Author Topic: Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi  (Read 3977 times)

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natslive

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Topic Start: September 21, 2005, 12:34:01 PM »
Article in the Washington Post by Thomas Heath
Natsionals' Price Tag Set at $450 Million

I can see Bud telling Smu to get his butt down there and work the council before he gets the team, the nightmare continues.

Major League Baseball has officially placed a $450 million price tag on the Washington Nationals, which would be one of the highest prices
ever paid for a baseball team.
All eight groups who hope to purchase the Nationals submitted bids last week in the $450 million range. Baseball then sent out lengthy purchase agreements to each group, detailing the terms and conditions of the sale and setting the price at $450 million, according to league
sources and several bidders who asked that they not be identified.

Baseball has not set a date for a return of the purchase agreements and it's unclear how the selection process will proceed from here. But the winning bidders will be required to place a $45 million deposit with baseball when they are selected, according to people who have reviewed the purchase agreements.
Also yesterday, Indianapolis media mogul Jeffrey Smulyan visited several key members of the District government, including D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D) and Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), briefing them on his bid. Smulyan, former owner of the Seattle
Mariners, has been on a recent offensive to win support, recruiting local businessmen, attorneys and others as investors to help him allay concerns that he is not from the Washington area.

D.C. Council member Vincent B. Orange Sr. (D-Ward 5), a baseball booster, said he met Smulyan in the halls of city hall yesterday. Smulyan was making the rounds with Eric Holder Jr., former assistant U.S. attorney general, businessman Jeff Thompson, and attorney William Jarvis,
all investors in Smulyan's group.

It was good to see him and meet him,' Orange said. 'It shows he does recognize that having D.C-based owners as part of the partnership is important.'

Orange has endorsed another bidding group led by entrepreneur Jonathan Ledecky, who owns a home in Georgetown. But Orange noted that if Ledecky is not successful, he still believes Major League Baseball should pick a group with strong local ties. Orange yesterday introduced a resolution at a council legislative session that, if affirmed, would officially ask MLB to select a local owner. If Smulyan gets the team, Orange said, he should live in the District and pay taxes here. The owner of 1he Nationals 'should live and breathe D.C.,' Orange said.

Several bidders believe that Smulyan, a local syndicate led by businessmen Frederic Malek and Jeffrey Zients, and the Lerner family of Bethesda are the favorites to win the team, but baseball officials would not confirm that.

The league has recently picked up the pace of the process, but MLB President Robert DuPuy has said that a new owner will not be selected until the District approves a lease governing baseball's long-term use of a $535 million stadium project that the city is building for the Nationals  
near the Anacostia River. The stadium is scheduled to open in 2008

'We continue to have all eight groups active in the bidding process and actively interested in buying the team,' said DuPuy. 'Each has real strengths. We hope lease negotiations lead to a final signed document very soon so we can move forward with the final decision.'

Offline JMW IV

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #1: September 21, 2005, 04:12:45 PM »
I do NOT want Smulyan as the owner.

Offline Kenz aFan

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #2: September 23, 2005, 01:00:26 PM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
I do NOT want Smulyan as the owner.

I echo that statement...

Offline DCFan

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #3: September 24, 2005, 12:14:05 PM »
Why not?

Offline JMW IV

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« Reply #4: September 24, 2005, 05:01:49 PM »
Quote from: "DCFan"
Why not?


Because his Ownership History leans towards him being the closest thing to Bob Short that we could possibly get.

Offline DCFan

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #5: September 24, 2005, 05:12:52 PM »
I've seen the hysteria and conspiracy theories being bandied about over on the junior high board and they're all completely baseless.  Smulyan was the owner of what was then a small market team playing in an antiquated and crumbling domed stadium in a city that had never supported its teams.  

So he threatened to move to Tampa if Seattle didn't build him a new stade. That was the SOP for every owner back in the 80's.  Check what Reinsdorff was saying in Chicago during that same time period. And does the Giants to DC ring a bell if they couldn't get a stadium as well???

