It's no secret that Michael Jordan's presence on the court helped the Washington Wizards sell out every home game over the last two seasons.

But Jordan's presence in the front office of another team -- say, the expansion Charlotte franchise -- might not mean immediate dollars.

Throughout Jordan's tenure as president of the Wizards, team ticket sales did not show a dramatic increase. In fact, in Jordan's only full season in that capacity -- the 2000-01 season -- the Wizards only sold 538 more tickets per game than the previous season.

However, front-office star power apparently has meant a lot to the Aberdeen IronBirds and the Colorado Crush.

Thanks to the ownership involvement of Baltimore Orioles great Cal Ripken, the IronBirds -- a short-season Class A minor league baseball affiliate of the Orioles -- sold out every game in its inaugural season last year. This year, the team has sold out 95 percent of its 6,100-seat per game allotment, with more than a month to go before the first pitch.

Due in part to the hands-on ownership of former Broncos quarterback John Elway, the Colorado Crush have sold out all seven of their games so far. Their final home game on May 18 also figures to draw a Pepsi Center capacity crowd of more than 17,000. Despite their 2-12 record, the Crush lead the Arena Football League in attendance, with the average AFL team drawing approximately 6,000 fewer fans per game.

"Denver is a good football town, so I think we'd be doing better than the average," said Michael Young, executive vice president of development for the Crush. "But I really do believe that we're doing somewhere in the tune of 30 percent better because of John Elway alone. I think about 30 percent of our ticket holders are sitting in the stands just because they believe in him and this is their way of giving back to him for what he's done for their community. If he started up a professional horseshoe throwing team here in Denver, there would be plenty of people that would be lining up to support that team."

Despite the team's box-office success, the name of Elway, who owns 33 percent of the team, alone won't do it. That was proven by the lack of success of Elway, Jordan and Wayne Gretzky -- whose ownership with the Phoenix Coyotes over the last three seasons has not helped attendance -- when all three future Hall of Famers attached their names to the eventual dot-bust merchandise site, MVP.com.

In order for former high-profile athletes to sell tickets or merchandise, they have to get involved, Young says. Elway does his part by signing autographs, mingling with fans and maintaining a visible presence in the organization.

"For the athlete to make a difference, he has to roll up his sleeves and go to work," Young said. "John spends time with the fans and it's not painful for him. If a particular athlete thinks it's too painful to engage with the public at that level, it's not going to work."

Jordan's move to another organization could serve as an endorsement of sorts and create an early buzz at the box office, but more than any other owner, marketers say fans will expect a higher level of interaction with a star like Jordan.

"One of the things that makes Jordan Jordan is the perceived attachment people have to him," said David Carter of The Sports Business Group, a sports business consulting firm. "They see him as the basketball ambassador to this country and the world. But if he's positioned behind the glass in some luxury suite, not only could his presence be minimized, but it could actually hurt."

"When you have somebody that is as highly thought of as Cal or Michael, there's a hope and expectation that they will make themselves visible," said John Maroon, spokesman for Ripken Baseball. Maroon said Ripken was present at about 15 of the team's 38 home games last season.

But there are no guarantees that Jordan, or the owner who takes him in, will see that as part of his job description. It also might be harder for Jordan to do that if his role with a team is more day-to-day than the ownership roles taken on by Elway and Ripken.

"Having the possibility of seeing Jordan at a game is one of those added value benefits you can offer to your fans," said Mike Stanfield, director of ticket sales and operations for the New Orleans Saints. "But then again, maybe he won't want to do that."

One positive Jordan would have in Charlotte would be the natural connection with the fans that Elway and Ripken have embraced. Elway made his career in Denver and, like Ripken -- who was born and raised in Aberdeen, Md. -- Jordan was raised in Wilmington, N.C., roughly 200 miles from Charlotte.

"It's always a positive if you are brought into a community that you have some history in," Young said. "In that way, it doesn't look like you came in just to make some money."

Some say if Jordan came to Charlotte, the amount of his involvement with the team would be proportional to the financial impact he could make. "If he were a minority investor, it would still make a difference," said Max Muhleman, president of Charlotte-based IMG/Muhleman Marketing. "He means more in North Carolina than anywhere else, with the possible exception of Chicago. But if he were hired as general manager, I think it would make more of a difference in terms of an immediate rise in attendance. The perception would be that the quality of the team would improve, and at a faster rate than if they didn't have him."

Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at darren.rovell@espn3.com.