Re: Cuban's chances getting better than we thought?

[Bobson Dugnutt]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/925768,CST-SPT-cuban01.article

 

 

And those with an insight into the proposed sale indicate Cuban is no longer the dark horse he once was considered when he initially expressed interest last year.

 

Cuban became a billionaire with his innovative Internet ventures and is believed to have the resources to swing a quick deal for the Cubs. Zell -- the profanity-spewing billionaire who bought Tribune Co. last year -- certainly would have no problems doing business with Cuban.

 

The stumbling block always has been MLB's stodgy owners approving the next owner of the Cubs. Commissioner Bud Selig has taken a special interest in the Cubs and would seem to clash with Cuban.

 

But Zell, who is reportedly $12.8 billion in debt, almost certainly will insist on getting the highest bid for his team, and Cuban appears poised to spend what it takes.

 

This same theory is mentioned in a few other articles about Cuban's visit last night, too.

 

Mariotti - http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti/925764,mariotti050108.article

 

Even though a lot of (most?) Chicago fans hate Mariotti, I have to give him credit for really pushing the Cuban story and putting it out there as much as possible. The more public support for Mark, the better.

 

Trib - http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-080430-mark-cuban-chicago-cubs,1,1187833.story

 

This visit also seems to be coinciding with the time around which the Cubs were said to be opening up their books to prospective bidders.

[C.C.]

Very interesting indeed. I'm starting to believe that he may have a very good chance of owning the Cubs.

[Schwarber Fan]

He sounded pretty interested on the ESPN interview with Erin Andrews last night.

 

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080501/capt.455440b89f9d440aa9872a1cef568e52.brewers_cubs_baseball_cxc101.jpg

[17 Seconds]

God Mark Cuban is living well.

[C.C.]

He sounded pretty interested on the ESPN interview with Erin Andrews last night.

 

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080501/capt.455440b89f9d440aa9872a1cef568e52.brewers_cubs_baseball_cxc101.jpg

 

 

I don't think it was ever a doubt he was interested...

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

It also appeared that Cuban had tempered his remarks some in the interview last night. In past interviews, he came off more brash, as if he had a plan and MLB would be ignorant not to let him in. Last night, he claimed MLB was doing fine without him, and seemed to concede that he wouldn't need to come in and make a bunch of changes. He did say that he felt when smart people got together, things could happen.

 

I've always been a huge proponent of Cuban owning the Cubs. I've also been pessimistic that the good ole boys network would let him in. I hope that it's changing.

[Post Count Padder]

This is good news

[Tyrant]

Are we sure he'd spend a ton on payroll? I know that's why most Cubs fans are excited about him, but I'm just wondering if he'd really boost our payroll significantly. I'd love for him to come in and spend $175 million a year, but I don't know how feasible that is.

 

Just a minor, unfounded worry at this point.

[inari]

I'm shockingly confident he's going to own the Cubs.

[UK1679666180]

That remains to be seen whether or not he'd raise payroll, since he does have more resouces than the other potential owners, I would be more confident in him than anyone else.

 

Given what he did for the Mavs (as far as upgrading facilities for the players), I'm sure the Cubs players would be more excited than anyone else.

 

The battles between Cuban and Reinsdorf would be worth watching.

[Banedon]

I'm not worried about him spending on payroll. He could spend the same amount we're spending now and I'd be fine. Here's what I want out of Cuban.

 

1) Not being content with putting a "crappy/mediocre/swept in the first round of the playoffs" team on field.

 

2) Put some young, fresh minds in the organization that think of things a little different than some of the "good baseball guys" do. You don't need to have every member of the front office be a SABR whiz, but a few wouldn't hurt. Balance stats and scouting.

[nilodnayr]

Are we sure he'd spend a ton on payroll? I know that's why most Cubs fans are excited about him, but I'm just wondering if he'd really boost our payroll significantly. I'd love for him to come in and spend $175 million a year, but I don't know how feasible that is.

 

Just a minor, unfounded worry at this point.

 

Frankly, I don't think payroll is that big of a deal. Its definitely been proven that more money does not necessarily correlate with more wins. Its HOW you spend the money. Thats whats important. Cuban has been in the forefront of statistical analysis in basketball. I heard him in an interview a few years ago talk about how they analyze the referees to find tendancies and how they were trying to determine an optimal number of passes before a shot, etc.

 

Also, I was sitting in amazing seats last night (section 122, 4th row) and Cuban walked right in front of me before the game. He definitely didn't stay very long into the game though, so he wasn't just here to be a fan.

[Elrhino]

He took on Jason Kidd's 23 million salary because he wanted the Mavs to win a Championship. When you throw in luxory taxes and the like, Cuban took on almost 30 million when he could have been perfectly content to sit idle with a team that was going to the playoffs. The move didn't pan out, but it show you he's not afraid of spending money.

