Carlyle Group Offers Bid to Buy Cubs

[TB_11]

Oh well that finalizes it then. Owns Dunkin Donuts? Wow, intense evil. From D.C. too----strike 2. Knows nothing about baseball? YER OUTTA THERE...

 

Because a newspaper company would know anything about baseball? Many owners of successful sports teams come from backgrounds completely unrelated to sports.

 

Oh really? Which World Series winning franchises are currently being run by a group of investors from D.C.?

 

Again, not that it matters what the owners do, but here's what recent World Series Champions' owners did to build their respective fortunes....

 

Owner of the White Sox: Jerry Reinsdorf, Attorney and CPA

Owners of the Red Sox: John Henry, futures trader and Tom Werner, TV producer

Owner of the Marlins: Jeff Loria, art dealer

Owner of the Angels: Arturo Moreno, outdoor advertising

Owner of the Diamondbacks: Jeff Moorad, sports agent

Owner of the Yankees: George Steinbrenner, shipbuilder, Broadway investor, and owner of various sports teams

 

Doesn't appear that successful team owners need to be tried and true men with lives in baseball.

 

Are they planning on at least moving to Chicago? Or would they rather run the Cubs from remote than make the extraordinary effort of entering "fly over" country to check on their investment?

 

Since when does an owner run a baseball team? Owners set budgets and hire general managers, who then make decisions and run the team.

 

This would be bad for the Cubs not because of who Carlyle is, but because they would look at the Cubs from an buyout investors' perspective. Their relative lack of knowledge running a baseball team matters none.

[questionmarkgrace]

I know that there is a crazy sect of Cubs fans in D.C. including Dick Cheney among others. Someone inverviewed him about it once in 03 and he talked about how this group of high profile congressman and the like get together to talk cubs and watch games. Its real hush, hush, kind of like the skull and bones club

 

:wink:

[hawkcub]

This would be very bad for the Cubs. Carlyle would look to maximize cash flows over a short amount of time. The easiest way to do this would be to keep one or two high profile players to keep fans in the seats, and then slash payroll drastically. Revenue stays more or less the same, expenses drop, Carlyle wins, fans lose.

 

Welcome back to the 90's.

[Wheelimus]

Ewww, Darth Cheney a Cubs fan?

 

Well, I guess he does need something fun and cute and cuddly, what with all the dirty dirty work to be done. Those Muslims won't torture themselves now will they? 8-)

 

To be serious though, the only good thing about these clowns would be that they'd probably unload the team quick like. They care about one thing, cash, and the quick buck (and we know they are not looking to get rich down the line, they want to be rich tomorrow) lies in selling the team. Negotiate a fair 20 year contract for the broadcast rights for WGN, print access for the Tribune, and find yourself a Billionaire.

 

I'd prefer The Tribune Company just cut out the middle man though. :D

[Soul]

 

This would be bad for the Cubs not because of who Carlyle is, but because they would look at the Cubs from an buyout investors' perspective. Their relative lack of knowledge running a baseball team matters none.

 

I think it matters, but I don't think we're arguing the same point. I'm not saying they need to be baseball insiders, but that it would be better if they actually CARED about baseball, and I see nothing in the members' backgrounds that would indicate they give a damn beyond the financials.

 

Guys like Reinsdorf and Steinbrenner? Their backgrounds yes, I agree. But those guys bleed baseballs and their decisions are affected by that.

 

I dunno, maybe there's some Carlyle guy who lives & dies with baseball and would be put in overall charge of the Cub financial decisions. When I look at the roster @ Carlyle past & present though, I don't see that. I see a whole lot of D.C. insiders who's desire for baseball likely begins and ends with how much exposure they can get by making an appearance at an Orioles or Nationals game.

[wastra]

 

This would be bad for the Cubs not because of who Carlyle is, but because they would look at the Cubs from an buyout investors' perspective. Their relative lack of knowledge running a baseball team matters none.

 

I think it matters, but I don't think we're arguing the same point. I'm not saying they need to be baseball insiders, but that it would be better if they actually CARED about baseball, and I see nothing in the members' backgrounds that would indicate they give a damn beyond the financials.

 

Guys like Reinsdorf and Steinbrenner? Their backgrounds yes, I agree. But those guys bleed baseballs and their decisions are affected by that.

 

I dunno, maybe there's some Carlyle guy who lives & dies with baseball and would be put in overall charge of the Cub financial decisions. When I look at the roster @ Carlyle past & present though, I don't see that. I see a whole lot of D.C. insiders who's desire for baseball likely begins and ends with how much exposure they can get by making an appearance at an Orioles or Nationals game.

 

 

I agree with what you're saying. it's not that we need an owner who has a long history in baseball, we need an owner who wants to OWN A BASEBALL TEAM, not own a profitable investment. Steinbrenner wants the Yanks to be profitable, but his #1 priority with them is winning, because the Yanks aren't "just" an investment for him.

 

I think, like you, that the Carlyle Group views the Cubs as a profit center, not as a passion.

[Lefty]

With the back-ended long-term contracts Hendry doled out this winter, the only hope of profiting from the Cubs is to win. Am I wrong? I mean, the Cubs are committed to pay 5 guys $70 million in 2010. Can a non-conglomerate make money with this independent business unit?