The Nats are...For Sale?!?

[PowerBoater69]

The Os are now stuck waiting for the Nats sale. There were rumors that the Angelos family wants to sell but buyers will want to be in DC first.

[English Natsie]

Money talks. Especially money at the level that we can barely imagine. You can be sure that they only people with absolutely no say, or influence, over this are the fans - those poor schmucks who stick by the team, whatever. Those familiar with the EPL will know of Mike Ashley's time as owner of Newcastle United - a perfect illustration of the disconnect between fans and ownership...And now they're owned by the Saudis - so could the Nats be used for further 'sportswashing'?...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Money talks. Especially money at the level that we can barely imagine. You can be sure that they only people with absolutely no say, or influence, over this are the fans - those poor schmucks who stick by the team, whatever. Those familiar with the EPL will know of Mike Ashley's time as owner of Newcastle United - a perfect illustration of the disconnect between fans and ownership...And now they're owned by the Saudis - so could the Nats be used for further 'sportswashing'?...

I hear Abramovich may be looking for a place to park cash.  I think Man City's ownership has links to the NYY, or at least a partnership.  And, while it's backwards, John Henry owns Liverpool.

If someone representing an Italian dude named Dino Putini and his daughters show up in the bidding, I'd ask some questions, or at least a photo ID to make sure he doesn't look like

[Smithian]

I feel like this may increase our chances with Soto. Buying the team resigning Soto right away is a grandslam way of introducing yourself to the league.

Or the next owner comes in an "right sizes" the payroll.

[madj55]

Really hope it isn’t Leonsis.

[Smithian]

Really hope it isn’t Leonsis.

I'd be fine with that. I think Monumental Sports is very liquid, thanks to Laurene Jobs coming on board a few years ago.

I think Leonsis has steered a good ship for the Capitals. The Wizards are struggling. I don't think the issue is Leonsis. I think they're stuck in NBA purgatory, which is harder to break than in any other sport.

Leonsis has kept Ovechkin a Capital, Beal a Wizard, and I think he'd come in with his #1 goal being keeping Soto a National.

We all want a super billionaire to come in and spend unholy amounts of money. Barring Bezos being that man, I would be happy with Leonsis.

[imref]

Really hope it isn’t Leonsis.

Don't get your hopes up....

https://thenatsreport.com/04/12/2022/quicknotes/quick-notes-ted-leonsis-has-had-discussions-with-the-lerner-family-about-potentially-buying-the-nationals-per-report/

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Makes complete sense that Leonsis would be one of the names. Don't the Lerners have a past relationship with Monumental?  The investment bank might be a neutral 3rd party setting a fair price that Leonsis can meet if he wants or the Lerners will shop if he doesn't.

[imref]

Makes complete sense that Leonsis would be one of the names. Don't the Lerners have a past relationship with Monumental?  The investment bank might be a neutral 3rd party setting a fair price that Leonsis can meet if he wants or the Lerners will shop if he doesn't.

Mark Lerner is a partner in Monumental Sports and Entertainment.

[NatsAllThe Way]

Anyone but Jeffrey Harold Loria.

[HalfSmokes]

Does Leonsis have enough money to buy the team? A heavily leveraged ownership group is the worst scenario

[imref]

Does Leonsis have enough money to buy the team? A heavily leveraged ownership group is the worst scenario

His net worth is valued at $1.6 billion so I'd guess so. I imagine he wouldn't be the sole owner.

[madj55]

I'd be fine with that. I think Monumental Sports is very liquid, thanks to Laurene Jobs coming on board a few years ago.

I think Leonsis has steered a good ship for the Capitals. The Wizards are struggling. I don't think the issue is Leonsis. I think they're stuck in NBA purgatory, which is harder to break than in any other sport.

Leonsis has kept Ovechkin a Capital, Beal a Wizard, and I think he'd come in with his #1 goal being keeping Soto a National.

We all want a super billionaire to come in and spend unholy amounts of money. Barring Bezos being that man, I would be happy with Leonsis.

He’s good at keeping superstars, I’ll give him that.

He’s neglected the Wizards and treated them like an afterthought for years and let Ernie Grunfeld run them into irrelevancy - I think he deserves a lot of the blame for that.

Can’t say too much about his ownership of the Capitals - they’ve consistently competed almost my whole life and he’s made retaining franchise stalwarts a priority. That being said - he also has an issue with a revolving door at the head coach/manager positions. Letting Trotz go still baffles me considering how long it took them to win a Cup. 

I know he wouldn’t be the worst choice all things considered, but I would not be excited for that announcement. Then again, probably wouldn’t be too excited for anyone besides Bezos or Rubenstein.

[DPMOmaha]

the more I hear about Rubenstein, the more I'm intrigued about that option. As a non-DC local, I'm wasn't that familiar for him, but his investment and involvement in the community makes me feel like he'd want to put together a consistent winner on the field.

[Five Banners]

He’s good at keeping superstars, I’ll give him that.

He’s neglected the Wizards and treated them like an afterthought for years and let Ernie Grunfeld run them into irrelevancy - I think he deserves a lot of the blame for that.

Can’t say too much about his ownership of the Capitals - they’ve consistently competed almost my whole life and he’s made retaining franchise stalwarts a priority. That being said - he also has an issue with a revolving door at the head coach/manager positions. Letting Trotz go still baffles me considering how long it took them to win a Cup. 

I know he wouldn’t be the worst choice all things considered, but I would not be excited for that announcement. Then again, probably wouldn’t be too excited for anyone besides Bezos or Rubenstein.

Make a condition of ownership not putting bet MGM or equivalent on the uniforms

[NatsNatsNats]

Leonsis buying this team will be the death of championship aspirations.  Ted is a sneaky bad owner, and he doesn't get the bad reputation he deserves because he's so political and polished.

