Cuban to bid on Cubs (RUMOR - SHOT DOWN BY CUBAN + TRIB)

[oldstyle81]

we dont expect it to happen but we didnt see MacPhail leaving at the end of last year either

[Jehrico]

I'd love to see Cuban own the Cubs because he obviously cares more about winning than making money in pro sports, and because he's about as far from a traditional baseball guy as you can get. If Cuban bought the team, I predict you'd see payroll climb to close to where Boston's is, and a younger GM brought in to push some new ideas. I doubt he'd fire Piniella, at least not right away. After all, he stuck with Don Nelson all those years in Dallas. I doubt Hendry would last long, as almost every owner wants to bring in their own GM. McDonough might actually survive because Cuban is a busy enough guy that he probably wouldn't take on the job of team president directly.

 

That said, I doubt this happens. Everything points to the Trib keeping the Cubs: the recapitalization talk, the removing of McDonough's interim tag. It certainly seems like they are planning on having the Cubs for a while longer. The Cubs and WGN are so intertwined it would be difficult to sell one and not the other as well; after all, this is how the Trib has been hiding the profits the Cubs make from MLB and the public for a good long while.

 

I don't buy that the other owners would block Cuban, especially if he's essentially the only choice, which is likely since he's the guy that would almost certainly well overpay for the franchise. If Cuban, or anyone, bought the Cubs, the other owners would have to weigh the benefits, a guy paying too much for a team and inflating team values, getting the Cubs away from WGN and freeing up all those profit sharing dollars that the new owner won't be able to hide, vs. the annoyance of dealing with one eccentric. There could also be repercussions. Basically if you block a sale of a team, you've pissed off both the buyer and the seller and you won't be getting any favors next time you try to sell your team.

I agree that most of the signs point to them keeping the Cubs, but I don't agree that removing the "Interim" from McDonoughs tag is one of them. It doesn't change much if they own the team, they're still free to replace him at their leisure. It's common practice in corporate acquisitions to prop your people up before the business is sold so as to give the people who used to work for you either a) more job security under the new owner, or b) grounds to demand more compensation in the event that the new owner decides to put his own people in. They could simply be trying to take care of McDonough in the event they do sell the team by giving him that title, which shouldn't have anything other than a negligible impact )if that, especially considering the demand) on the ultimate selling price of the team.

[Amazing_Grace]

I'd love to see Cuban own the Cubs because he obviously cares more about winning than making money in pro sports, and because he's about as far from a traditional baseball guy as you can get. If Cuban bought the team, I predict you'd see payroll climb to close to where Boston's is, and a younger GM brought in to push some new ideas. I doubt he'd fire Piniella, at least not right away. After all, he stuck with Don Nelson all those years in Dallas. I doubt Hendry would last long, as almost every owner wants to bring in their own GM. McDonough might actually survive because Cuban is a busy enough guy that he probably wouldn't take on the job of team president directly.

 

That said, I doubt this happens. Everything points to the Trib keeping the Cubs: the recapitalization talk, the removing of McDonough's interim tag. It certainly seems like they are planning on having the Cubs for a while longer. The Cubs and WGN are so intertwined it would be difficult to sell one and not the other as well; after all, this is how the Trib has been hiding the profits the Cubs make from MLB and the public for a good long while.

 

I don't buy that the other owners would block Cuban, especially if he's essentially the only choice, which is likely since he's the guy that would almost certainly well overpay for the franchise. If Cuban, or anyone, bought the Cubs, the other owners would have to weigh the benefits, a guy paying too much for a team and inflating team values, getting the Cubs away from WGN and freeing up all those profit sharing dollars that the new owner won't be able to hide, vs. the annoyance of dealing with one eccentric. There could also be repercussions. Basically if you block a sale of a team, you've pissed off both the buyer and the seller and you won't be getting any favors next time you try to sell your team.

I agree that most of the signs point to them keeping the Cubs, but I don't agree that removing the "Interim" from McDonoughs tag is one of them. It doesn't change much if they own the team, they're still free to replace him at their leisure. It's common practice in corporate acquisitions to prop your people up before the business is sold so as to give the people who used to work for you either a) more job security under the new owner, or b) grounds to demand more compensation in the event that the new owner decides to put his own people in. They could simply be trying to take care of McDonough in the event they do sell the team by giving him that title, which shouldn't have anything other than a negligible impact )if that, especially considering the demand) on the ultimate selling price of the team.

 

You could be right, never thought of it that way.

[nilodnayr]

Although baseball isn't in the bad shape it was a decade ago, I'd have to believe that it would be good for baseball if the Cubs won the World Series. There are a ton of cubs fans in every single other market and although we have a very good road attendance record now, renewed interest from transplant cubs fans will put $ in everyones pockets.

