Donny Osmond stopped by the other day to talk sports. He’s in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the Chicago Theater and, as the star attraction, should be in for a run of a year or so.
As a result, Osmond said he had purchased a house on the North Shore and moved his family here from California. During his stay, he wants to get around to as many sports attractions as possible.
“I was really looking forward to taking my son to a Bulls game and seeing Michael Jordan play,” he said.
Well, there’s always the Blackhawks and Jeremy Roenick.
For the first time in nine years, the Bulls are without Jordan, and no one is sure what to expect when the regular season gets underway in the Stadium.
There were full houses before Jordan and, to be sure, there will be full houses post-Jordan-marketing Vice President Steve Schanwald guarantees it.
But the atmosphere surely will change for regular-season games at the Stadium, where fans had come to expect the unexpected from Jordan every time he was on the floor.
Instead of watching Michael finesse his way to a dunk with a move that would draw 10s from Eastern European judges, now we must be content with more mundane matters.
Can the Bulls’ defense stop anyone with B.J. Armstrong and John Paxson on the floor at the same time?
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“With Jordan, I had the feeling there were a lot of nights it wasn’t really a basketball crowd in the Stadium,” said Ron Magers, anchorman at WMAQ-Ch. 5. “Now I’m a real basketball fan and I love pro basketball, but we’re going to have to realize we’re just like a lot of other cities in the league.
“The difference is going to be this: Will people fill up the Stadium on a Tuesday night to see Sacramento? I’m not so sure. I do think people will still come to see Shaq (Shaquelle O’Neal) and Patrick Ewing. The league has done a great job of marketing its stars.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say that someday we’ll refer to this as the good old days, that we’ve been witnessing something special in the last few years.”
The Bulls said only three season ticket-holders called to seek a refund after Jordan’s retirement. On the other hand, about 50 calls were received from fans curious if more seats now would be available.
“In some ways, the timing couldn’t be greater for the Bulls (for Jordan to retire),” said Alan Friedman, publisher of Chicago-based Team Marketing Report. “The franchise has insulated itself nicely for this season. They’ve sold all their tickets and have everything leased out in the new United Center on a long-term basis. I’d say six years is a good amount of time to rebuild.”
The new facility’s 216 skyboxes actually are sold for periods of three to five years. The rents range from $65,000 to $175,000 a year. The leases cannot be bought out or canceled, but it would be unrealistic to think renters didn’t figure on Jordan leaving at some point during the lease.
After all, Michael steadfastly maintained in the last few seasons he didn’t wish to play in the United Center.
“I think the crowds will continue to be OK in Chicago,” said Friedman. “The impact will be for teams that sell out six or seven times a year. There, this could have a huge impact.
“In the long run, the casual fan may not be brought in unless someone can duplicate what he does. No matter what Shaq does, a dunk is a dunk, and he’s not artistic. You can only pull so many backboards down in a season.
“One thing we’ll notice immediately is that there’ll probably be fewer highlights on TV. Ratings will go down and, eventually, the casual fan won’t be attracted.”
There’s always the chance Jordan will reconsider. It will take unanimous consent from National Basketball Association clubs for him to get back in uniform.
The man who may benefit most from his absence, Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, thinks Jordan would have no trouble getting support.
“You’d have to have a very narrow view to oppose it,” he said. “He’s a very special person and player. Heck, I miss him already. He wouldn’t have any difficulty getting my vote.”