Cubs sale delayed? / Trib may own Cubs on Opening Day

[seanimal]

Uh, grab your seats Cuban lovers, this is getting interesting:

 

Cuban one of three bidders to get to view the books

[RammyFanny]

Already posted awhile ago, probably on page 2 somewhere. Don't mind seeing that again though ;)

 

Edit, I guess it wasn't in the thread I was thinking of. But for some reason I remember reading and seeing that article a few times (maybe it was on a different board).

[RammyFanny]

Here's Cuban's latest blog entry about the Mitchell Report:

As inevitable as the Mitchell Report response was, how long will it be before we get the headline: "Popeye denies he knew spinach was a performance enhancing drug". "I had no idea. I was just eating my vegetables. It was supposed to make me stronger. It was what, 30 or more years ago ? How much did we really know about the properties of spinach back then ? Why is the media making such a big deal out of this ? I didn't know then and I am paying the price today. Divorce. Family loss. Boomerang dropped the show because of all the fuss you guys are making. My last source of real income, gone." Leading into the inevitable interviews with Brutus saying that he knew something was up but pressure from the Network kept him from speaking up. So he took his beatings. All of which eventually led to weekly, then daily therapy sessions and his current addiction to anti-depressents. Olive Oil will refuse all informal interviews, but we will be able to dissect some of her problems she attributed to Popeye's mood swings and spinach habit from TMZ.Com interviews as she shops for her Depends at Greenbergs Pharmacy near her apartment in Burbank. And Sweat Pea ? He has disappeared. Not seen since his stint on a VH1 reality show a couple years ago. Our society loves gossip and the media loves to report it. What the sports media has to understand is the difference between reporting gossip and reporting news. I'm not saying that the Mitchell Report shouldnt be reported and commented on. It should. For a couple days. Then it should be relegated to industry trade press and gossip pages. Sports fans want sports. Its ok to mention and report about popeye being in the spinach report, but don't beat it to death. Tell us about baseball.

[fiver]

Here's Cuban's latest blog entry about the Mitchell Report:

As inevitable as the Mitchell Report response was, how long will it be before we get the headline: "Popeye denies he knew spinach was a performance enhancing drug". "I had no idea. I was just eating my vegetables. It was supposed to make me stronger. It was what, 30 or more years ago ? How much did we really know about the properties of spinach back then ? Why is the media making such a big deal out of this ? I didn't know then and I am paying the price today. Divorce. Family loss. Boomerang dropped the show because of all the fuss you guys are making. My last source of real income, gone." Leading into the inevitable interviews with Brutus saying that he knew something was up but pressure from the Network kept him from speaking up. So he took his beatings. All of which eventually led to weekly, then daily therapy sessions and his current addiction to anti-depressents. Olive Oil will refuse all informal interviews, but we will be able to dissect some of her problems she attributed to Popeye's mood swings and spinach habit from TMZ.Com interviews as she shops for her Depends at Greenbergs Pharmacy near her apartment in Burbank. And Sweat Pea ? He has disappeared. Not seen since his stint on a VH1 reality show a couple years ago. Our society loves gossip and the media loves to report it. What the sports media has to understand is the difference between reporting gossip and reporting news. I'm not saying that the Mitchell Report shouldnt be reported and commented on. It should. For a couple days. Then it should be relegated to industry trade press and gossip pages. Sports fans want sports. Its ok to mention and report about popeye being in the spinach report, but don't beat it to death. Tell us about baseball.

 

The Popeye analogy is an interesting one...I probably wouldn't want the media to focus on the Mitchell Report for long either if I had a desire to purchase a major league baseball team..

[Jon]

Here's Cuban's latest blog entry about the Mitchell Report:

As inevitable as the Mitchell Report response was, how long will it be before we get the headline: "Popeye denies he knew spinach was a performance enhancing drug". "I had no idea. I was just eating my vegetables. It was supposed to make me stronger. It was what, 30 or more years ago ? How much did we really know about the properties of spinach back then ? Why is the media making such a big deal out of this ? I didn't know then and I am paying the price today. Divorce. Family loss. Boomerang dropped the show because of all the fuss you guys are making. My last source of real income, gone." Leading into the inevitable interviews with Brutus saying that he knew something was up but pressure from the Network kept him from speaking up. So he took his beatings. All of which eventually led to weekly, then daily therapy sessions and his current addiction to anti-depressents. Olive Oil will refuse all informal interviews, but we will be able to dissect some of her problems she attributed to Popeye's mood swings and spinach habit from TMZ.Com interviews as she shops for her Depends at Greenbergs Pharmacy near her apartment in Burbank. And Sweat Pea ? He has disappeared. Not seen since his stint on a VH1 reality show a couple years ago. Our society loves gossip and the media loves to report it. What the sports media has to understand is the difference between reporting gossip and reporting news. I'm not saying that the Mitchell Report shouldnt be reported and commented on. It should. For a couple days. Then it should be relegated to industry trade press and gossip pages. Sports fans want sports. Its ok to mention and report about popeye being in the spinach report, but don't beat it to death. Tell us about baseball.

 

The Popeye analogy is an interesting one...I probably wouldn't want the media to focus on the Mitchell Report for long either if I had a desire to purchase a major league baseball team..

He's right. Most media sources will just continue to talk about individuals isolated from baseball. It's all about the personalities and that's how they're driven. Just look at the WNBC list misfire. Heck, even the word "steroids" has so much behind it now that people continue to ignore amphetamines. Others will talk about steroids and how it effects high school players. That's important, but it should never enter the conversation of how MLB deals with steroid use.

