So that I don't write a mile long post I'm dividing this up. My own opinion is the BOD is selective in reporting success.
For instance in the report (which I encourage anybody to look at) they report a 4% gain in attendance in 2017 over the prior year. While this is technically accurate it lacks broader perspective. That the org is currently in one of the lowest attendance ebbs seen since the 1990's when the league was on the verge of folding. The reported attendance avg of 32,400 in 2017 is still around 6k less than the average from say 2000-2015.
More specifically Rhodes was appointed President in Dec 2011 so its fair to take a look at what Attendance has looked like since 2012 season. In that time the average attendance through 7 seasons to present day has been 32,500. 2018 is running a bit lower at 32,100 and is only that high due to the one game free Student tickets promotion. Its important to compare what attendance was like prior to Rhodes. From 2000-2011 the average attendance was 38K fans. So taking all that into context the BOD report of increasing attendance is misleading. Shareholders ought to be pointing that out if they are not.
Next, the team is reporting less Net income this year and stands at just 500K. A fair amount of what would otherwise be reinvested profit was instead spent on the unsuccessful "One Empire" campaign, and the halftime entertainments. The BOD is targeting millennial and youth demographics but being they have no info on ticket buyer demographic they can't know if this is successful, they report it as a success. To a critical eye the One Empire and younger market targeting has presumably not been successful, because attendance has not actually increased. It just appears to e additional spending.
Len Rhodes is a more interesting study. I would not fault the BOD as much as I would fault Rhodes. (although fault to the BOD for hiring him) Rhodes is somebody who "led a partnership with the Disney institute to improve game day experience" see how that quote from his own Presidents statement sits with you.
Or this one;
"Together, with his on-field and off-field staff, his objective is to create legendary memories for guests at the stadium. Rhodes has overseen many upgrades at The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium to significantly improve the game day experience."
This doesn't wash with the game day experience that most fans are reporting. Anecdotally anybody I know that still even goes to games (I stopped the last 2 seasons) is reporting a poor experience. Also here on this board people are reporting negative experiences viewing the club. What Rhodes and the BOD do not apparently get is that fan experience is largely about winning and losing. Getting blown out on home field is not a great experience.
If anybody likes this kind of information say so, if not I won't continue to report it.