Rejoice! New Hawks’ owner means end of Atlanta Spirit
We know little about Alex Meruelo. But ...
He is the right guy if for no other reason than he is a new guy.
“I will be in complete control of the team,” Alex Meruelo said.
And really, does anything else matter right now?
Because if Alex Meruelo is in charge, it means Bruce Levenson isn’t in charge. It means Michael Gearon Jr. isn’t in charge. It means Ed Peskowitz, Rutherford Seydel, the ghost of Steve Belkin, Topo Gigio and anybody else who ever was among the blur of Atlanta Spirit partners isn’t in charge.
They don’t call the shots any more.
Say goodbye to exploding clown shoes.
So ends the rule of the Atlanta Spirit. It’s too late to save the NHL franchise that the former ownership
... he has to be better than Peskowitz, Gearon and Levenson.
group destroyed, lied about and ultimately sold off to Winnipeg. It’s too late to save us from the absurdity of owner-vs-owner lawsuits and daily dysfunction we witnessed for most of roughly seven years — why does it seem like 27? — in the front office. But we’ll take it today because it’s better than waiting until tomorrow.
If the Atlanta Spirit wasn’t the worst ownership in the history of professional sports, it at least is in the argument. No sports town wants to be in that argument.
I don’t know a thing about Alex Meruelo, other than what I Google and read. Pizza restaurants. Construction. A casino. A television station. Dandy.
The guy could have made his fortune selling second-hand nuclear reactors and I’d be cool with it. Alex Meruelo suddenly emerging the top of Atlanta Hawks’ food chain is like popping a few extra strength Tylenol, knowing the headache is bound to get better.
I know. He’s not from here. He doesn’t live here. He never has owned a sports team before. He comes with no guarantees.
Sorry, there is no such thing as guaranteed perfect owners, any more than there are guaranteed perfect general managers, coaches and point guards.
For all we know, Meruelo could be another Levenson (get down on your knees and pray no). Or he could be another Arthur Blank (get down on your knees and pray yes).
But wouldn’t you rather take the unknown vs. the known?
Meruelo, who will be introduced at a 2 p.m. news conference Monday at Philips Arena, says he will own more than 50 percent of the Hawks and Philips Arena operating rights. That’s all we need to know right now. Logic says Levenson, Gearon and/or Peskowitz will remain as minority partners because the rest of the money has to come from somewhere. But when one man owns controlling interest, it means one votes and one man decides.
Know this: When all of the Hawks’ owners get together in a room, only one of them will have had nothing to do with the Joe Johnson contract. It’s the one now in charge.
The NBA is in a lockout. I kind of like that. It gives Meruelo a chance to assess the Hawks, assess Rick Sund, assess Larry Drew, assess the franchise as both a business and a potential competitor for an NBA championship. There should be no rushed decisions here.
Meruelo said: “I want to bring a championship to the city of Atlanta.”
Yes, this is standard speak from the new owner talking points manual. Everybody involved with the Spirit said they wanted to win championships, too. It just doesn’t necessarily mean they were equipped to.
Maybe the new guy will know what he’s doing. He can’t possibly know less.
By Jeff Schultz
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238 comments Add your comment
Basketball...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
August 8th, 2011
12:54 pm
wake me up for football
Bruce
August 8th, 2011
12:55 pm
I agree JRY. I will not support the Hawks by either attending games or even rooting for them plus will not attend any event at the arena as long as any member of the ASG can make one penny or claim any part of any success the team may have. My attitude would be different if the Thrashers debacle hadn’t taken place.
Bunch of tatoo freaks
August 8th, 2011
12:55 pm
who cares
Take away the basketball
August 8th, 2011
12:59 pm
Go read a book…..sorry, they can’t read.
