Mark Cuban vs. Nolan Ryan

Surprised there hasn't been more talk about this given how unusual it is.

Nolan Ryan is part of a group that looked to be all set to purchase the Texas Rangers back in the spring. But creditors who are owed millions by Tom Hicks went to court to block the sale and forced an auction in order to squeeze every last dollar they are owed from Hicks.

Mark Cuban swooped in at the last minute and entered the auction and now has submitted the highest bid for the team.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/baseball/rangers/stories/080510dnsporangersauction.1e80b89a.html

 

Dear Mark:

Don't fuck with Nolan.

Sincerely,
Robin

 

This auction process is a farce. It started at 9 a.m. central and approaching midnight is still going on and there have only been like four bids between the two sides.

It's become very apparent that Ryan's group doesn't have the money to stick with Cuban. Their first counterbid was the minimum $2 mill and then Cuban made his counter offer $15 mil more.

This stall-fest looking like it's going to be an all-nighter.

 

Ryan's group is screaming that Cuban doesn't have the financing to cover his bid. I'm still trying to figure out why Cuban thinks this is a good idea.

 

Not just that but MLB has the final say.

 

So what happens if Cuban wins the bidding but baseball doesn't approve him? Does the bankruptcy court come in and say, "Um, yeah, Mr. Selig, what we say goes." or does this auction process start again?

And unless there's some law or regulation I don't know about, I presume Cuban would enter that auction as well.

 

Because he will then own the Rangers, the Mavericks and HD Net, giving him all the ingredients he'll need -- guaranteed programming at minimal cost (he'll be paying himself), a broadcast outlet and the latest technology -- to start his own TV sports network. Which, as the Yankees, the Big Ten, MSG and others have proven, is a license to print money.

 

Much like they did when he was rejected as a potential owner of the Cubs.

 

I believe Cuban has filed a motion to ask the court to overrule MLB's authority to approve ownership groups in this case.

 

This time, though, if he gets rejected, Cuban takes it to court and drags it out for years, perhaps even to the Supreme Court. And baseball wants no part of that. If he wins -- and his bid is up to $390 million (plus assumed debt of $200 million or so) -- he'll get approved. It might take awhile for Bud and Co. to round up enough votes, but he'll be approved.

 

Plus, there's a big difference between owning the Cubs and owning the Rangers.

One is a backwater of suck year after year, supported by people with low self-esteem.







Come to think of it, they both are.

 

Must be nice to have enough money to buy a team.