Confirmed with Link: Senators are for sale - and it’s a Gong Show

[Golden_Jet]

Why do you want Dubas? I havent heard one compelling argument. I dont understand why sens twitter and so many on here want him? Is it because he didnt play hockey and has a job in the industry so you feel he is relatable? I cant believe he asked for a raise from the leafs after so much failure. Mind boggling.

It is mind boggling, I don’t get it.

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

Tell us your 'source' bro. You've had the inside track on the Neko bid the entire process. Exclusive interviews with Snoop Dogg don't happen by cold calling contacts. Why and how has it all come together this way?

I liked Ian before all this. The finger wagging was a bit much for me but he always seemed like decent guy. This is a bad look right now. Desperate

 

[IpsoPostFacto]

 

[Dionysus]

Tell us your 'source' bro. You've had the inside track on the Neko bid the entire process. Exclusive interviews with Snoop Dogg don't happen by cold calling contacts. Why and how has it all come together this way?

I liked Ian before all this. The finger wagging was a bit much for me but he always seemed like decent guy. This is a bad look right now. Desperate

He literally just did reporting. Not sure what people are upset about. I read his articles in the Athletic. Just information about a bid that came out of nowhere and had more intrigue than your typical bid.

 

[Sun God Nika]

I honestly don’t get how saying the address in his Twitter bio is the back of an auto parts is a personal attack.

Can someone help me understand ?

 

[MMC]

 

[MMC]

The sale of the Ottawa Senators has cleared another potential hurdle and is on the road to being completed.

All four potential buyers of the sought-after Senators have met with the daughters of late owner Eugene Melnyk, Postmedia has learned.

Melnyk bequeathed the National Hockey League franchise to his only children, Anna and Olivia, when he passed away in March 2022. The Melnyk family must sign off any sale of the Senators, as do the Melnyk estate, New York-based banker Galatioto Sports Partners and the NHL.

The meetings, in separate video calls, took place sometime last week.

Sources said this was a signal that GSP had moved the sale process to the final stages, and it’s expected there will be a preferred bidder selected before the end of this coming week.

The sources added that Anna, who makes her home in California, and Olivia, who is spending a school term in Australia, expressed their desire to keep as much as a 10-per-cent stake in the franchise.

 

[MMC]

We’re told all bidders were willing to keep the Melnyks in the fold if they gained control of the franchise.

Postmedia reported Thursday this had become essentially a three-horse race between Toronto billionaires Steve Apostolopoulos, Jeffrey and Michael Kimel and Michael Andlauer with GSP continuing its due diligence through the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks also bid, but sources said he had yet to firm up his financing, so it’s doubtful he’ll be the next Senators owner. Though he’s still in the process, Sparks has also put together a large group of partners, which is not always a scenario the NHL likes.

The belief in NHL circles is that Apostolopoulos came in with the “cleanest” and “highest” binding bid at $1 billion (all figures U.S.) at the May 15 deadline.

The bid by Apostolopoulos has left Andlauer and the Kimels trying to determine if they want to match the bid or team up to see if they can beat the offer.

A week ago we were told Andlauer was “confident” he would win. He remains in the mix with the Kimels, so we’ll see where this goes.

Sources say Jeffrey and Michael Kimel, minority partners in the Pittsburgh Penguins until that NHL club was sold to Fenway Sports Group in 2021, and Andlauer have both been trying to weigh options. All parties involved knew the first binding bid might not be their last.

It would appear both Andlauer and the Kimels are hopeful their bids are strong enough to convince the Melnyk estate, GSP and the NHL to accept one of them.

Sources said the other three bidders started at $850 million and Sparks put down a $950-million offer that wasn’t fully funded. That’s why he was adding partners as late as last Monday.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Tell us your 'source' bro. You've had the inside track on the Neko bid the entire process. Exclusive interviews with Snoop Dogg don't happen by cold calling contacts. Why and how has it all come together this way?

I liked Ian before all this. The finger wagging was a bit much for me but he always seemed like decent guy. This is a bad look right now. Desperate

Wow lol

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

I honestly don’t get how saying the address in his Twitter bio is the back of an auto parts is a personal attack.

Can someone help me understand ?

It’s 2023. Everything is a personal attack.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

It’s 2023. Everything is a personal attack.

