“Patriarch would like Sportservice to play a bigger part in baseball” by Katie Bell

After celebrating the 90th anniversary and 75 years in Major League Baseball, Don Muret of Sports Business Journal sat down for an interview with the chairman of Delaware North Cos. in Buffalo. Jeremy Jacobs, the firm’s chairman and owner of the Bruins and TD Banknorth Garden, was left to fill Louis Jacobs’ (his fathers’) shoes after he died when Jeremy was only 28 years old.

In the interview, Jeremy talks about the passion for baseball he and his father shared. He mentioned that his father understood how important advertising and concessions were when it comes to baseball. Both Jeremy and his father are more about giving and making baseball more popular rather than receiving and only being in it for themselves. For example, Muret questioned Jacobs about the rumors of the Celtics wanting to build their own arena. Jacobs replied that he wants them to stay there, but they have to make the best business decision for themselves. He believes they have the best numbers and that is how the Celtics will make their decision, but he isn’t going to make this an emotional ordeal either way.

I was not aware of who Jeremy Jacobs was before seeing this article, but after reading his interview with Don Muret, I respect him as a person and a businessman. Some people are only in business to make money, but Jacobs feels rewarded just to see baseball be regenerated and becoming more popular. He also understands that everyone wants to run their business the best that they can. All he can do is offer the best alternatives he has and then let people make their decisions from that. It may not turn out the way he wants it, but he just brushes it off and moves on.