Are You a Dodger Fan? I'm Sorry to Hear That

[Tress]

I'm a lifelong SF Giants fan, so it pains me to say this. I feel sorry for you, Dodger fans. You are being royally screwed.

For those unfamiliar, the Dodgers are currently "owned" by Frank McCourt. I say "owned," because the jackass has run the franchise far, far into the ground. Sources say the Dodgers franchise is anywhere from 100 to 142 million dollars in debt. They can't make basic payroll, and can barely keep the lights on.

This wouldn't have happened if the owner wasn't constantly sucking them dry by leeching money off the team to pay for his own extravagant lifestyle. You can read more about it here, where they go into great detail explaining how McCourt has destroyed the team. My favorite part is how the franchise has been split into multiple groups, so now technically the Dodgers are paying rent for their own stadium, parking lots, vendors, etc. The salaries being paid to his kids, who don't work for the team in any way, are pretty funny too.

Thankfully Commissioner Selig has stepped in and is trying to remove this leech. My question to you folks is this: was he too late? Are the Dodgers damaged beyond repair? What effects does this debacle have on professional baseball as a whole?

 

[DarkAudit]

The Commissioner's Office has long had the power to act unilaterally "for the good of the game". Historically, those powers were rarely truly challenged in a court of law. Unfortunately for all of us, we have a relatively spineless commissioner (although there's been an unprecedented amount of steel in Selig's backbone this time), and an owner with more lawyers than brains.

As long as the team barely makes payroll, what power does MLB have to stop the team circling the drain? It's going to take years for Baseball to put all the pieces back together and restore the Dodgers to a unified whole. OTOH, now that the Fox deal has been voided, the clock is ticking on how long McCourt can keep those lawyers in his pocket. Eventually they will need to be paid, too.

It makes the Nuttings and the Pirates look like the model of fiscal responsibility. This is the Bizarro season to be sure.

(ETA: I googled "contract the dodgers," and found this. MLB creates a 31st team, trades or sells all current "Dodgers" to that new team for $1, then contracts the Dodgers. That makes all the holding companies leeching Dodger revenue absolutely worthless. DO IT. DO IT NOW.)

 

[Tress]

On the other hand, the Giants fan in me is just cackling with glee. Suck it, Dodger nation!

 

[drifter]

Did they ever find out who beat that Giants fan into a coma? Fuck'em.

 

[Tress]

They have a suspect, though there is some (very weak) evidence that suggests he may not be the one who did it. Either way he had a gun on him despite being on parole, so the guy is in jail for the next 10 months while the DA builds its case.

 

[Mathias]

On the other hand, the Giants fan in me is just cackling with glee. Suck it, Dodger nation!

Nah dude. As much as I loathe certain teams and fanbases (I'm looking at you Flyers), I would never wish the dissolution of the franchise. They love the sport just as much as you do. The Dodgers go way back. It's really just a shame.

 

[DarkAudit]

What I wish for is some white knight (sit down, Charlie) with lots of lawyers, money, and free time to come in and just carve McCourt into little tiny bits swiftly and decisively. Eventually Frank is gonna have to pay his lawyers. They won't be his lawyers for long if he's got nothing left when the rent comes due.

 

[sixpackshaker]

I thought that is what his wife was doing...

 

[blotsfan]

What I wish for is some white knight (sit down, Charlie) with lots of lawyers, money, and free time to come in and just carve McCourt into little tiny bits swiftly and decisively. Eventually Frank is gonna have to pay his lawyers. They won't be his lawyers for long if he's got nothing left when the rent comes due.

Only problem is, Bud Selig can't stand Mark Cuban.

 

[Tress]

And Mark Cuban isn't stupid. McCourt has screwed the franchise up so badly that Cuban doesn't want any part of it.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Basically the investors in the parking lot, stadium, jock straps.... what ever else he leveraged his holdings out to will end up getting screwed.

With the Chapter 11 filing most of them will only see a pittance of what they are owed.

 

[Covar]

Mark Cuban probably wouldn't want the Dodgers since the Rangers deal made it pretty clear he wasn't wanted by Baseball. He would probably do great by the team though.

Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser are apparently getting an ownership group together in the event of an auction. link.

 

[DarkAudit]

The way I hear it from the ESPN analysts, now that the team is in the hands of the Bankruptcy Court, MLB doesn't have much of a say in who would finally get ownership when the team is sold. If it goes to auction, and Cuban has the high bid, he'd get the team.

 

[Null]

Orel Hershiser as a part owner could be real interesting. The Rangers are doing pretty good with Nolan Ryan in the front office - although, considering they went to the world series last season, at least they're leading their division.

 

[DarkAudit]

This round to MLB. McCourt's initial strategy was to carpet-bomb the court with documentation that Bud was a big, fat meanie-head that liked Fred Wilpon better than him. Denied.

 

[DarkAudit]

VICTORY for Dodgers fans and all of baseball.

 

[Tress]

Oh, I don't know... we Giants fans thought it was funny in a schadenfreude kind of way.

 

[jwhouk]

First things first - take Attanasio out of the running. He's very happy running the Brewers, thanks.

Second - you guys will NEVER guess who's trying to get investors together to buy the ballclub. Not in a million years.

 

[DarkAudit]

First things first - take Attanasio out of the running. He's very happy running the Brewers, thanks.

Second - you guys will NEVER guess who's trying to get investors together to buy the ballclub. Not in a million years.

 

[GasBandit]

So I say D.
I say D-O.
D-O-D.
D-O-D-G.
D-O-D-G-E-R-S team, team team team
OH!
I say O-M!
O-M-A!
O-M-A-L!
O-M-A-L-L-E-Y Oh really? No O'MALLEY!

 

[Necronic]

And Mark Cuban isn't stupid. McCourt has screwed the franchise up so badly that Cuban doesn't want any part of it.

Cuban bought the Mavericks in probably their worst time and turned them into a good team. And yeah, he may be a bit rough around the edges for a franchise owner, but when you have someone liek Mikhail Prokhorov as an owner.....I mean. It's kind of hard to criticize Cuban for anything. I've been trying to find this one GQ article about him I read a couple of years ago (not the interview fluff piece, this was different). That dude is flat out scary.

Although, that's all basketball. Baseball is more about the Nolan Ryan types who like to kick back on their porch in the twighlight hours and have a nice cold shiner while watching the grandkids chase fireflies. ....maybe with an old man playing a guitar in the background.

 

[Covar]

The Dodgers should be a hell of a franchise, and the fact that McCourt fucked it up so bad really speaks volumes. IF the right owner were to come in that team could make billions.

 

[Tress]

I have no doubt that the Dodgers will be fixed one day and return to their popular and profitable ways. But right now, that franchise is fucked six ways to Sunday.