Yep
August 8th, 2011
1:02 pm
Take away their KFC eatin’ fat a$$ mamas and their basketball…
LetsGoThrashers
August 8th, 2011
1:04 pm
Excellent news! Mr. Meruelo, if I may offer a bit of advice, I think your first order of business should be to see if True North Sports would be interested in owning an NBA franchise and, if so, I think you should see about trading the Hawks to Winnipeg in exchange for the Thrashers/Jets.
deb
August 8th, 2011
1:07 pm
Another great column, Jeff!
watching paint dry
August 8th, 2011
1:12 pm
Basketballzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
watching paint dry
August 8th, 2011
1:13 pm
hockeyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
To the new owner
August 8th, 2011
1:21 pm
Suckerrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jon
August 8th, 2011
1:24 pm
Levenson, Gearon and/or Peskowitz will remain as minority partners? Then I STILL WILL NOT INVEST IN THIS TEAM!
Let's see.....
August 8th, 2011
1:31 pm
3 jews and a cuban are in a bar talking about a basketball team……
Maybe they'll move to Havana
August 8th, 2011
1:33 pm
Take your basketball and get outta here.
Imperial Stern...
August 8th, 2011
1:39 pm
David Sterns next move>HAVANA>take over the world!!!!
He’ll offer the ownership approval if this guy moves the team to Cuba
BRILLIANT
If u like pina colladas......
August 8th, 2011
1:40 pm
bye bye hawks….don’t let the door kick u in the….
yes
August 8th, 2011
1:44 pm
Miami Heat and Havana Hawks will have rubber raft tailgaiting parties.
Send each others fans to detention centers after games!
looking forward to....
August 8th, 2011
1:47 pm
all the pig roasts at the arena now…
or a good cuban sandwich
Is Mark Cuban, Cuban?
August 8th, 2011
1:48 pm
enquiring minds want to know.
Really???
August 8th, 2011
1:50 pm
“Logic says Levenson, Gearon and/or Peskowitz will remain as minority partners because the rest of the money has to come from somewhere. But when one man owns controlling interest, it means one votes and one man decides.”
____
So long as any membery of the Atlanta Spirit group remains in any way associated with the team or the arena they will not receive my money. I can think of no better way of showing my thansk to the ASG than keeping my money in my wallet until their bum @$$es are out of this town forever.
Smiling Jack
August 8th, 2011
1:51 pm
It’s really easy to see what’s wrong with the world especially the USA, when you read the comments made by most bloggers! It has been said, “stupid is as stupid does,” I think Forrest’s Mama said that. Well, I say “stupid says; stupid does; and you can’t fix stupid.
Look people give the new owner a break. You cried, pleaded and begged for ASG to sell the Hawks. Now the Hawks are sold, but the new guy doesn’t even get a chance before the insults begin, the threats of non support are made, and the illiterate unsolicited advice is given by people who don’t know the entire picture. Give the man a chance! Welcome his courage! Go Hawks! We all will enjoy a winning team contending for a championship. Go Hawks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, Hey Goodbye!
August 8th, 2011
1:58 pm
Latin ladies night at the Arena….Dios Mios…..muy caliente! hot, hot, hot
Go Hawks!
August 8th, 2011
1:59 pm
Prediction: Trade Al and Marvin, within 5 yrs the Hawks will be in the finals for the 1st time in almost 50 years…
Go Hawks!
August 8th, 2011
2:00 pm
LatinEuro.com! muy caliente!
What did Mr. Robinson say....
August 8th, 2011
2:00 pm
“Pizza son….futures in pizza.”
That's a whole lot slices....
August 8th, 2011
2:03 pm
he must have sold!
TIM
August 8th, 2011
2:03 pm
Looks like the guy got rich by selling flavorless pizza to “i like to eat cardboard” cheap customers in Socal.
I guess Little Caesars will buy the Braves.
Sounds like a........
August 8th, 2011
2:05 pm
Pizza Ponzi Scheme!!
He gets a pizza shop for his 21st b-day....
August 8th, 2011
2:07 pm
and all I got was a lousy t-shirt.
