I meant to post this a week ago.....thought this quote was very interesting " Steiner said “it’s not any secret” that Shirley Lin “is running the show,” when it comes to the business interests of her son. Steiner added that he didn’t even meet Jeremy Lin until after the All-Star Game"
Jeremy Lin marketer ponders the next chapter of Linsanity
There have been worse business days for Brandon Steiner in the last 25 years of running the sports marketing and collectibles firm that bears his last name.
While Steiner says the departure of Jeremy Lin to the Houston Rockets was an unanticipated curveball — Steiner Sports is one of three companies Lin endorses, along with Volvo and Nike — it doesn’t quite compare with, say, July 30, 1997. That is the date when hockey icon Mark Messier, also a Steiner client, left the Rangers and signed with the Canucks as a free agent, only three years after Messier helped the Blueshirts win the Stanley Cup.
“I cried then,” Steiner told the Daily News on Wednesday, a day after the Knicks declined to match the Rockets’ offer sheet for the popular point guard. “I cried as a fan, a partner, a friend. Messier was a big part of what I did every day, and it was like my brother going across the country. But I wasn’t going to a funeral (Wednesday) morning after the news.”
That is not to say that Steiner didn’t ponder what might have been had the 23-year-old Lin returned to Madison Square Garden. Houston’s Toyota Center is by no means on the same level as The World’s Most Famous Arena as far as marketing opportunities go.
“We’re trying to understand the Houston market, determine if Lin will have the same level of fame and intensity. We hope so,” Steiner said. “But New York is a special place. You can’t compare to New York.”
When Linsanity erupted in February — particularly the night of Feb. 10 at the Garden when the Harvard-educated point guard scored 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers — Steiner saw a golden business opportunity.
“That night against the Lakers, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to get in there. That’s when I started getting involved myself,” Steiner said. “It was, ‘I’ll take this thing over from here.’ The kid was unbelievable. I chased him. It was not an easy deal to get done. I dealt with (agent) Roger (Montgomery), Lin’s family. It got pretty complex.
“It was the same thing with Derek Jeter back in ’96. It’s not stalking. There’s probably another word.”
Steiner said he solidified the business partnership with Lin after attending the NBA All-Star Game in Orlando on Feb. 26, and spending quality face-time with Lin’s “inner circle,” including Lin’s father, Gie-Ming, and mother, Shirley. Steiner said “it’s not any secret” that Shirley Lin “is running the show,” when it comes to the business interests of her son. Steiner added that he didn’t even meet Jeremy Lin until after the All-Star Game, when Lin signed an 18-month contract with Steiner that started in April. The deal with Lin includes autograph singings, corporate appearances, signed memorabilia and game-used jerseys.
“I try to be as objective as I can,” Steiner said, referring to building business partnerships. “Sometimes that can screw you, not meeting with a potential client. His parents were pretty clear about the fact they were taking this seriously. They were pretty firm. Obviously, they’re protective of their son. They wanted to create their own game plan for him, and are trying to do things the right way.”
Lin’s first Steiner-related function was a March meet-and-greet with fans that Steiner describes as a huge success. “People were real excited,” Steiner said. “Then Lin got hurt, and things got a little weird.”
After knee surgery, Lin missed the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
Steiner expected the partnership to keep blossoming upon Lin’s return, but then came Tuesday’s news.
“We have a little bit of time, and we’re working with people we know in Houston,” Steiner said. “We’re talking with Amazon, SkyMall, Neiman Marcus. We’re setting up projects, distribution, trying to facilitate the transition. We hope that Lin maintains a national and international name.
“The Houston market has their own fan base, and Lin still has a large Asian-American following. People also love the longshot. I know we had a good thing going in New York. We’ll see how it turns out in Houston. I know Lin is very religious. I can move to religious position here. I can pray that his status transfers over to Houston.” http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/new-york-marketer-fears-hard-sell-jeremy-lin-houston-rocket-article-1.1117415?localLinksEnabled=false