The list is long of teams that threatened to move and judging by the number of new stades that were built during the 90's couldn't one reasonably state that MLB's threats got the desired results even in Seattle where Nintendo ultimately got to reap the rewards of Smulyan's groundwork?

Bottom line is that anyone who can afford to pay $450 mil for the Nats should do alright with us.

Offline JMW IV

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #6: September 24, 2005, 07:25:54 PM »
Quote from: "DCFan"
I've seen the hysteria and conspiracy theories being bandied about over on the junior high board and they're all completely baseless.  Smulyan was the owner of what was then a small market team playing in an antiquated and crumbling domed stadium in a city that had never supported its teams.  



and as soon as he left, Seattle suddenly started supporting its team, and built a new stadium.

I don't know about you, but I don't find the prospect of someone who has a past history of publicly insulting his fanbase promising.

I don't see anything that convinces me that Smulyan will be a good Owner.

It's not about "affording 450 Million". at any rate on that point, his Seattle bid was underfunded, and he had his bid Called by a bank.   it's about what he does after he has ownership of the team.  and on that, I don't see anything that leads me to believe that he will think and act with the best interests of the team, the fans, and the city.

Offline DCFan

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« Reply #7: September 24, 2005, 08:17:22 PM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"

and as soon as he left, Seattle suddenly started supporting its team, and built a new stadium.


I think your time line is a wee bit short as Nintendo had to work to get Safeco built.


Quote

I don't know about you, but I don't find the prospect of someone who has a past history of publicly insulting his fanbase promising.


Seattle deserved it.  And for that matter, any team that supported its team the way they did then deserved to be dressed down. Montreal anyone??

Quote

I don't see anything that convinces me that Smulyan will be a good Owner.


Take off the Malekite blinders and give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves us otherwise.  It's no different than asking the people of Miami and Boston what they think of John Henry.

Offline JMW IV

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #8: September 24, 2005, 10:01:41 PM »
Quote from: "DCFan"

Seattle deserved it. And for that matter, any team that supported its team the way they did then deserved to be dressed down. Montreal anyone??


I don't give a crap who deserved what.  You don't insult your fanbase, and then expect them to support you.

Quote

Take off the Malekite blinders and give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves us otherwise.  It's no different than asking the people of Miami and Boston what they think of John Henry.


The BPGers didn't want Collins as an Owner. get over it, and save the cheap insults for the people involved. I had nothing to do with any of that.

I want an Owner that is going to what is best for the team, the Fans, and the city.  It doesn't HAVE to be Malek.  Lerner's fine with me.  So is Kasten. I'm not, nor have I ever been, a "Malekite". Just because I post on BPG means nothing.  I go to war with that board on a daily basis because my views and theirs do not match. I have to be one of the most unpopular posters on that board.  so don't lump me in with them on this.  

I DO NOT have faith in Jeff Smulyan.  His track record as a baseball Owner worries me.

Quote
After the 1991 season, Jim Lefebvre was fired as the manager of the team. Even though he had just had the best season of any former manager, the M's stated that there were conflicts between the owner and manager. Part of that was true. Jim Lefebvre was one of the only managers to demand from the owner better players to field and a commitment to winning. This action by Smulyan fueled rumors that he was going to sabotage the team in order to move the team out of Seattle. If the Mariners were too successful, more fans would come to the games. He needed to trigger the escape clause to find riches in another city. That city was Tampa.


