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With the season nearing the start of free agency this summer, many teams will look to pitch to some of the best available players, to try and bring them to their fold. Their front office personnel is expected to be very busy, while also thinking of what their fans feel about some potential signings.
Needless to say, the organizations will not only want to win as many games as they can during the season, but also think about the business side of things, having their supporters' reactions in mind. That said, Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer wrote about a team owner utilizing some of the more popular online platforms, where fans share their opinions on different topics surrounding the league. Sites like Reddit and RealGM, are just some of them, which one owner admitted to checking out to get a better understanding of their fanbase's thoughts.
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“Ownership usually considers different metrics when it comes to roster construction. Yeah, plus-minus matters, but so do ticket and merchandise sales. You also have to think about where an owner is getting his information. One NBA executive told me a few years ago that he’s heard of owners lurking on RealGM and Reddit to take the temperature of their fan bases before finalizing trades. It makes sense. The opinion of the most passionate and smartest fans live online.”
While it's not a common practice for owners to do so, the signs of the times have changed, and fans have been accustomed to making their opinions known publicly and discussing it with their fellow supporters.
It's unknown how many other team owners do the same, but with one admitting to it, there might be a few others who also read on some pieces posted on the fan sites. It could even be what helps them decide on pulling a trigger on a specific trade or signing, especially when the majority of their supporters agree to it, and have already made their voices heard.