[98navigator]

Baseball Think Factory is reporting that Deadspin is reporting that some celebrity rag called Radar Online is reporting that some annoymous source claims that Mark Cuban is set to pay $625 million for the Cubs.

 

This is lesson number 3,927,471 in the need for critical reading of anything you see posted on the web.... What starts as... this Whole Big Boatload of Nothing...

 

 

Link

 

I never believed Cuban would divulge his bid amount. 8-)

[Balsa]

Tribune backs it up: LINK

 

The Cubs are not about to become Cuban's, contrary to an Internet report.

 

Mark Cuban, the billionaire blogger, entrepreneur and owner of pro basketball's Dallas Mavericks, on Wednesday shot down a Radar Online report that said he is "is set to offer $625 million to buy the Chicago Cubs from Tribune Co."

"Not true," Cuban said by e-mail.

 

Radar quoted "a source familiar with the matter" as saying Cuban is "desperate to buy the Cubs" and "wants this so bad." It said it got no response from Cuban, who responded to a Chicago Tribune inquiry concerning the report in less than 15 minutes.

"I have no idea where they got their info," Cuban said.

 

Tribune Co., which owns the Cubs, the Chicago Tribune and other media properties, is currently exploring options to boost shareholder value.

Edited February 28, 2007 by Balsa

[nilodnayr]

Baseball Think Factory is reporting that Deadspin is reporting that some celebrity rag called Radar Online is reporting that some annoymous source claims that Mark Cuban is set to pay $625 million for the Cubs.

 

This is lesson number 3,927,471 in the need for critical reading of anything you see posted on the web.... What starts as... this Whole Big Boatload of Nothing...

 

 

Link

 

I never believed Cuban would divulge his bid amount. 8-)

 

So you've posted like 30 times in this thread without actually reading the radar article?!?!? Thats just silly. No one claimed it was Cuban who made any sort of announcment or leak.

[98navigator]

Baseball Think Factory is reporting that Deadspin is reporting that some celebrity rag called Radar Online is reporting that some annoymous source claims that Mark Cuban is set to pay $625 million for the Cubs.

 

This is lesson number 3,927,471 in the need for critical reading of anything you see posted on the web.... What starts as... this Whole Big Boatload of Nothing...

 

 

Link

 

I never believed Cuban would divulge his bid amount. 8-)

 

So you've posted like 30 times in this thread without actually reading the radar article?!?!? Thats just silly. No one claimed it was Cuban who made any sort of announcment or leak.

 

What are you talking about? I read it but you've apparently not read this whole thread. The sentiment was that it was a legit report. I honestly never believed it but I wasn't familiar enough with Radar to come out and blast it!!! I was only comfortable saying I thought the amount in the report might be false because, again, I didn't know anything about the credibility of Radar.

 

Seriously, read the thread before trying to put someone on blast.

[Soul]

Tribune backs it up: LINK

 

The Cubs are not about to become Cuban's, contrary to an Internet report.

 

Mark Cuban, the billionaire blogger, entrepreneur and owner of pro basketball's Dallas Mavericks, on Wednesday shot down a Radar Online report that said he is "is set to offer $625 million to buy the Chicago Cubs from Tribune Co."

"Not true," Cuban said by e-mail.

 

Radar quoted "a source familiar with the matter" as saying Cuban is "desperate to buy the Cubs" and "wants this so bad." It said it got no response from Cuban, who responded to a Chicago Tribune inquiry concerning the report in less than 15 minutes.

"I have no idea where they got their info," Cuban said.

 

Tribune Co., which owns the Cubs, the Chicago Tribune and other media properties, is currently exploring options to boost shareholder value.

 

NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo.

 

 

That is all.

[nilodnayr]

Baseball Think Factory is reporting that Deadspin is reporting that some celebrity rag called Radar Online is reporting that some annoymous source claims that Mark Cuban is set to pay $625 million for the Cubs.

 

This is lesson number 3,927,471 in the need for critical reading of anything you see posted on the web.... What starts as... this Whole Big Boatload of Nothing...

 

 

Link

 

I never believed Cuban would divulge his bid amount. 8-)

 

So you've posted like 30 times in this thread without actually reading the radar article?!?!? Thats just silly. No one claimed it was Cuban who made any sort of announcment or leak.

 

What are you talking about? I read it but you've apparently not read this whole thread. The sentiment was that it was a legit report. I honestly never believed it but I wasn't familiar enough with Radar to come out and blast it!!! I was only comfortable saying I thought the amount in the report might be false because, again, I didn't know anything about the credibility of Radar.

 

Seriously, read the thread before trying to put someone on blast.