Reports began to surface that he was already in talks about a lease agreement to play in their baseball stadium. Then the bomb went off. U.S. Bank called Smulyan's loan on the team. Now he had to come up with the money to pay back the bank. At the same time his 59% interest in radio stations was also on shaky ground. Local officials claimed he was using the M's to blackmail the city and using the money to help support his other investments. The rich person Seattle thought came to town was actually cash poor and had no way to continue as the Mariners owner.  It was also a time that the old claims of Seattle not being a baseball town were chanted. Jeff Smulyan even told the press that he felt Seattle could not support a Major League team. Baseball officials in New York also began to wonder of this was true. Commissioner Fay Vincent, in 1990, had publicly taken a stand against the movement of franchises, except in the most dire of circumstances. By 1991 Vincent was making statements that appeared he would not hold the Mariners to these stringent standards. This would be either a new beginning or the end of ML baseball in the Northwest. Just a few short years before the city had to search for an owner, now the process had to start all over again.
the above quote comes from   THIS PAGE

I posted on Mariners' Scout board, and I asked for opinions on Smulyan.

These were the very first responses that I was given:



Quote
I would suggest switching allegiance to the O's, they will probably have better ownership and management, if Smulyan buys your team.


Quote
he came in, talked a lot of big talk, then when it came time for the rubber to hit the road, refused to spend serious $$ on the team, even with a core of Edgar, Griffey, Buhner and Randy Johnson in place.

when the fans still wouldn't support him, he tried...and nearly succeeded, in moving the Mariners to that mecca of MLB, Tampa/St. Pete.

a local group plus Nintendo bought the team from him, applied some sound business principles to the team, spent some money wisely, and the team was a winner in '95.

to put it succintly, Smulyan is a snake in the grass, and should not be trusted under any circumstance.



take off the rose-colored glasses and tell me why I should give him the benefit of the doubt.  He's got a history of HORRID Ownership, and history of buying Teams when he does not have the money to support them. why should I ignore that and not be concerned?

natslive

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #9: September 25, 2005, 01:34:53 AM »
The new owner will be the building block for the organization.

He will need to be involved but not too involved

He will need to hire the best and brightest out there. His goal will be to make this franchise one that people want to work and play for.

It means hiring a staff and recruiting from around the world, selecting the best talent available.

It means walking the line between spending money and acquiring talent.

It means hiring a minor league staff that works hard to develop talent.  It means establishing close ties with affiliates and insuring the players have the best equipment, care and support we can get for them.

It means building a fan base.

It means making the team part of the community.

I believe the best way to do this is get an owner with deep local roots with the money and character to make it happen.

The one constant in the long history of DC baseball is the lack of a strong owner with the resources to make it work.  This season is the end of the beginning, what matters now is building a foundation that will make the franchise one to be proud of.

Offline JMW IV

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #10: September 25, 2005, 03:26:15 AM »
Quote from: "natslive"
The new owner will be the building block for the organization.

He will need to be involved but not too involved

He will need to hire the best and brightest out there. His goal will be to make this franchise one that people want to work and play for.

It means hiring a staff and recruiting from around the world, selecting the best talent available.

It means walking the line between spending money and acquiring talent.

It means hiring a minor league staff that works hard to develop talent.  It means establishing close ties with affiliates and insuring the players have the best equipment, care and support we can get for them.

It means building a fan base.

It means making the team part of the community.

I believe the best way to do this is get an owner with deep local roots with the money and character to make it happen.

The one constant in the long history of DC baseball is the lack of a strong owner with the resources to make it work.  This season is the end of the beginning, what matters now is building a foundation that will make the franchise one to be proud of.


I agree.

and I am not confident that Jeff Smulyan is capable or willing to do any of this.

Offline DCFan

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #11: September 25, 2005, 07:36:27 AM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
Collins


Try to focus on the topic at hand and it isn't Collins or Virginia. When you can do that, let me know.

natslive

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #12: September 25, 2005, 11:05:21 AM »
Quote from: "DCFan"
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
Collins


Try to focus on the topic at hand and it isn't Collins or Virginia. When you can do that, let me know.


