At Barclays Center Events, Fewer Cars Than Expected - NYTimes.com

At Barclays Center Events, Fewer Cars Than Expected - NYTimes.com

Even respected and respectable consultants are guilty of simple transgressions. They often can only tell you what should be ridiculously obvious, and at the same time are ridiculously oblivious to what should be clearly obvious.

The Schwartz Consulting firm (Gridlock Sam to NY Daily News readers of a certain age) wondered what the impact of moving the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn's Barclay's Center would have on traffic near the new arena. The question: How many parking spaces should be created to account for fans in New Jersey to follow their team to Brooklyn?

Sensibly, they wound up creating what was thought to be far fewer than they supposed might be required. Then they held their breath, and after the Nets first season in Brooklyn, the results are in. The skeletal fan base of the New Jersey Nets, which barely turned out to watch their team when in New Jersey has largely foregone the opportunity of driving round trip on congested roads, against rush hour traffic and various unending traffic construction projects to park and pay to watch the Nets play in Brooklyn, opting instead to perhaps watch the games on television or even Dancing With the Stars. Clearly a triumph for "consulting"!

Big Business clearly has an admitted lack of guts or belief in it's own ability to conduct it's own affairs. That is in large part why consultancy is such a great business these days. The need for professional hand holding is just another example of the ineptitude of so much of the modern corporate culture.