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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
125 comments Add your comment
ijonathan
November 21st, 2011
1:26 pm
I wonder if anyone on here pining for a “billionaire” to come in and rescue their franchise is also an “occupy/99%” supporter. Probably not. Interesting though that there are probably some people who rail against those evil, Wall Street 1%-ers…until the time comes when they need one to rescue their local team.
Ken Stallings
November 21st, 2011
1:48 pm
What Mark Cuban is really saying is that he wants to buy a baseball team near rock bottom which he thinks he can spend money on, win some pennants, and then sell high or at least show a value increase on his porfolio which he could then borrow money off of.
Cuban is a business man and he’s about making money. The Braves were sold to a corporate interest because of a unique and complex tax loophole where value could be shielded from the IRS. Ted Turner was the ultimate buy low, sell high baseball owner. He purchased the Braves as a moribund 1970’s franchise and sold it as one of the best baseball teams in the nation. He made a pile of money and allowed him to buy up about 5% of Montana!
The problem the Braves have is team values are likely at an all time high right now, and there is little prospect for additional increases. In fact, as the economy contracts, there is more likelihood that the reverse happens, that professional sports teams mimic the real estate market and plunge in value.
In 1998, if you told people that a home value in 2011 would be closer to 1985 values than 2004 values, you’d have been laughed off the stage. But, that’s exactly what happened! I see zero fundamentals in sports franchises to show me where they are immune to the same value corrections, if not even more so! Given that most teams don’t even own the stadiums they play in, most value in sports franchises are based upon television and ticket values, both of which are service industry type values, very fleeting.
It’s time for a lot of people to “get real!” What I mean is they need to realize that value is real and presumed value is false. Too much of what we value today has been bid into the presumed value stratosphere, and is far beyond its real value. What is happening to the NBA is something I anticipate happening to all sports markets. People are going to withdraw their financial support consistent with contractions in their disposable incomes. As that happens, the presumed value in sports teams shrinks.
dap01
November 21st, 2011
2:27 pm
I will like the Braves no matter who owns them. I like the Braves.
wreckbuzz
November 21st, 2011
2:54 pm
My suggestion to Frank Wren….start overspending now!!! Maybe you can run the Braves in the ground so Cuban will buy them.
Henry Aaron's Ghost
November 21st, 2011
4:17 pm
BILL GATES???? The guy would not even buy the Seahawks or Mariners or save the Supersonics from leaving town. Why the heck would he want a team in Atlanta. Paul Allen already had the Trailblazers thus could not buy the Sonics. He owns the Seahawks also, or at least did the last I heard. He did not want the Mariners also. The puke who owns Starbucks is who sold the Sonics out of town. But the city helped in that as they refused to roll over and give millions in tax money to build a new arena for the Sonics. Good for them on that. Gates?? Sorry. He’s so cheap that he had already said that he will not leave his children but a small amount of money when he dies. He wants them to make it on their own. He will give his to the trees, rocks, water and whatever else he wants, but not his kids.
AGTFan53
November 21st, 2011
5:23 pm
While I don’t like corporate ownership in general, I don’t think Libery Media has done a terrible job. I love all the fans who are so sure they could do a better job than Freddi or Frank. When Bobby was manager, there were always the haters who ere sure that he was awful and that they could do a better job. Of course Bobby’s going straight to the HOF and those guys have still managed 0 professional baseball teams. It’s always good for a laugh to read the blogs and see what total idiots sports fans can be. Only 2 teams make it to the WS every year and only one of those walks away with the prize.
Sam
November 21st, 2011
8:59 pm
Amazing video of a high school senior from Columbia TN who kicks the ball dead straight 75-80 yards in the air. He was successful on 54 of 54 attempts this season….100%. Now he needs a college team.