- Leonsis got lucky with Ovie, stuck with George McPhee for way too long and by and large his owner approach is best suited for a NHL franchise.  No, his approach is best suited for a NHL franchise who inherited a top 5 best player of all time.  Because if he didn't have Ovie does anything think he'd run this any differently?

- His approach is certainly not well suited for a NBA franchise, where you only have 5 players on the court and if you don't have a top 10 player and at least another player who is top 20 you aren't winning a championship.  Everybody knows this, including Ted.  That means he was content to sacrifice championship potential for financial stability.  In the NBA you need to be aggressive in your cycles and keep trying until you land a top 10 player.  It's not easy, but it's damn near impossible if you are afraid to bottom out and get lucky in the lottery.  Ted continuously made decisions that showed that he would rather be in the middle than risk sinking to a floor, and that came at the expense of a higher ceiling.  It's worth repeating that Ted has a premiere NBA city and is content to waste it's ceiling so long as he makes money.  He is risk adverse in one of the worst league to be risk adverse in.

- Ted veto'd a #3 pick (Beal) for entering-his-prime James Harden (leaving OKC) because he didn't want to pay him a max contract.  I mean what the hell, why would a league want more of those as$holes in the league instead of the Cohen types?

- Ted is passionate about building his little media/gambling empire first and foremost, which means he isn't a "I don't care what it cost I want to win" owner.  Those are the only owners the league should be letting in.  The kinds of individuals who have so much money they just about don't care about it, and will do whatever they can to win.

Ted in a league with no salary cap?  It will be a disaster, decades of mediocrity.

[NatsNatsNats]

He’s good at keeping superstars, I’ll give him that.

He’s neglected the Wizards and treated them like an afterthought for years and let Ernie Grunfeld run them into irrelevancy - I think he deserves a lot of the blame for that.

Can’t say too much about his ownership of the Capitals - they’ve consistently competed almost my whole life and he’s made retaining franchise stalwarts a priority. That being said - he also has an issue with a revolving door at the head coach/manager positions. Letting Trotz go still baffles me considering how long it took them to win a Cup. 

I know he wouldn’t be the worst choice all things considered, but I would not be excited for that announcement. Then again, probably wouldn’t be too excited for anyone besides Bezos or Rubenstein.

He has only had one superstar and they rarely change teams in the NHL.  Beal is barely a top 20 player that Ted treats like a superstar, it's embarrassing how out of touch he is with this Wizards team.  You are spot in in that Ted deserves far more blame for the ineptitude of the Wizards because of Ernie.  He sacrificed so many years because he's a risk adverse owner who cares more about money than winning.  Angelos-lite.

[UMDNats]

Doubt MLB owners want a guy who owns NHL and NBA teams now wading in their pool.

[Smithian]

the more I hear about Rubenstein, the more I'm intrigued about that option. As a non-DC local, I'm wasn't that familiar for him, but his investment and involvement in the community makes me feel like he'd want to put together a consistent winner on the field.

Bezos is the guy I want for clear reasons.

Rubenstein is a great philanthropist. I feel he'd be a very good owner. Shared my thoughts on Leonsis and Monumental.

Allbritton fits the "fan owner" model the most as a front row fan. I know there is a difference between "rich" and "purchase a Major League Baseball team rich" but the billion dollar Politico sale may have him liquid enough to pull together some investors and make a move.

I don't think the eventual buyer will be a, "Who?" situation. I think we'll recognize the name pretty easily.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'd be curious if Bezos would borrow to finance it or pay cash. I can't see anyone else except maybe a Jobs-backed group doing it without needing to load the team with debt. Even Rubenstein would try it with team debt given the Carlyle background.

[UMDNats]

I'd be curious if Bezos would borrow to finance it or pay cash. I can't see anyone else except maybe a Jobs-backed group doing it without needing to load the team with debt. Even Rubenstein would try it with team debt given the Carlyle background.

In all seriousness I would be shocked if MLB owners wanted a guy richer than all of them combined to be owning a team. He holds all the labor cards because he could wait out the players for years before even noticing the lack of revenue.

[Mattionals]

In all seriousness I would be shocked if MLB owners wanted a guy richer than all of them combined to be owning a team. He holds all the labor cards because he could wait out the players for years before even noticing the lack of revenue.

I mean, they came pretty close to that with Steve Cohen didn't they?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

In all seriousness I would be shocked if MLB owners wanted a guy richer than all of them combined to be owning a team. He holds all the labor cards because he could wait out the players for years before even noticing the lack of revenue.

a related point would be that he may not want to be making high profile purchases when both the political left and right are talking about more tech regulation and when he is in the middle of unionization drives.  They say his space flight helped the union in organizing at Staten Island and in getting drives going elsewhere. You could see picking up a baseball team as also leading workers to say, "if he has money for that, then why can't he improve our conditions?"

[UMDNats]

I mean, they came pretty close to that with Steve Cohen didn't they?

Jeff Bezos is worth 120 billion and Cohen is like 12.

[UMDNats]

a related point would be that he may not want to be making high profile purchases when both the political left and right are talking about more tech regulation and when he is in the middle of unionization drives.  They say his space flight helped the union in organizing at Staten Island and in getting drives going elsewhere. You could see picking up a baseball team as also leading workers to say, "if he has money for that, then why can't he improve our conditions?"

yeah agreed. At the same time though - he's no longer CEO, right? I could see a world where he decides to buy a team and forever pivot off having a big say in Amazon beyond being a board member/founder/etc. I would guess he'd rather dick around with his rocket and become a slumlord in DC.