Open Letter

To Portland Hearts of Pine Football Club

Hi,

Congratulations as you embark on your second year of success with the football club. Hearts of Pine have been a welcome and exciting addition to our growing city. The spirit is great.

Last year, family, friends and I saw a few games that we bought on resale; but this year had zero success in your season ticket launch -- like thousands of others. We had no luck securing tickets, since they sold out so quickly. Literally within minutes.

Have you considered not doing sales on-line and eliminating the domination of the insidious bots and resale companies? It really ruins the joy of the experience to be gouged by greedy people who aggregate tickets and then resell.

I mean, who isn’t reading about the class action lawsuit against Live Nation and cheering on their demise? Your motto is “Lead with Your Heart,” right? For the sake of argument, allow me to suggest: “Lead with Your Heart, Not Your Wallet!”

As you build your franchise, perhaps consider being truly local. Sell from the box office. Why the hell not? You’d make a lot of people happy; and since community is what the brand is all about, who would mind standing in line to get tickets, getting to know their neighbor? For fun we could even blow our orange whistles together were I.C.E. to approach. Maine United!

Sincerely,

Andy Bachman

P.S. I am in possession of one share of the Green Bay Packers, the only community-owned franchise in professional sports. Today at a Portland Rec basketball game at the East End Community School, I spoke to a public school gym teacher here in town whose family are third generation Packers owners. (Yes!) Don’t underestimate this idea. It has legs. Packers and Pine FOREVER!