Cuban on WSCR this morning - "Hell yea, I want it"

[SouthSideRyan]

Okay...forgive me for my ignorance in this matter, but if Cuban made the highest offer, why wouldn't he be able to purchase the team? And furthermore, why does anyone other than the Trib (as the current owner) have any say in purchases the team? And, why would anybody even care if Cuban owned the team?

 

MLB has to approve ownership from the other 29 owners, I forget what the req'd ratio of approval has to be.

As far as why, MLB is still a private entity and it helps to have backings to get into the good ole boy network.

 

I assume most teams/owners don't want someone with the personality or the willingness of someone like Cuban owning a team.

 

I think it's 75%, so, 22/29, I guess. Cuban said he has received some support from some owners already, but it seems like we would really need some help from owners that might be on the fence about him. I'm guessing, from what we've heard so far, that there's a good handful or so that are strongly opposed.

 

Why would any owners oppose? It just blows me away! He would create excitement in the game. What would be the downside? Just don't get it.

 

Maybe they think he'll spend money like an out of control owner and spike up salaries.

 

Yeah I guess...God forbid the Cubs are actually good for many years. Like that's bad for baseball?!?!

 

Escalating salaries are bad for their checkbooks. If somebody new comes in that causes them to make 50M a season for doing nothing compared to 70M, then it's no to Cuban.

[USSoccer]

Can anyone name 7 owners that wouldn't want him in the game?

 

I can only come up with 4: Reinsdorf, Glass, Angelos and the guy who owns the Brewers who's name I can't recall. Anta-something.

 

The owners of the Cards, Reds, Pirates, and Astros?

 

McLane, maybe. I don't know anything about the other owners.

 

Can I make the assumption that generally speaking, owners votes should be independent of competitive balance? In other words, did Steinbrenner vote yes to the new Red Sox ownership? Or does that only work in theory, since some guys have petty personal vendettas?

 

I would think so. Otherwise, how did John Henry get approved?

[Banedon]

Can anyone name 7 owners that wouldn't want him in the game?

 

I can only come up with 4: Reinsdorf, Glass, Angelos and the guy who owns the Brewers who's name I can't recall. Anta-something.

 

The owners of the Cards, Reds, Pirates, and Astros?

 

We out spend them now, and will continue to do so no matter who owns the Cubs based on current contracts. That'd be a stupid reason.

 

But if they feel like Cuban would put a better product on the field, they may not like that. The Cubs success directly influences their success.

 

I don't know if they would actually vote on that basis, but it's what came to mind.

[SouthSideRyan]

Can anyone name 7 owners that wouldn't want him in the game?

 

I can only come up with 4: Reinsdorf, Glass, Angelos and the guy who owns the Brewers who's name I can't recall. Anta-something.

 

Attanasio I believe. I don't see why he would be included over some others. When discussing this topic earlier, I surmised that you'd have Reinsdorf + anyone Selig arranged an ownership change for in the past 5 years, which is more than 7. I don't think Angelos would necessarily be against it, unless his payment for the Washington franchise is enough to make him another Selig lap dog, but I really doubt it.

 

I'm thinking the scumbag on the south side, Pohlad, Glass, Tampa's owner, A's(Wolff?), Nats(Lerner?), whatever conglomerate owns the Braves right now(TW?), McCourt, D-Backs(?), Reds(Lindner? Castellini?), Nutting, Attanasio.

 

Cheapness/Cronies of Selig make this an impossibility IMO.

 

Maybe I'm being too extreme, impossibility is a strong word. Owners I'd be surprised if they had an objection would be Moreno, Illitch, Steinbrenner, Angelos, Magowan, DeWitt, Wilpon, the Cubs.

 

That's 8 in favor, 12 against, 10 others I'd imagine aren't boat rockers and will follow the crowd. Gonna take some glad-handling to get those 5 to jump ship. I can't see any way Reinsdorf, Pohlad, McCourt, or Nutting changes their mind. It's a razor thin opening to get approved, I just don't see it getting done.

[C.C.]

Can anyone name 7 owners that wouldn't want him in the game?

 

I can only come up with 4: Reinsdorf, Glass, Angelos and the guy who owns the Brewers who's name I can't recall. Anta-something.

 

The owners of the Cards, Reds, Pirates, and Astros?

 

We out spend them now, and will continue to do so no matter who owns the Cubs based on current contracts. That'd be a stupid reason.

 

But if they feel like Cuban would put a better product on the field, they may not like that. The Cubs success directly influences their success.

 

I don't know if they would actually vote on that basis, but it's what came to mind.

 

I don't think owners think like that. At least I hope not. If anything they want every Org. to be healthy. It's good for the game and their bottom line. I don't think owners would vote against a owner based on they will make the Cubs better? The Cubs being better is good for the health of the game. As Selig has stated many times.

