How does Bud Selig sleep at night ? That might be the question that many of us would like to ask of the man . And though it’s not deemed politically correct to harbor ill will much less be contemptful of a person. I can’t help but wonder how much better off the game might be. Were it in-fact someone else at the helm of Major League Baseball (MLB), as its commissioner. Then perhaps we might’ve seen much more proactive stances being made to address many of the issues that’ve derailed the sport over the last decade.
Allan ‘Bud’ Selig , Commissioner of Major League Baseball, seated alongside President & Chief Operating Officer Bob DuPuy . picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Roger Scott ……………..
No doubt we all have our own opinions as to what took place at the height of the steroid era . But that’d suggest collusion on the part of the owners , players and the game’s hierarchy. And then there are those amongst us who feel that Selig was powerless to do anything to stop the widespread and rampant use of performance enhancing drugs (PED’s )
And as commissioner, Selig has pronounced at no time was he aware , much less that there’d been any collusion on the part of MLB and its players, with regard to the use of steroids within the game. The fact that during the nineties he presided over the era when it was used most widespread, gives us for real cause for concern. One has to wonder what Selig and the owners were aware of at the time ? Either they knew and they were not all concerned. Or quite possibly as we’re to believe that he and the owners had no knowledge as to the rampant and widespread use of illecit substances by the game’s players. I’m of the inclination that Selig’s mind was elsewhere as his concerns had more to do with ever increasing revenues that MLB was garnering , by way of the exploding tv contracts and merchandise of MLB properties domestically as well as globally.
And as long as those coffers were being filled with the billions of dollars in revenue. Bud Selig’s concerns as to the superficiality of the steroid abuse scandals and saga had no real bearing on the game as far as he was concerned. His indifference to it all has been mind numbingly stupid ! As can be borne out by his demeanor under questioning by the members of Congress when they conducted their investigation into the scandal.
And with the game’s mid season showcase event having past. It is back to the resumption of the regular season. For many of the teams in contention, it will be about how best to gain the momentum of winning not games , but also series. Then there’s the trade deadline beckoning. Wherein the possible futures and fortunes may well lie in the sort of trades that the contending teams are able to establish.
Billionaire real estate mogul Sam Zell, owner of the Chicago Cubs' parent company , Tribune Group. Zell placed the media company into bankruptcy proceedings and now seeks to do the same with the Chicago Cubs. He states that it's merely being done to facilitate the quick and orderly sale of the baseball club. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Victor Rossum ...........
Selig , himself , remains the quintessential figure fawning over the game that he oversees. Offering up his own opinions as to the health and viability of the game. Funny , however , that he fails to address perhaps one of the most staggering events taking place within the sport at present. And no it’s not that another player has been caught ‘juicing’. If only it were that , to begin with ! It may well have escaped your notice but what’s now said to be taking place in Chicago , with regard to the Chicago Cubs and the sale of the team. It should be a warning but most of all a wakeup call as to the precarious position that many of the franchises around the league could very well find themselves in.
The Cubs and its parent company the Tribune GroupInc. are in part or about to file for bankruptcy. Whereas it’s being suggested by the club’s owner Sam Zell that it’s merely a maneuver that’ll facilitate the quick sale of the club to potential buyer Tom Ricketts .The potential buyer, Tom Ricketts is one of the co-founders of consumer brokerage house TD Ameritrade Inc. An offer by Ricketts of $900m to purchase the team including Wrigley Field and a quarter share in regional cable sports network seemingly hit a snag. As to what that snag is , no one has made it public. Despite the very fact the MLB itself is said to be closely monitoring the deal.
Tom Ricketts , co-founder of consumer brokerage firm TD Ameritrade. Ricketts’ family have tendered a bid of $900m for the purchase of the Chicago Cubs, included in the sale are Wriglely Field and a 25% stake in a regional sport’s cable network. The bid has however hit a snag. And it appears that with bankruptcy proceeding set to take effect. The deal itself could well be in jeopardy of falling through. picture appears courtesy of res publica @ copyrighted material …All rights reserved.
Wrigley Field , Chicago ,Illinois. The venue is home to the National League's Chicago Cubs. The venue will also be part of envisaged sale of the Cubs' franchise as well as 25% stake in a regional sport's cable programming network. The only potential buyer at present would appear be the Ricketts family , headed by Tom Ricketts, the co-founder of consumer brokerage firm T D Ameritrade. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ William McManus ..............
