Nets Battle Perceptions in Brooklyn

Even as Barclays Center construction goes horizontal as well as vertical --with steel for the first floor being installed last week-- there remains within the sports industry, among the team’s fans and maybe even a few players-- confusion about the move to Brooklyn.

Sports Business Journal reports the perception of a clouded future has caused the organization to hire an ad agency with the sole purpose of making sure everyone knows "we're here and there's a lot going on." The first step was a reception last week, hosted by Bruce Ratner and Nets chairman Christophe Charlier, to dispel the confusion and let 50 sponsors and season ticket holders know the arena will be done by summer of 2012.  Meanwhile, Norman Oder writes that by one metric, the arena is slightly behind schedule but by another, it's slightly ahead.

• Barclays Center pitch: We’re here and have a lot going on - Terry Lefton - Sports Business Journal
• Nets selling Brooklyn to Carmelo? - Mark Miller - Yahoo! Sports
• When will the area open? The goalposts are already shifting slightly, thanks to "current schedule disputes" - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yards Report