Celtics' Potential New Ownership Would Be a Disaster For Fans

After a past year filled with so much good news for Boston Celtics fans, some news emerged on Friday that has drawn nearly universal backlash from Boston sports fans. According to the New York Post, Red Sox owner John Henry and the Fenway Sports Group are "seriously considering bidding" for the Celtics. Celtics ownership dropped a bombshell in the wake of Banner 18, announcing that Wyc Grousbeck and the majority ownership group would be selling their majority stake.

Boston fans, widely familiar with the penny-pinching M.O. of John Henry and FSG, quickly took to Twitter to express their frustration with the news.

Despite the Red Sox's valuation as the third-most valuable team in baseball, John Henry has turned the organization into the Tampa Bay Red Sox, mandating budgets with no clear motivation other than to protect his wallet, and has been unwilling to spend top dollar for premier talent. Winning has clearly taken a backseat to financial profiting within the Red Sox organization.

In recent seasons, he has come across as an Excel spreadsheet-fixated robot that only cares about his bottom dollar and has lost touch with such a passionate fanbase. Truthfully, it is borderline impressive how much goodwill from four World Series titles Henry has undone in recent years.

Henry would probably pass out at the thought of paying Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown the two largest contracts in NBA history. Heck, the man wouldn't pay Mookie Betts. Jayson Tatum would probably get shipped to the Atlanta Hawks for a 2046 second-round pick, while Jaylen Brown could be swapped for a G-League sixth man.

Grousbeck has been positively regarded by many Celtics fans as an owner dedicated to winning and in touch with his fanbase. Since the entrepreneur bought the team in 2002, Boston has won two NBA championships - in 2008 and 2024. He is slated to earn quite the return on investment, as his $360 million purchase over two decades ago pales in comparison to the $5.12 billion recent valuation by Sportico.

Grousbeck is looking to sell his stake in the franchise in two phases. His plan is to sell off 51 percent of his stake in the team now while selling the remainder in 2028. Grousbeck's demand is that he would remain as the top boss until the second transaction is finalized. This could hypothetically buffer out FSG's influence (for the time being) should things go in that direction.

Fenway Sports Group also notably owns Liverpool F.C., the Pittsburgh Penguins, and RFK Racing among a significant portfolio. Notably, LeBron James is an investor in FSG, which could result in him potentially owning the Celtics should Henry and Co.'s bid be successful. For a man who has posted 28.8 points per game against the C's (29.6 PPG in the playoffs), that would be somewhat poetic.

John Henry has already driven one fanbase into frustration, Boston fans (rightfully) don't appear to have the patience to allow that to happen to another.

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