[ZMovieman]

Can anyone name 7 owners that wouldn't want him in the game?

 

I can only come up with 4: Reinsdorf, Glass, Angelos and the guy who owns the Brewers who's name I can't recall. Anta-something.

 

The owners of the Cards, Reds, Pirates, and Astros?

 

We out spend them now, and will continue to do so no matter who owns the Cubs based on current contracts. That'd be a stupid reason.

 

But if they feel like Cuban would put a better product on the field, they may not like that. The Cubs success directly influences their success.

 

I don't know if they would actually vote on that basis, but it's what came to mind.

 

But there's also the flip side that the Cubs are a national profile team. When they succeed, ratings rise and that makes more money for baseball. So one would think an owner like Cuban would make them more money. Along those same lines, I feel Cuban's best chance at being approved would be for a team like the Cubs on the national stage. His presence would bring extra money in larger markets, but if he were to buy his hometown Pirates, I doubt he'd stand much of a chance because Pirates improvement would not generate the cash flow to offset his presence.

[biittner77]

Cuban buying the Cubs would increase the value of all MLB franchises. The Cubs being a perennial contender would mean big ratings in the post season which equals more potential TV revenue.

[Outshined_One]

That's a good question as far as it being a publically owned company, I'm not sure if they have to list the amounts offered compared to who has offered.

 

The shareholders know the offers on the table. They're the ones who matter in the publicly held corporation.

 

While I'm not a shareholder, I imagine that is done more by request rather than requirement. I've owned shares which that corp. was bought out by another and I never rec'd a detailed transaction record of potential bidders and various amounts offered.

 

It's a requirement in every state, to my knowledge. Corporations have a fiduciary duty to their investors in these situations to accept the highest bid (with limitations that likely won't apply here). If MLB comes in and rejects the highest bidder, they will be facing a lawsuit from shareholders that will be unbelievably costly.

 

It's going to be fascinating to keep an eye on in the coming months.

[CubinNY]

Can anyone name 7 owners that wouldn't want him in the game?

 

I can only come up with 4: Reinsdorf, Glass, Angelos and the guy who owns the Brewers who's name I can't recall. Anta-something.

 

The owners of the Cards, Reds, Pirates, and Astros?

 

McLane, maybe. I don't know anything about the other owners.

 

Can I make the assumption that generally speaking, owners votes should be independent of competitive balance? In other words, did Steinbrenner vote yes to the new Red Sox ownership? Or does that only work in theory, since some guys have petty personal vendettas?

 

I would think so. Otherwise, how did John Henry get approved?

John Henry owned the Marlins after Wayne Huizenga sold them, but before that he's been an owner of several other sports franchieses and was an investor/minority owner of the Yankees. The dude knows how to build a winner.

 

The head scratcher is Jeff Loria. The guy is right up there with the Fords, and the dude who owns the Clippers as far a crappy ownership goes. He ran the Expos into the ground and now he is doing it to the Marlins.

 

But Loria turns a tidy profit at a low cost and that's what MLB wants.

[Fro]

I think you could definitely count the Braves' ownership as one of Cuban's backers, as Liberty Media has to work with Cuban's companies quite a bit (i.e., HDNet is on DirectTV).

[shnsajax]

I think you could definitely count the Braves' ownership as one of Cuban's backers, as Liberty Media has to work with Cuban's companies quite a bit (i.e., HDNet is on DirectTV).

 

And im curious to how HDnet could spin things forward too.

 

In 1999-2000 the Maverics ranked 23rd in the NBA in value and revenue (167 Million / 59.7 in revenue).

 

In 2006-2007 the Maverics ranked 3rd in the NBA in value in $463 Million, while I cant find revenue.

 

Mark Cuban the fan outweighs Mark Cuban the business man in the eyes of the media, and to a degree that we underestimate how good of a business man he really is.

[Brian]

"When I went to the Cubs game a couple weeks ago, I sat in the bleachers, and I'll have a seat marked out for me and my friends. We'll be out in the right-field bleachers -- that's the best place to watch a game."

 

After last month's bleacher experience, the Pittsburgh native said he's becoming a Cubs fan.

 

"People think that because I'm not from Chicago, that's a big deal," he said. "I grew up in Pittsburgh, and there's no bigger Dallas Mavs fan now."

 

"If all this goes down ... if you cut any part of my body, you can see Mavs blood and you can see Cubbies blood coming out.

 

One front runner is thought to be the group headed by John Canning, chairman of private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners LLC and a longtime friend and business partner of baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

 

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=53429

 

booo :(

 

Never. Gonna. Happen.

[Derwood]

The head scratcher is Jeff Loria. The guy is right up there with the Fords, and the dude who owns the Clippers as far a crappy ownership goes. He ran the Expos into the ground and now he is doing it to the Marlins.

