George Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees, would probably find no greater pleasure than watching his archenemy go public and get torn apart by the demands of investors, thus distracted from focusing on a World Series championship. But from a business perspective it's not such a crazy idea, says Jeff Bussgang, general partner at the venture capital firm IDG Ventures. The team that finally lifted the Curse of the Bambino in 2004 is owned by commodities trading wizard John Henry with a group of investors that includes the New York Times Co. The Red Sox brought in an estimated $206 million in revenue in 2005, according to Dun & Bradstreet, plus the team has a strong brand name and ownership of one of the most successful regional sports networks that carries its games. Besides, says Bussgang, a Boston resident and Red Sox fan himself, it wouldn't be the first time a Boston sports team or baseball club went public. The Boston Celtics were publicly traded during the 1980s and 1990s before going private in 2002, and the Cleveland Indians briefly went public in the late 1990s. "If the Celtics can be a public company, why not one of the top brand franchises in America?" Bussgang said.