Jay-Z's "influence, particularly when it comes to style and branding, far outweighs his financial stake" in the Nets, according to Scott Cacciola of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark said, "I don't tell Jay-Z to do anything. I mean that. He tells me what to do. Listen, when it comes to our engagement, let's just say he's the CEO." The Nets are "celebrating the role that he's played in everything from revamping the logo ('He's refreshed it,' Yormark said) to designing new uniforms ('His fingerprints are all over it') to coming up with a new color scheme ('A bold redirection'), all of which the team plans to unveil this spring." In addition, the Nets are set to begin marketing "11 luxury suites that will be known as 'The Vault at Barclays Center,' a small, high-end space on the event level of the arena." Cacciola: "Jay-Z chose the forks -- in addition to offering his input on the Champagne ($300 bottles of Armand de Brignac), the layout (asymmetrical) and much of the décor (lots of black and shimmering metallics)." Ponturo Management Group CEO Tony Ponturo said that Jay-Z "has the sort of cachet as a cultural icon that makes him uniquely marketable ... particularly for a franchise that's new to the neighborhood." Ponturo added, "If you have someone who's a bit of a taste maker as part of your ownership, I think you find a way to bring that element into your overall process." Yormark said that Jay-Z "approached him with a rough concept several years ago, shortly after he acquired a piece of the team." Yormark said that Jay-Z "used the word 'premium,'" and told him that he "wanted the new arena to feature a small area where the 'who's who of New York' would congregate." Not "just luxury suites, Jay-Z told him, which were essential to any new stadium construction." No, he "wanted something more than that." Cacciola: "The question is: By creating and marking such an exclusive space within the arena, does the team run the risk of alienating ... the 99%?" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/9).