 

I can promise you he would be on the cutting edge of statistical analysis and would enforce it from the top down. The first thing he did when he came to the Mavs was hire a team of engineers to come up with new statistical models, because he thought the traditional basketball stats were so antiquated and useless.

 

Also, I get the feeling that he's pretty much deflated with the Mavs after a collapse in the NBA Finals and two consecutive first round exits. I could see him selling off the Mavs and finding a new pet project. I find it interesting he's at Wrigley and talking business the day after his team is eliminate from the playoffs (and he just fired his coach earlier in the day).

[ConstableRabbit]

Don't forget that Cuban has wanted some awful deals. The ridiculous Kidd trade and Bradley's salary come to mind. While he's better than the alternatives at this point, he's no genius.

[Elrhino]

Cuban wasn't the general manager, he was the owner who trusted the advice of his basketball braintrust.

 

Also, the Kidd deal wasn't ridiculous ... the Mavs knew they weren't going to win a title with their previously constructed lineup, and they were taking a high risk/high reward move knowing their window was closing rapidly. Just because it didn't work doesn't mean logic behind it was ridiculous.

 

All you have to do is look at the before and after with that organization. One of the most pathetic franchises in the NBA before - 10 years highly competitive teams and contenders, almost overnight.

[ConstableRabbit]

Cuban wasn't the general manager, he was the owner who trusted the advice of his basketball braintrust.

 

Also, the Kidd deal wasn't ridiculous ... the Mavs knew they weren't going to win a title with their previously constructed lineup, and they were taking a high risk/high reward move knowing their window was closing rapidly. Just because it didn't work doesn't mean logic behind it was ridiculous.

 

All you have to do is look at the before and after with that organization. One of the most pathetic franchises in the NBA before - 10 years highly competitive teams and contenders, almost overnight.

I know that he is not the GM. I was saying that Cuban strikes me as the type of owner who would really want the team to acquire "his guy". Single owner vs. faceless corporation owner has its trade-offs.

And yes, the deal was ridiculous. Everyone this side of the mainstream media said it would be a failure. I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but "high reward" was not part of the deal -- it was a move by a team desperate to make a trade for an aging superstar that is a shell of his former self.

 

I like Cuban and hope he buys the team. I'm just being cautious.

[David]

Levine was just on with Waddle and Silvy and talked about this.

 

He basically said that he thinks that if Cuban is making the high bid, particularly with MLB/Selig's need/desire to get this sale done promptly, he has a very real chance and that there's no reason that Cuban couldn't be considered a legitimate candidate at this point. Silvy asked about the MLB boys club keeping him out, but Bruce seemed to brush that aside saying that Selig wants this done promptly and that Zell intends to get the highest bid both for the Tribune and for his reputation, so there really might not be any choice.

[CoolHandLuke]

If it happens this board will go absolutely nuts.

 

How much of a shot will he give Hendry? Do you think he'll clean house right off the bat?

[badger1679666666]

If it happens this board will go absolutely nuts.

 

How much of a shot will he give Hendry? Do you think he'll clean house right off the bat?

 

It'll make the Roberts thread look tiny in comparison. I will go out and get drunk immediately after.

[Banedon]

If it happens this board will go absolutely nuts.

 

How much of a shot will he give Hendry? Do you think he'll clean house right off the bat?

 

I think it would be difficult to justify ditching Hendry right now. The Cubs just won the most they have in April, and if they win the division for the second straight year, I don't know that Cuban will come in and just clean house. Now if the Cubs don't win the division, I think it's all fair game.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If it happens this board will go absolutely nuts.

 

How much of a shot will he give Hendry? Do you think he'll clean house right off the bat?

 

I think it would be difficult to justify ditching Hendry right now. The Cubs just won the most they have in April, and if they win the division for the second straight year, I don't know that Cuban will come in and just clean house. Now if the Cubs don't win the division, I think it's all fair game.

 

It depends on how they win the division, I would think. 90 is a magic number to me. There's got to be a 90-win team in there somewhere with all the money he's been allowed to spend.

[imb]

I imagine Hendry would be on a short leash, but heading into a new sport, it wouldn't surprise me if Cuban wanted to stick with a trusted old baseball guy at first.

[SouthSideRyan]

Cuban would probably be the only owner that had fans making personalized jerseys of his name.

[Dallas Green]

People have spoken that this will be a battle of Zell's guy (Cuban) vs. Selig and MLB's guy (Canning) and my $ is on Zell, beacuse he just don't give a crap and will raise hell publicly.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

People have spoken that this will be a battle of Zell's guy (Cuban) vs. Selig and MLB's guy (Canning) and my $ is on Zell, beacuse he just don't give a crap and will raise hell publicly.

 

Agreed. Zell *needs* to wring every last dollar out of this. MLB would just prefer it to be their guy.