I'm confused....you're the one that keeps bringing up Collins - the only time I see JMad mention his name is when he says people on the other board were against him......as you say this isn't about Collins or VA.  IT IS about Smulyan and based on his past history he SHOULD NOT be the owner for the NATS.....especially when there are several QUALIFIED local groups willing to pay the price.....unfortunately Smuylan does smack of Bob Short and we all know how that turned out

Offline DCFan

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #13: September 25, 2005, 11:11:16 AM »
Quote from: "natslive"
I'm confused....you're the one that keeps bringing up Collins


Read the thread again and do it slower if you have to because he dragged Collins into this thread out of thin air.  JMad's SOP is to bring up Collins and/or Virginia in every discussion thinking it's a cheap and easy way to shut me up no matter what the topic is and it's time for him to grow up.

natslive

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #14: September 25, 2005, 11:34:50 AM »
Quote from: "DCFan"
Quote from: "natslive"
I'm confused....you're the one that keeps bringing up Collins


Read the thread again and do it slower if you have to because he dragged Collins into this thread out of thin air.  JMad's SOP is to bring up Collins and/or Virginia in every discussion thinking it's a cheap and easy way to shut me up no matter what the topic is and it's time for him to grow up.


I wouldn't say it was out of thin air - as I said he referenced Collins in response to your comment about him being a Malekite:
Quote:

Take off the Malekite blinders and give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves us otherwise. It's no different than asking the people of Miami and Boston what they think of John Henry.


The BPGers didn't want Collins as an Owner. get over it, and save the cheap insults for the people involved. I had nothing to do with any of that.

end quote

if you want to call it dragging Collins into this discussion then so be it...but I think he (and pretty much everyone else) has stayed on topic in discussing Smulyan.........bottom line is that this is about Smulyan and he shouldn't be the owner of the Nats when there are other qualified local groups....I really don't see how people can defend him in this case...

Offline DCFan

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #15: September 25, 2005, 11:37:52 AM »
My, my, my Karen - you're singing a different tune now! First it's me and now it's JMad with the Collins stuff.  Your credibility just took a major hit.

Offline JMW IV

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #16: September 25, 2005, 06:42:16 PM »
Quote from: "DCFan"
Quote from: "natslive"
I'm confused....you're the one that keeps bringing up Collins


Read the thread again and do it slower if you have to because he dragged Collins into this thread out of thin air.  JMad's SOP is to bring up Collins and/or Virginia in every discussion thinking it's a cheap and easy way to shut me up no matter what the topic is and it's time for him to grow up.


no, it is time for YOU to grow up.

tell me ONE. SINGLE. TIME. besides today, that I have EVER said ANYTHING about Collins, to you, in a discussion that had nothing to do with him.  quote me.

"My SOP"?  You don't KNOW my "SOP". You don't know me.  You don't know how I think, what I think, or why I think it.  I am NOT your typical BPG Poster, and I'd think you'd know this by now. and I am really sick of you trying to apply your blanket generalizations of the BPG board to me, because they DO NOT FIT. and it is insulting of you to think they would.

This is NOT about Collins.

This is NOT about Malek, no matter how many people you want to call Malekites.

This is NOT about BPG, no matter how desperately you want to insult them.

This is about Jeff Smulyan and his qualifications to be Owner of this team.
I have yet to see ONE SINGLE PERSON even ATTEMPT to show me why Jeff Smulyan will make a good Owner for this team.


when you can tell me why Smulyan will be a good owner, without resorting to calling me a "Malekite" and insulting a message board that has nothing to do with this discussion, then we can talk.

until then, discussion over.

Let me know when you are ready to talk like adults.

*edit* just to clarify my position on this, just so DCFan has a clue where I am coming from:

I am not necessarily "for" Malek.  If they win, fine. If they don't I won't cry.

I want whoever is going to do the best job for the team, the fans, and the city. I don't have a favorite, and I don't endorse one.

I AM, against Jeff Smulyan.