With this deal having hit a snag and one ought to bear in mind that the team was placed up for sale on the Opening Day of the 2007 season. It seems hard to fathom, how after all this time this time , a sale of the baseball club hasn’t been enacted . Whilst there’ve been no rumblings around the league concerning this very topic. It seems unimaginable that a club of the Chicago Cubs’ storied history now finds itself in such an untenable situation.
Financial stability and viability are the prerequisites to any business and business entity. That being said the business template being used by the bigger teams , seems to be working. Whereas those deemed small tiered or mid-market teams have their struggles to eke out some form of an operating profit. But we’re still led to believe by the commissioner , Bud Selig, that the game is seemingly in a healthy financial state. Perhaps his definition of a healthy financial state is great deal different from your’s or mine ?
One can now surmise that if the Cubs are prepared to use such a technique in order to facilitate an alleged business deal . Then it’s quite possible to think that any other major league franchise that deems itself in trouble won’t follow suit and proceed to go down the same path as the Chicago Cubs. Selig , for his part has merely suggested that he and his office will continue to monitor closely the situation in Chicago as it continues to unfold.
Another issue that Selig believes to be is of pressing importance. It is the building of a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays . This situation takes on a troubling effect considering the state’s finances in Florida. And to be pressing the club’s ownership ne’ making demands that they needs to avail themselves of a new ballpark seems totallly out of place given the current econnomic climate in the state and across the country. The state itself has amongst the highest unemployment rates in the country. And at the same time the ecnomic climate has had a devastating effect on the Central Florida area. Seemingly for the likes of Bud Selig and his hierarchy none of this seems to matter at all.
Rays’ GM Andrew Friedman (right) seen here is seated alongside player, Evan Longoria . Friedman of late has been critical of the fans in the Tampa Bay area and their poor turnout for the team’s home games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The front office’s angst with regard to the building of a state of the art facility seems to be on hold , given the economic climate at present. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Maty Gonzalez ……..
And whilst the Rays’ own executives have been critical of the fans of late, with regard to their failure to attend the team’s home games in ever larger numbers. The stance now being taken by Selig and that of Rays’ GM Andrew Friedman can only exacerbate the situation further by creating a chasm between the league, the minicipalities of St Petersburg, Tampa, and their respective county governments, of Pinellas and Hillsborough County.
Bob DuPuy , at the behest of the commisioner will be the league’s point man , as they seek to resurrect the project and place it within the context of being a viable working concern. In the midst of all of this however is how the financing for the facility will be raised. Will it be through a bond issue ? Or has been the norm , either a further raising of the county’s sales tax or by a bill being specially being into introduced in the state legislature.
What is becomingly abundantly clear is that Selig is willing to pick and choose the battles that he views are advantageous to his image and legacy. He wants to be seen as the man whose custodianship of the game was a wortwhile endeavor to the benefit of the fans and all of the other concerned parties. In reality however, the only parties that’ve profited in all of this have been the owners , the players and Major League Baseball, itself. The erstwhile fans have been left high and dry without a pot to piss in and a window to throw it out of !
And Selig would have us believe that he cares about the game of baseball ? I beg to differ as his only concerns are that of money and not much else beyond that !
What are your thoughts on the matter ? I look forward to reading your comments on this topic.
NB: In order to get a greater understanding surrounding the situation concerning the recent events with regard to the Chicago Cubs . You will have to read the following articles and excerpts installed below.
1) From within this very forum : The American Sports Blog
http://americansportsblog.wordpress.com
Did You Hear The Joke About The Chicago Cubs ? Stop Me If You’ve Heard It Before ? Written by Alan Parkins
Financial constraints notwithstanding . I’d like to know who’s the idiot minding the store as far as the finances of the Chicago Cubs and its parent company the Tribune Group Inc. are concerned ?
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2) AP sources: Cubs exploring bankruptcy filing…..
By Dave Carpenter , AP Business Writer
CHICAGO-(AP) The corporate owner of the Chicago Cubs is considering having the team file for bankruptcy protection as a legal step to hasten its long awaited sale, according to two people with knowledge of the process.
Tribune Co., which itself filed for bankruptcy protection in December , intends for the Cubs’ own stay in Chapter 11 to be as short as a day or two. If pursued , the filing would be done to give the team’s next owners as “clean” clean a title to the Cubs as possible-to protect them from possible future claims by Tribune creditors.
The people familiar with the process described it to the Associated Press on Monday, confirming earlier reports. These people spoke on condition of anonymity because the bankruptcy plans are not yet public.
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In order to view the pieces in their entirey , just click on the text link provided.
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