At the beach volleyball tourney, Nets synergy but no ticket promotion

The just-concluded second annual Brooklyn Open, the new stop on the AVP pro beach volleyball tour, signals a commitment to a broader borough presence from Forest City Ratner subsidiary Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment (BSE).

And there's surely synergy; as the NetsDaily blog pointed out yesterday, Nets star Vince Carter and Nets owner Bruce Ratner presented the winning check, and the tournament winners wore Nets jerseys.

However, it looks like the FCR folks are fine-tuning their approach. Last year, according to an interview quoted by NetsDaily, a BSE executive referred to the new company as "Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment in partnership with Atlantic Yards." And that, of course, is what the signage said last year (below).

This year's model, however, eschewed the Atlantic Yards mention, though a press release mentioned it. Of course, Barclays, which bought naming rights to the planned arena, signed on as a sponsor.

Does Atlantic Yards no longer need a plug, now that it's been approved?

No Nets tix

When I wandered by temporary tour stadium off the Coney Island boardwalk at about 12:30 pm on Saturday, there were many empty seats, as the photos below show. More fans were on their way, so maybe it filled up later, as it apparently did last year.

One noticeable difference: unlike at last year's event, there was no booth promoting Nets tickets next to the main ticket table.

What to make of it? Was it more important last year to promote the Nets? Were ticket sales too low to make it worthwhile? Is the focus now on selling high-rollers access to more expensive suites in the planned Barclays Center?

Still, as the photos show, Forest City Ratner and Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment got plenty of exposure.