Watch for yourself…it is unreal!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_JKwgwFY3g
Liberty Media
November 21st, 2011
9:08 pm
Once we have milked it dry, Cuban is welcome to buy the Braves. The reason we don’t spend more on the Braves is because we bought it for the cash flow it would generate as a tax shelter, not as something we would seriously invest in for the future. We would rather spend it on other products like our XXX adult movies. Can’t you ‘good old boys’ from Atlanta figure this out? We don’t really care about baseball or the players, except we do think Uggla may have a future working in the Porn Division.
Freddy Fender
November 21st, 2011
9:39 pm
There you go again Sam..You love that Link!
Freddy Fender
November 21st, 2011
9:43 pm
One year SS would be Ronny Cedeno..had the 9th best range in ML last year. Would be a one year fill-in….
Biff Pocoroba
November 22nd, 2011
6:04 am
This is a sports story? What’s next, Krusty the Clown is not interested in buying the Braves?
Krusty the Clown
November 22nd, 2011
9:22 am
Biff are you suggesting I do not have the cash or that I could not get my head out of the coke long enough to pay attention? Snort. How about Kim Kardashian? She has loads of money and could use her special assets to get us a LF and SS.
prospero
November 22nd, 2011
10:00 am
If you guys will accept an opinion from a
Phillies fan as an objective observer, it’s
this: keep the same owner. Your young
players are really good: the two kids in
the bullpen, freeman, hayward. Your
catcher is the best in the league. Your
CF is very good. And the Braves are
better off without Bobby Cox. Remember
2010? Charlie Manuel juggled his rotation
to use his aces against the Braves in Sep.
Cox didn’t juggle. In 2010 the Braves
played bad defense. To make a good fielder
out of a good hitter, it takes many hours
with an assistant coach. Cox didn’t bother.
For the next 3-4 years the Braves and the
Phils are going to fight for the top spot
in the NL East..
Bill
November 22nd, 2011
10:22 am
Just don’t agree with a pitcher being MVP, should be everyday player in my opinion.
@jaredputnam
November 22nd, 2011
11:37 am
Arthur Blank can’t buy the Braves. It would be too weird to see him standing in the dugout in his suit at the end of each game.
anonymous
November 22nd, 2011
12:07 pm
Coach, Cuban was letting the town down easy with what he said.
So if you can’t see that, then it’s YOU who is ignorant.
anonymous
November 22nd, 2011
12:09 pm
you who are ignorant.
heh heh
The Pink Pig
November 22nd, 2011
1:07 pm
I can’t imagine why someone like Mark Cuban wouldn’t want to do business in Georgia.
There are a lot of smart people in state government who attract positive attention to the state with all of their well-thought-out laws.
There is no way someone would choose not to do business in Georgia because the governor and legislature make the state look like a bunch of backward hillbillies.
Freddy Fender
November 22nd, 2011
1:54 pm
The Pink Peg said, “bunch of backward hillbillies” thats better than a bunch of backward “Pink Pigs.” We all know who you support.
lol!
JG
November 24th, 2011
6:54 pm
Come on, Ted Turner! We need you!
Jaywould Heyblowme
November 26th, 2011
12:52 am
The world has changed massively in the last 20 years, but the Braves are still committed to Booby Ball. Until that changes, expect “high mediocre” with flashes of annoyance.
MR
November 26th, 2011
6:54 pm
I have no faith in the Liberty Media Braves. I have no faith in Frank “tank the season again” Wren. This is a corporate franchise with no soul and no face. It will never fully succeed and the fans will never truly accept it as such. Lucky us.
Rambunz
November 29th, 2011
5:24 pm
I think Liberty should sell the Braves to the Federal Reserve. The Fed has lots of money to pursue top notch free agents. The Braves are certainly a better investment than Citigroup.
Gray
December 1st, 2011
6:55 am
I, too, would like to see Arthur Blank purchase the Braves. I wouldn’t want some conglamorate to buy our team and move them to parts-unknown.
Mark Cuban still interested in buying the Dodgers | OnPNews
December 1st, 2011
8:07 pm
[...] “I like franchises that need a lot of help,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The Braves have a great franchise.” [...]