San Antonio Spurs lose another veteran marketing executive

[theshadow]

Officials with the San Antonio Spurs have confirmed that Bruce Guthrie, vice president of marketing for the four-time NBA champions, has ended his lengthy tenure with the organization.

His departure comes a little over a month after Spurs Executive Vice President Russ Bookbinder ended his two-decade run with the Black & Silver.

Guthrie joined the Spurs in 1982 as an account executive. He served as marketing director for six seasons before being promoted into the vice president role in 1992.

Guthrie was not immediately available for comment.

On June 10, the Business Journal reported that Bookbinder was resigning from the Spurs after 21 seasons.

“The organization is in great shape. So I feel good about this,” Bookbinder said at the time. “I’m at total peace with this.”

Spurs Chairman Peter Holt says Bookbinder’s decision came as “a complete surprise.”

http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/07/14/daily6.html

[Solid D]

:wow

[Marcus Bryant]

Oh God. Not the Vice President of Marketing.

[The Truth #6]

He left in peace, knowing that the new t-shirt cannons had arrived in the mail safely.

[rj215]

He left in peace, knowing that the new t-shirt cannons had arrived in the mail safely.

:lol

[chrisattsu]

How many people are leaving before next season? man...

Don't worry, Jacque Vaughn will still be here.

[Spurs Brazil]

Oh God. Not the Vice President of Marketing.

:lol

He could be the long 3 we were looking all those years :bang

[King]

Rumor has it Bookbinder is going to take a position with Oklahoma City. Maybe Guthrie is following.

[Spurs Brazil]

Rumor has it Bookbinder is going to take a position with Oklahoma City. Maybe Guthrie is following.

DAMN, everytime I read Oklahoma City I think about the Hornets

[Sammy's Mom]

Man first Barry, the marketing guy and I heard two hot dog vendors and a beer guy are considering offers from Dallas. Where does it stop???:downspin:

[GrandeDavid]

DAMN, everytime I read Oklahoma City I think about the Hornets

Same here, bro!

And am I supposed to be interested or concerned that this net surfing office jockey moved on? Just kidding. Seriously, though, I really don't care that this guy left the Spurs org. Props for getting media exposure, albeit Express News media exposure, dude. :lol

[tmtcsc]

Oh God NO ! :rolleyes

No offense, I know you are just trying to contribute and share Spurs info.

[Spurs Brazil]

2 more Spurs executives leave

Web Posted: 07/14/2008 06:11 PM CDT

By Travis E. Poling
Express-News

Two more executives have left Spurs Sports & Entertainment, a month after the sudden departure of Executive Vice President Russ Bookbinder.


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The moves are part of an ongoing shake-up of the Spurs’ front office that could have more repercussions later this summer.

Bruce Guthrie, Spurs vice president, and Paula Winslow, vice president of human resources, left the organization that includes the NBA franchise, the WNBA Silver Stars, hockey’s Rampage and the management of the AT&T Center.

Guthrie had been with the Spurs for 26 years, where he started as an account executive and then moved to director of marketing. He became a vice president in 1992.

Winslow joined the Spurs 15 years ago and saw her department expand as the company grew from 30 to 200 employees and hundreds of part-time workers.

Guthrie and Winslow could not be reached for comment Monday evening.

“Like most companies there come times when you have to re-evaluate your operations,” said Leo Gomez, Spurs vice president of external affairs. “There’s review of every organization just like we do with the team. Now we’re doing it on the business side.”

Gomez wouldn’t say if there will be more staff changes but said the review of operations was ongoing.

“We’re continuing to review and there’s going to be reorganization,” Gomez said. News on those moves will come later in the offseason.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA071408.spursexecs.EN.567e8735.html

[ShoogarBear]

Dennis Lindsey is cleaning house.

[Obstructed_View]

Dennis Lindsey is cleaning house.

Well that means if Guthrie's any good then he's going to Houston, right?

[ShoogarBear]

Well that means if Guthrie's any good then he's going to Houston, right?

Maybe.

There is obviously something going on in the marketing side of the Spurs. I can't figure out what exactly, or even whether it's important to know, and the SA media seems too in-the-pocket to dig deeper.

Maybe they were giving info to Tim Donaghy?

[MoSpur]

I also can't seem to put my finger on it.

[Tmac&Luther]

Too bad Dennis Lindsey didn't leave :lol

[MoSpur]

When is R.C leaving and trading spots with Sam Presti?

[Extra Stout]

Maybe somebody asked one day, "Wait, why is it that a team that has won four championships this decade struggles to sell tickets to playoff games, while in equally small Salt Lake City they sell out in minutes?"

[MoSpur]

The answer to the above is the prices of those tickets

[Extra Stout]

The answer to the above is the prices of those tickets
Hogwash. The Hornets had no problem selling out their building in the playoffs. Don't tell me that New Orleans is suddenly rolling in wealth.

Either the problem is that San Antonians are in actuality less loyal fans than what are found in other cities, which would be strange given the seemingly rabid following of the Spurs, or San Antonians are simply less willing to part with their disposable income than fans in other cities, which is a hypothesis with no reasonable explanation, or the marketing team was somehow underperforming relative to what other NBA teams get done.

And what do you know, pretty much the whole marketing team has been kicked to the curb. Circumstantial evidence favors the problem being with Spurs marketing.

[Spurminator]

The Spurs clearly need an influx of fresh marketing execs to create a new whole-brained paradigm of future back strategies to reach step-change, breakthrough objectives.

[spurscenter]

He left in peace, knowing that the new t-shirt cannons had arrived in the mail safely.

hilarious

[spurscenter]

GUESS WHAT THIS MEANS!!!!!!!!!

NO MORE

GET READY FOR THIS


ok maybe

[Buddy Holly]

Maybe somebody asked one day, "Wait, why is it that a team that has won four championships this decade struggles to sell tickets to playoff games, while in equally small Salt Lake City they sell out in minutes?"

The only thing I have to comment on is the exactly small comment.

SA's metro has 1 million more people than SLC's metro.

Though I agree, it's pretty damn clear why these marketing people are leaving, the Spurs higher ups finally realized the Spurs marketing is terrible.

[mrspurs]

wonder if he could take buck harvey with him?

[ShoogarBear]

I dunno. I find it hard to believe that the Spurs' marketing was somehow vastly inferior to that of the Jazz and Hornets. Given the homogenization of NBA franchises, I would be surprised if it was even much different.

[MoSpur]

I think some of it has to do with Spurs fans being too spoiled and use to winning that it got old. Maybe this next season will be better.