And now
August 8th, 2011
2:09 pm
he’s playing hookers in Vegas…..and it all started with one slice
Jeez, my parents must've sucked
August 8th, 2011
2:11 pm
After looking at this guy
Go Hawks!
August 8th, 2011
2:14 pm
I once heard that it cost only about one dollar to make a full size pizza @ Pizza HUT!
The profits are ridiculous..
Good luck trying to replicate that down at Phillips
Yeah baby!
August 8th, 2011
2:18 pm
Maybe he’ll hire Dick Vitale as announcer…
“Yeah baby, look at the slice on that cheerleader!”
“now that’s a pizza PIE baby”
Go Hawks!
August 8th, 2011
2:27 pm
I hear a pizza cost about 1 dollar to make! Nice profits?
NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT
August 8th, 2011
2:31 pm
Finally a real businessman with the Hawks. Daddy’s Money can remain as minority owners or walk….I really don’t care. They just can’t eat at the grownups table.
my parents still must've sucked...
August 8th, 2011
2:39 pm
I didn’t get a pizza, much less a pizza shop when I was 21.
Can I have the Braves please?!
JSS
August 8th, 2011
2:52 pm
“1,000 percent Hawks fan!”
-Alex Meruelo
That is good enough for me…
Larry,
You are the only “Bubba” or “Goober” trolling on this comment section… Oh just friend, and the only 1870’s level bigot on the comment section as well, so get off the potty, you’re just farting now…
Is new owner..
August 8th, 2011
2:53 pm
“Hawking” pizza slices outside arena?
cdog
August 8th, 2011
2:56 pm
everyone was defending rick sund as a GM. now with theASG group gone, we’re going to really see what kind of GM sund really is. now there is no more excuses.the new owner first line of business moves should be to find a way to keep josh smith and bring in dwight howard by any means neccesary
@Jeff Schultz
August 8th, 2011
2:56 pm
looking forward to your next interview with pizza face.
Does he pay the hookers in vegas with slices?
That's a spicy meatball
August 8th, 2011
2:58 pm
How many slices do you have to sell to get the toys pizza boy has?
mama mia
August 8th, 2011
2:59 pm
Thatsa spicy meataball….
mama mia
August 8th, 2011
3:00 pm
?
mama mia
August 8th, 2011
3:02 pm
How many slices do you have to sell to have pizza boys toys?
Get back in the kitchen
August 8th, 2011
3:11 pm
and cook those pizzas mama….I shelled out a lot of meatballs for this team….need to make a billion more slices.
nickp
August 8th, 2011
3:17 pm
THANK YOU GOD!!! The Hawks finally got a new owner and it’s one person!!
NipTuck
August 8th, 2011
3:25 pm
FIRE CONGRESS!!!!!!!! Market down 400 pts!!
Reno
August 8th, 2011
3:26 pm
Overheard casual conversation of one of Spirit owners with other “Dads” at kids’ school night years ago – it was abundantly clear from his own pronouncments that he had absolutely no idea how to run a professional sports franchise.
HAWKLESS
August 8th, 2011
4:08 pm
I HOPE THE OWNER BRING IN A COMPLETELY NEW MANAGEMENT TEAM FROM THE FRONT OFFICE TO ALL OF THE COACHES.
Tim
August 8th, 2011
4:46 pm
Now, if we could get rid of our entire government we’d be on to something.
BZR
August 8th, 2011
6:17 pm
The Atlanta Hawks teams run by the Atlanta Spirit have been making the playoffs and improving every year since the Atlanta Spirit took over. It has been the best run since the Dominique Wilkins era.
You have to look at what the AS started with AND look at the white collar, unsupportive city that Atlanta has ALWAYS been to understand why the Hawks are not taking home rings. Atlanta didn’t even show up in the Omni when Dominique was the most exciting players in the world (50 point games) and Ted Turner was sitting on the sideline.
The Hawks won’t change until the city does.
The writers above need to get a clue.