Mastrodonato: John Henry’s American vision for European Super League a total disaster
John Henry listened to his people at last. Like any good ruler, he made a decision he thought would benefit those he was responsible for. They quickly told him how they felt. Within 48 hours, he changed his mind. Let’s remember that key factoid as we spend the remainder of this column, and this week, disgusted by Henry and his fellow American owners in the English Premier League for learning a hard lesson that taking as much as you can, whether or not you have the power to take it, isn’t always the best course of action. Here’s the thing: It’s worked for them in the past. In America, taking everything you can is often just good business. It’s just capitalism. It’s just the way it works. When’s the last time the Red Sox made a business decision, only to hear complaints from their fanbase, listen to them and change their minds? I’ll wait. And yet within the last 12 months, Henry’s Liverpool Football Club has twice succumbed to public pressure and went the other way. Last April, Liverpool FC announced it was going to furlough some of their staff and rely on British government funding to pay for 80% of the wages of about 200 employees. Liverpool was eligible to receive the funding, so the club decided to take it. Almost immediately, the fiery outrage of the fanbase made its way to Henry’s ears. Even LFC’s former longtime captain, Jamie Carragher, publicly denounced the decision. Shortly thereafter, Liverpool’s then-chief executive officer Peter Moore issued a statement apologizing for the team’s decision and announcing that it would no longer be asking the government for funding.