 

The main voice in the media that focuses on MLB as a whole foolishly believes that the Mitchell Report delivered some huge blow that will take years to recover from. That's just utter nonsense. How about they talk about the actual role of steroids in baseball, what they do, what kinds of players they're primarily used by, etc. As I've said before, there's absolutely no context in this discussion. Explore the issue instead of becoming scandal pages for guys who aren't even serious factors in the game anymore.

[Omar]

Now I really hope Cuban buys the Cubs just so I can see Mariotti's face.

[Banedon]

If nothing else Cuban expresses himself very, very well.

 

Man I hope this happens.

[Banedon]

I think Mariotti made some of his own conclusions from this article.

 

Two sources familiar with the sales process of the Chicago Cubs confirmed to CNNMoney.com that Cuban is one of a handful of bidders who have been cleared by Major League Baseball to look at the Cubs' books.

 

He has been approved to peruse the Cubs' financial books, one of three bidders allowed that privilege by Major League Baseball.

 

Maybe I'm reading too closely, but CNNmoney makes it sound like there are potentially more than just these 3 groups that have permission. It's certainly not clear.

[Laura]

The Trib[/url]"]

Tribune Co. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Dennis FitzSimons announced his resignation today, as the media company finalizes its $8.2 billion deal to go private under Chicago billionaire Sam Zell, who is expected to take over as CEO.

 

That deal, expected to close on Thursday, will pass control of the media conglomerate to Zell, who, under a prior arrangement, will then become Tribune's board chairman.

 

A source at Tribune said Zell will also become chief executive. A spokesman at Tribune would not confirm that. A spokeswoman for Zell could not be reached.

[shnsajax]

The Trib[/url]"]

Tribune Co. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Dennis FitzSimons announced his resignation today, as the media company finalizes its $8.2 billion deal to go private under Chicago billionaire Sam Zell, who is expected to take over as CEO.

 

That deal, expected to close on Thursday, will pass control of the media conglomerate to Zell, who, under a prior arrangement, will then become Tribune's board chairman.

 

A source at Tribune said Zell will also become chief executive. A spokesman at Tribune would not confirm that. A spokeswoman for Zell could not be reached.

 

Pieces are slowing starting to fall into place.

[Banedon]

Ok, so technically Zell will own the Cubs tomorrow when this is completed? How does that work since he still has an ownership stake in the Brewers?

[NCCubFan]

Ok, so technically Zell will own the Cubs tomorrow when this is completed? How does that work since he still has an ownership stake in the Brewers?

Actually it's the White Sox he owns a piece of.

[Banedon]

Ok, so technically Zell will own the Cubs tomorrow when this is completed? How does that work since he still has an ownership stake in the Brewers?

Actually it's the White Sox he owns a piece of.

 

Oops...you're right. Point still stands...

[ctcf]

Ok, so technically Zell will own the Cubs tomorrow when this is completed? How does that work since he still has an ownership stake in the Brewers?

Actually it's the White Sox he owns a piece of.

 

Oops...you're right. Point still stands...

 

Its Selig...

[Lefty]

Done deal. Man, from the market bottom of August 16th I could have made 50% betting the deal would get done. I hope this bodes well for the rest of the "risk" sector.

[David]

Now I really hope Cuban buys the Cubs just so I can see Mariotti's face.

 

 

:?: :?:

 

Judging by his recent columns, he'd be very happy.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Now I really hope Cuban buys the Cubs just so I can see Mariotti's face.

 

 

:?: :?:

 

Judging by his recent columns, he'd be very happy.

 

 

I thought I read that to mean Cubans blog would be more popular then Mariotti's ??

[David]

I really don't know what you mean by that.

[minnesotacubsfan]

I really don't know what you mean by that.

 

Cubans blog would be more popular then Mariotti's article

 

I guess thats how I read Omar's comment

[David]

That might be. But then I don't really know what Omar meant by that.

 

One is a feature column in a major metropolitan newspaper. The other is a famous guy's internet blog.

[minnesotacubsfan]

That might be. But then I don't really know what Omar meant by that.

 

One is a feature column in a major metropolitan newspaper. The other is a famous guy's internet blog.

 

 

yea but one guy we love

 

one guy we hate and want to go away

 

( I use "we" as in me, and anyone else who loves Cuban/hates Marriotti)

[Omar]

Mariotti keeps saying that Cuban has no chance whatsoever.

[ctcf]

Word from the O's insiders is that Cuban is set to buy the Cubs within the next two days.

[Yanksfan1523]

Word from the O's insiders is that Cuban is set to buy the Cubs within the next two days.

 

:lol:

[seanimal]

Mariotti keeps saying that Cuban has no chance whatsoever.

 

I actually like this game that Mariotti is playing. Mariotti, for better or for worse, is an incredibly popular sports columnist. I have my doubts about how effective his game may be, but there's a decent chance that Canning could be passed over despite being the favorite among Selig and his ilk if Cuban's bid is larger and proves to have the financial wherewithal to support the team after the sale. The stakes are really high for Selig if they select Canning in this case, because if he fails to build success on the North Side, there is going to be significant backlash and people are really going to begin calling into question as to how the MLB is selecting its owners.

 

A slim chance, but I think that possibility is in play. Cuban is an overwhelming favorite amongst Cub fans to buy the team, and being as concerned about PR and profitability as Selig is, he might want to avoid the trouble if Cuban's bid is equal to or greater than Canning's.

 

All speculation on my part, it's quite possible that Canning could be better suited to financially steward our franchise, but if he's not and gets the team anyway, it could get pretty interesting, especially around here.

 

Does anyone know what the remaining steps are to selling the team? I assume that since the three finalists are now able to look at the books that all that is left is a submission of the bids and evidence of the bidder's financial ability to support the team long-term. Anyone know for sure?