In an essay published in "Goal," the New York Times' soccer blog, Joe Mahan, assistant professor of sport marketing at Temple's Sport Industry Research Center, discussed the impact of one person, John Henry, owning both the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club. "It represents a sort of harmonic convergence," he wrote. "Two waterfront cities, Boston and Liverpool, that share Irish connections, and two storied clubs, with all-time great stars, historic stadiums, rich traditions and huge payrolls are now linked through sport."