I simply DO NOT THINK THAT SMULYAN IS THE RIGHT GUY.  I think he is the closest thing to Bob Short we could possibly get as an Owner.  And I am waiting for someone to show me why I am wrong in thinking this.

natslive

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #17: September 25, 2005, 07:32:59 PM »
Quote from: "DCFan"
My, my, my Karen - you're singing a different tune now! First it's me and now it's JMad with the Collins stuff.  Your credibility just took a major hit.


I thought we were going to talk about Smuylan and his qualifications/lack of....instead you've continued with insults....talk about lack of credibility...oh well we'll just have to agree to disagree....

Offline DCFan

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« Reply #18: September 25, 2005, 08:00:48 PM »
Quote from: "JMadisonIV"
tell me ONE. SINGLE. TIME. besides today, that I have EVER said ANYTHING about Collins, to you, in a discussion that had nothing to do with him.  quote me.


Sorry but you don't rate space on my hard drive dedicated to archiving your quotes.  You'll have to rely on my memory and word.

Quote

I have yet to see ONE SINGLE PERSON even ATTEMPT to show me why Jeff Smulyan will make a good Owner for this team.


Bud Selig is the only one who counts so chill in the meantime because it's out of our control and chances are whoever is annointed, they'll suck. The law of averages is against us.

Offline DCFan

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #19: September 25, 2005, 08:02:18 PM »
Quote from: "natslive"
instead you've continued with insults.


Don't misquote me and we'll get along just fine.

Offline tomterp

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #20: September 25, 2005, 08:15:54 PM »
DC Fan, I haven't yet heard one word to recommend Smuylan.  Do you have something positive to present on his behalf?  

We all know Malek and Collins both have been plugging away for years, on behalf of not only themselves but all of us.  They deserve our hearty thanks for their efforts.  Lerner is a johnny come lately, but his local roots and community links run deepest of all.  Any of these groups would do credit to our region's efforts.  Smuylan? What's in it for him, besides profit?  No committment to us, the fans, no committment to the region, to winning, no nothing.  This guy hasn't shown anything except for the ability to pull together financing for 450m.  

So tell us why you thing this guy is so great.  Others, including JMad, have put forth plenty of reasons why they don't think he is for us, but you have yet to offer a coherent reason why we should embrace Smuylan.

Go ahead, I have my Malekite blinders off now, give me something positive.

Offline The Chief

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #21: September 25, 2005, 08:15:54 PM »
alright guys everybody take a deep breath etc.  We don't have to agree with each other, but there's no need to fight either.

Offline JMW IV

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« Reply #22: September 25, 2005, 08:36:51 PM »
Quote from: "DCFan"


Sorry but you don't rate space on my hard drive dedicated to archiving your quotes.  You'll have to rely on my memory and word.


translation: You can't, because I haven't.

Quote
Bud Selig is the only one who counts so chill in the meantime because it's out of our control and chances are whoever is annointed, they'll suck. The law of averages is against us.


translation: You can't reasonably debate the topic at hand, because Smulyan is the one candidate that is utterly indefensible, and you know it.

Offline DCFan

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #23: September 25, 2005, 08:43:16 PM »
Quote from: "tomterp"
So tell us why you thing this guy is so great.  Others, including JMad, have put forth plenty of reasons why they don't think he is for us, but you have yet to offer a coherent reason why we should embrace Smuylan..


Good Q but I summed it already; Bud Selig is the only one who counts so chill in the meantime because it's out of our control and chances are whoever is annointed, they'll suck. The law of averages is against us.

natslive

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Nats Price set at $450M Smulyan Drops in to say Hi
« Reply #24: September 25, 2005, 10:52:06 PM »
I'll have to research the "law of averages" :)

But something serious.

The new owner will face many difficulites outside the normal baseball business world. He will have to navigate all the poliitcal challenges that come from being in the Nation's Capital. He will also be the guy who starts the groundwork for building the fan base. We were out in St. Louis earlier in the year and you could see Cardinal Red all over town. It won't be easy but after 33 years, well what more can I say....