways that are helpful for youth and other stakeholders. Those are the four things that come to mind for me.”

 

* As a non-bostonian, do you see a difference between Boston fans and the fans of other cities in terms of dedication, attendance, enthusiasm etc.?

 

“I think Boston fans have a great reputation for their loyalty to their teams and their passion. Also, Boston’s teams are some of the oldest in professional sports, so there’s a tremendous sense of heritage and pride, and there has been, in Hockey, Basketball, Baseball, Football, a track record of historical success, the teams have won championships and a lot of cities can’t say that. So I think you’ve got a lot of pride and heritage around winning which other cities have not experienced.”

 

* What do pro and college sports provide for aspiring athletes?

 

“Framework for competition, so people can try to carry on to the next level with their athletic ambitions, a chance for pursuing excellence at different levels, chance for notoriety, aspirations of a chance to earn money and get fame and fortune. All those things. Particularly with college, this sometimes doesn’t get a lot of attention, but sports provide an opportunity for education that a kid may not otherwise have, they can sometimes get into a better school than they might get into otherwise because of their success in a particular sport. You also may get your schooling funded through scholarships that you get for being good at a sport, so I think there is a lot for educational and social mobility that happens for individuals because of college sports.”

 

* What do championships mean to school team or pro team?

 

“People want to hop on the bandwagon... And of course, rings bring a tremendous amount of pride and spirit and committing from your different stakeholders and fans.”

 

* Following the recent tragedy in Boston, what can our sports teams do to help the city in such a rough time?

 

“Sports teams are essentially a source of pride and emotional connection for a lot of fans, they can really play an important role and can be very helpful in the healing process. Teams can help the community come together which is really great to see in times of, a tragedy in this case, it’s nice to see a community come together, rally together, and support each other. So sports teams can keep elevating growing awareness and remembrance of what happened to make all of the sports fans in Boston feel like part of a whole community. Teams keep alive the memory or the people harmed by [the bombing]. To the extent of the community, stuff like lesson learned, and how we’ve worked through things moving forward, teams can promote those messages as well. Of course individuals on the teams, the stars can, through their efforts on the team can be a beacon for compassion, and be role models if they stick out in appropriate ways with sensitivity about what happened and can relay any other messaging that the leadership in the community wants the city to rally behind. Sports stars at the collegiate level and the professional level have a platform, people listen to them, kids listen to them. So they’re role models, and that’s a very powerful thing.