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Post by BadCompany on Jul 15, 2002 21:13:41 GMT -5
Speaking of bad owners for the Expos, the local minority owners of the Expos will reportedly launch a Fraud, Racketeering and Corruption lawsuit against Loria, Samson, Selig and Major League Baseball. Some of the members of the suing partners include BCE, Caisse Populaire du Quebec, Stephen Bronfman, Jacques Menard, Loblaws and Provigo. Some big money involved here. Whoo-boy. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2002/07/15/expos_lawsuit_ap/ |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 15, 2002 21:22:49 GMT -5
Speaking of bad owners for the Expos, the local minority owners of the Expos will reportedly launch a Fraud, Racketeering and Corruption lawsuit against Loria, Samson, Selig and Major League Baseball. Some of the members of the suing partners include BCE, Caisse Populaire du Quebec, Stephen Bronfman, Jacques Menard, Loblaws and Provigo. Some big money involved here. Whoo-boy. sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2002/07/15/expos_lawsuit_ap/Keith, I just sent an article off to the Kingston Whig Standard as well as The National Post where I implied that Selig nothing short of a crook. Your info just gives me more personal gratification, BC. Thanks for the URL. It also makes the timing of what I wrote pretty good. Here's what I wrote last night here at home; There's been so much talk that the Expos could have been saved had they a new arena, or had they corporate sponsorship. Well, they needed a lot more than that, in my honest opinion.
In addition to a lack of corporate sponsorship, the Expos biggest problem in recent years was having an honest owner who actually showed interest in the club. Former owner, Jeff Loria, promised the team and it's city a new downtown stadium and promise for the future. But instead, he ended up betraying the club and the city by dumping the franchise onto the league and purchasing another south of the boarder. What's worse is that the league, under the direction of commissioner, Bud Selig, authorized the move, which left the Expos without ownership and under control of the league.
How a club like the Expos could possibly survive this long in such a poorly run business, as Major league baseball (MLB), is amazing. MLB one of the poorest run businesses in all of professional sports. The owners routinely, and without any thought whatsoever, pay out more cash to their employees than what their businesses actually take in. Then, once all but two teams in the league cry, "we're poor" these "poor" owners ask for financial assistance to bail them out. Give me a break!
So, how does the league propose to fix this problem? One of the solution is to tabled thus far is to contract the Expos and the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota held an inquiry as to why the Twins would be on the contraction block. They had all the main players that make the decisions for the state of Minnesota present at that inquiry. For now at least, there's no more talk about contracting the Twins. Go figure.
However, it’s quite the opposite for the Expos. They are in dire need of federal, provincial, and civic government support even more now. And they haven’t got it. I'm not talking financial support mind you, but not one politician has come forward to express his or her disdain over the way the league is handling the Expos.
If the Expos had gotten the support from their owners, and corporate sponsors they may not have been such a forgotten entity. But their overall mess is also largely due to MLB and the way they have chosen to conduct their business. When all but two teams last year claimed loses the process of contracting the Expos will not in any way solve the league's problems. Indeed, it’s merely a poor attempt by the league, and Bud Selig, to convince the fans that they are proactive in trying to solve their financial woes. Realistically, the contraction of the Expos will temporarily take the attention off of the owners, which seems to be Selig’s motive after all.
Rick Landry
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Post by MPLABBE on Jul 16, 2002 10:34:23 GMT -5
Hopefully Mud Selig gets kicked out of the commish's office and Loria$$ is kicked out of MLB.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 16, 2002 19:22:32 GMT -5
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Post by Doc Holliday on Jul 18, 2002 21:35:24 GMT -5
This law suit will be something else. No only will Loria, Selig and Sampson's crooked ways get exposed, but as well, the local owners, the city and the governments will receive their fair share of mud and some truth will be revealed. In the end, A LOT of people will look quite bad.
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Post by PTH on Jul 19, 2002 10:39:24 GMT -5
This law suit will be something else. No only will Loria, Selig and Sampson's crooked ways get exposed, but as well, the local owners, the city and the governments will receive their fair share of mud and some truth will be revealed. In the end, A LOT of people will look quite bad. And despite this, they are still going ahead with the lawsuit - they must either feel that they will come out of it looking better than before, or they feel that they are likely to make a bundle. In either case, they are pushing ahead and taking a significant PR risk to do so. There must be something really worthwhile for them to be doing this. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 19, 2002 17:35:36 GMT -5
Well, PTH, if they fall flat on their faces I think could care less about PR points. The team will indeed be contracted, so all they would probably have to worry about would be a counter suit of sorts. That might burn them big time.
But there's a lot of surface perception in this whole mess and I've got my fingers crossed that this 45-page report has it's roots in evidence.
If it does go through, I think Doc is right insomuch as, there will be many corrupt areas exposed, so to speak. All but two teams claimed loses last year, yet the owners seem to find the money from somewhere and never claim bankruptsy(I think it was TNG who came up with this). Now they're collectively crying, "we're poor ... help..." My heart bleeds for them. Righhhhhhht....
Anyway, as I was saying, I've got my fingers crossed on this one. I'm supporting these guys 100% not only because it's an attempt to uncover an injustice, but it's also liable to blow the roof off of professional sports. If they fail, it might be because someone knows how to sidestep a few landmines. Cheers.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 30, 2002 11:03:55 GMT -5
I wonder if they're deferring the law suit until the end of the season.
Anyone hear of any progress on this? Cheers.
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Post by MPLABBE on Aug 30, 2002 16:10:40 GMT -5
I wonder if they're deferring the law suit until the end of the season. Anyone hear of any progress on this? Cheers. Sometime this fall, a judge will say if it's a legit case. I can't remember the date though. It will take years for this to be resolved. |
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