 

I don't mean to be a jerk (in this post or my last), but you need some critical reading skills. Obviously I have read the entire thread as evidenced by me pointing out (albeit through hyberbole) that you have been a very active participant in this thread. I DO have critical reading skills and noted that in order for you to write a statement such as "I never believed Cuban would divulge his bid amount", that somewhere something must have stated that Cuban was the one divulging said bid. Which is not the case if you had read the article. Ergo, my assumption that you had not read the article.

[98navigator]

Baseball Think Factory is reporting that Deadspin is reporting that some celebrity rag called Radar Online is reporting that some annoymous source claims that Mark Cuban is set to pay $625 million for the Cubs.

 

This is lesson number 3,927,471 in the need for critical reading of anything you see posted on the web.... What starts as... this Whole Big Boatload of Nothing...

 

 

Link

 

I never believed Cuban would divulge his bid amount. 8-)

 

So you've posted like 30 times in this thread without actually reading the radar article?!?!? Thats just silly. No one claimed it was Cuban who made any sort of announcment or leak.

 

What are you talking about? I read it but you've apparently not read this whole thread. The sentiment was that it was a legit report. I honestly never believed it but I wasn't familiar enough with Radar to come out and blast it!!! I was only comfortable saying I thought the amount in the report might be false because, again, I didn't know anything about the credibility of Radar.

 

Seriously, read the thread before trying to put someone on blast.

 

I don't mean to be a jerk (in this post or my last), but you need some critical reading skills. Obviously I have read the entire thread as evidenced by me pointing out (albeit through hyberbole) that you have been a very active participant in this thread. I DO have critical reading skills and noted that in order for you to write a statement such as "I never believed Cuban would divulge his bid amount", that somewhere something must have stated that Cuban was the one divulging said bid. Which is not the case if you had read the article. Ergo, my assumption that you had not read the article.

 

If you look on the first page of this thread I posted that I didn't think this was "viable." You'll also notice that I edited it right away because I initially wrote that I didn't think it was "credible" but I thought better of it; namely because I didn't know anything about Radar.

 

Just for the record, I read the article twice. My other posts in this thread weren't directly related to the article (like most of the other posts, mine were more in the vain of "what would happen if...")

 

i don't want a problem with anyone but I think you called me out unfairly.

 

My comment about his bid was related to the general idea surrounding this rumor. It didn't point back to Radar.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Well those goes something I had gotten excited about. Oh shoot!

[Guest]

Well those goes something I had gotten excited about. Oh shoot!

 

This is nothing, vance. I wouldn't lose hope that CUBan buys the Cubs. Obviously, the negotiations are going to take awhile.

[Amazing_Grace]

Well those goes something I had gotten excited about. Oh shoot!

 

Just because they shot down the rumor doesn't mean anything. The rumor itself didn't really mean anything. It's no secret the Trib is having financial difficulties so the sale of the Cubs remains a possibility. Until the Tribune decides on one course of action or another, recapitalization, sale of part of the company, whatever, there's still hope that somehow the Cubs will get sold in the process. I still hold out hope that the Cubs will end up being sold, though I admit I'm not as hopeful as I was when MacPhail's resignation was announced. If they are sold, Cuban has as good a shot at being the buyer as anyone, probably a better shot, since there's no secret he's interested.

[adamb0719]

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/cuban-and-the-cubs-a-match-made-in-heaven/

 

This was written in the NY Times about the rumor. Nothing new though. Some interesting comments below the article though. They are actually debating about Bartman. Will it never end?

[98navigator]

Here's Crain's Chicago Business' take, which includes some previous quotes by Cuban about the Cubs.

 

“I have no idea where they got their information,” Mr. Cuban said in an e-mail. “It’s not correct.”

 

During an interview with TheStreet.com... Mr. Cuban was asked if he was considering buying the Cubs or any other sports teams.

 

“I’m always interested in iconic teams or teams from my hometown, but it’s a ‘nice to do,’ not a ‘have to do,’ ” responded Mr. Cuban, who grew up in Pittsburgh and attended Indiana University.

[CuseCubFan69]

I'm looking forward to Cuban Cigar Day at Wrigley so I hope it's true.

[Soul]

Here's Crain's Chicago Business' take, which includes some previous quotes by Cuban about the Cubs.

 

“I have no idea where they got their information,” Mr. Cuban said in an e-mail. “It’s not correct.”

 

During an interview with TheStreet.com... Mr. Cuban was asked if he was considering buying the Cubs or any other sports teams.

 

“I’m always interested in iconic teams or teams from my hometown, but it’s a ‘nice to do,’ not a ‘have to do,’ ” responded Mr. Cuban, who grew up in Pittsburgh and attended Indiana University.

 

So you're sayin' there's a chance!