After the shocking news disseminated of the Boston Celtics going up for sale, Beantown sports fans pleaded with the team’s majority owner, Wyc Grousbeck, not to sell the team to a person every New England sports fan knows, John Henry.
Henry most notably owns the Boston Red Sox, while also running Liverpool FC, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition, Henry owns the Boston Globe and RFK Racing in NASCAR.
Henry has a reported net worth of $4billion, and with investors, that is more than enough to purchase the Celtics.
With the NBA Champions up for sale in a town where he already has roots, the dreaded dots for Boston sports fans were all too easy to connect.
Now, one of America’s greatest sports towns is going through a bit of a social-media crisis.
Wyc Grousbeck is the majority owner of the Boston Celtics and the team is up for sale
John Henry does not have a sterling reputation with Red Sox fans and Bostonians in general
‘Wyc man don’t sell it to anyone who isn’t a celtics fan that’s all i ask… we don’t need a john henry situation,’ one Celtics fan said.
‘Please bring in a good billionaire who likes the sport and not John Henry 2.0 please,’ another basketball fan stated.
‘John Henry is about to buy the team and ruin them,’ one person concluded with three broken-heart emoji.
‘If John Henry buys the Celtics will run into traffic,’ one Bostonian claims.
‘We’ve been asking for (Fenway Sports Group) to sell the Red Sox since 2020 and then the Celtics win it all and decide to sell,’ another fan said with a crying emoji. ‘Keep John Henry away from Causway street.’
A collection of messages hoping the Celtics aren’t in the hands of John Henry soon
Henry is the co-founder of Fenway Sports Group, and he in particular has built a reputation as trying to guzzle every dime from his teams, even if it diminishes the on-field results.
The city of Boston’s big-four teams were evenly spilt for good reputations for owners.
Henry and Patriots owner Robert Kraft appear to be out of favor with the majority of Bostonians, while Grousbeck and Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs are in good standing.
A proposition to make have half of Boston’s prized teams to himself was too much for some to bare.
The Red Sox have not made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, the Penguins did not make the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since 2004, and Liverpool has only won the Premier League once.
With Boston riding high with a young core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, it looks like not much can stop them. Maybe save Henry.