 

But Loria turns a tidy profit at a low cost and that's what MLB wants.

 

Loria turns a profit because his entire payroll is financed through revenue sharing and the Yankees' luxury tax, meaning a high % of the gate, vendors and TV deals are not going towards on field costs

[treebird]

That's a good question as far as it being a publically owned company, I'm not sure if they have to list the amounts offered compared to who has offered.

 

The shareholders know the offers on the table. They're the ones who matter in the publicly held corporation.

 

While I'm not a shareholder, I imagine that is done more by request rather than requirement. I've owned shares which that corp. was bought out by another and I never rec'd a detailed transaction record of potential bidders and various amounts offered.

 

It's a requirement in every state, to my knowledge. Corporations have a fiduciary duty to their investors in these situations to accept the highest bid (with limitations that likely won't apply here). If MLB comes in and rejects the highest bidder, they will be facing a lawsuit from shareholders that will be unbelievably costly.

 

It's going to be fascinating to keep an eye on in the coming months.

 

this may prove to be a pretty important post in the next few months, i hope people take note of it

[inari]

I promised myself not to get excited over the possibility of Cuban owning the Cubs because of how unlikely it was... but hell, I'm excited.

[shnsajax]

I promised myself not to get excited over the possibility of Cuban owning the Cubs because of how unlikely it was... but hell, I'm excited.

 

I think Selig knows the potential of Cub fans throwing a huge revolt against him if Cuban is not given a fair shake. I just want him to have a fair and real chance. If he doesnt make the best offer I wont complain.

[justin23iu]

The appalling thing is that the anti-Cuban sentiment is largely being driven by Reinsdorf, who can't stand what Cuban has done in the NBA. It is unfathomable to me that the owner of a team with a significant interest in the Cubs failing can influence who the owner of the Cubs is. I actually think Reinsdorf's opposition has less to do with Cuban's behavior in the NBA and more to do with his fear of what Cuban would do with the Cubs. He is desperate for the White Sox to get out of the Cubs' shadow, and that would not happen if Cuban owned the team. Talk about a complete conflict of interests.

[mhuber92211]

Just a note but I think that the sell of the Cubs is no longer public. Zell bought the Tribune and as part of that purchase has to spin off the Cubs. Technically though Zell is the owner of the Cubs and not the Trib so the deal will be private

[justin23iu]

Just a note but I think that the sell of the Cubs is no longer public. Zell bought the Tribune and as part of that purchase has to spin off the Cubs. Technically though Zell is the owner of the Cubs and not the Trib so the deal will be private

 

Nope. It's very complicated, but Zell has not yet taken ownership of the Tribune Company. Once the sale is completed, then the Cubs will be sold. There is also speculation that Zell will not take the company private. It still has to be figured out, which just adds to the complication of the sale of the Cubs.

[Outshined_One]

this may prove to be a pretty important post in the next few months, i hope people take note of it

 

I hope to get in on the ground floor with this case after passing the bar.

 

:D

[treebird]

this may prove to be a pretty important post in the next few months, i hope people take note of it

 

I hope to get in on the ground floor with this case after passing the bar.

 

:D

 

seems like a petty natural entry point

[davearm]

I promised myself not to get excited over the possibility of Cuban owning the Cubs because of how unlikely it was... but hell, I'm excited.

 

I think Selig knows the potential of Cub fans throwing a huge revolt against him if Cuban is not given a fair shake. I just want him to have a fair and real chance. If he doesnt make the best offer I wont complain.

How exactly would Cub fans carry out a revolt against the commissioner of baseball?

[wekse]

I promised myself not to get excited over the possibility of Cuban owning the Cubs because of how unlikely it was... but hell, I'm excited.

 

I think Selig knows the potential of Cub fans throwing a huge revolt against him if Cuban is not given a fair shake. I just want him to have a fair and real chance. If he doesnt make the best offer I wont complain.

How exactly would Cub fans carry out a revolt against the commissioner of baseball?

 

blow his house up?

[imb]

I promised myself not to get excited over the possibility of Cuban owning the Cubs because of how unlikely it was... but hell, I'm excited.

 

I think Selig knows the potential of Cub fans throwing a huge revolt against him if Cuban is not given a fair shake. I just want him to have a fair and real chance. If he doesnt make the best offer I wont complain.

How exactly would Cub fans carry out a revolt against the commissioner of baseball?

 

blow his house up?

 

im in

[wekse]

I promised myself not to get excited over the possibility of Cuban owning the Cubs because of how unlikely it was... but hell, I'm excited.

 

I think Selig knows the potential of Cub fans throwing a huge revolt against him if Cuban is not given a fair shake. I just want him to have a fair and real chance. If he doesnt make the best offer I wont complain.

How exactly would Cub fans carry out a revolt against the commissioner of baseball?

 

blow his house up?

 

im in

 

i knew i could count on you