How dare you say that to me.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Has there ever been a sale process in sports that’s been this much of a circus, at least publicly?

 

[Knave]

He literally just did reporting. Not sure what people are upset about. I read his articles in the Athletic. Just information about a bid that came out of nowhere and had more intrigue than your typical bid.

There is one person who is upset. And he is writing the tweet.

And sure... he "just did reporting". And if this is how you want to present Ian Mendes that's fine.

I think many would argue when something comes out of nowhere and has intrigue that might be a time for a journalist to investigate but hey...

And again. It's fine if you want to be an inadvertent mouthpiece for a bid. It's sports entertainment media. It's not that big of a deal. But it's time we stop holding up certain members of the media as examples while attacking other members. As far as I'm concerned Mendes, Garrioch, Brennan, etc... no difference.

 

[Senator Stanley]

I honestly don’t get how saying the address in his Twitter bio is the back of an auto parts is a personal attack.

Can someone help me understand ?

He was responding to somebody who had said, "“Well capitalized” yet begging for quarters. This bid is held together with spit."

 

[Golden_Jet]

Has there ever been a sale process in sports that’s been this much of a circus, at least publicly?

No, but not many started with basically an auction.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

No, but not many started with basically an auction.

Didn’t someone from GSP say wanted to do this right so they can honour Melnyk’s legacy with the right owner? Seems to be on track, to be fair.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Didn’t someone from GSP say wanted to do this right so they can honour Melnyk’s legacy with the right owner? Seems to be on track, to be fair.

Yep basically On track, predicted months ago, mid May.

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

Tell us your 'source' bro. You've had the inside track on the Neko bid the entire process. Exclusive interviews with Snoop Dogg don't happen by cold calling contacts. Why and how has it all come together this way?

I liked Ian before all this. The finger wagging was a bit much for me but he always seemed like decent guy. This is a bad look right now. Desperate

Also, just for clarification; Ian keeps using terms like "pulling for" or "preferance" like it's a personal matter and not a professional one. Good way to spin the narrative so he can lay easy bombs like ,

Otherwise, I'm just going to assume you're connecting the dots between me and his bid for a very disappointing reason.

Really seedy stuff imo. We all know 'journalists' cow tow for an inside ear and 'first-to-know' info drops. It raises their profile and image professionally and brings viewers and business to their publishers/broadcasters who sign their checks.

I've said in a post way back in the thread that I'd have 0, zero, nadda, issue with it if things were presented honestly as they truly are.

Just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The whole thing. Get this over with already

 

[Sun God Nika]

 

[L'Aveuglette]

I mean, these "fans" were hurling insults at the guy. He should just laugh and turn the other cheek right?

This Sens board is so toxic. You all insult and throw shit on each other instead of uniting and sharing the love of the sport and team.

Slight disagreement, oh you're a loser. Misspell a word, what kind of uneducated dumbass are you! Some of you should be embarrassed yet you double down on the toxic behavior.

Personally I think Sparks group could win because they will bring real buzz and attention to the team and will push for winning. The group is full of folks who just win.

I find it ironic some shit on Neko bid saying he is only about the money yet the others, they are altruistic! It's bs. You all say you want change yet trying to bring in real estate guys to own the team because they care more about a winning sports team then the money in real estate...right?! Sigh....

This is the whiniest post I've ever read on here, and the bar is very, very high.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

To be fair, only the fans that are treating him as a scam artist or joke.

It's Twitter. Engaging with anonymous randos trying to get a reaction is a bad look however you look at it, especially when you're trying to appear like a legitimate NHL owner.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

Tell us your 'source' bro. You've had the inside track on the Neko bid the entire process. Exclusive interviews with Snoop Dogg don't happen by cold calling contacts. Why and how has it all come together this way?

I liked Ian before all this. The finger wagging was a bit much for me but he always seemed like decent guy. This is a bad look right now. Desperate

He's a f***ing reporter, reporting on a bid, and they have ways to get to the people involved if they're good at their job.

There is one person who is upset. And he is writing the tweet.

And sure... he "just did reporting". And if this is how you want to present Ian Mendes that's fine.

I think many would argue when something comes out of nowhere and has intrigue that might be a time for a journalist to investigate but hey...

And again. It's fine if you want to be an inadvertent mouthpiece for a bid. It's sports entertainment media. It's not that big of a deal. But it's time we stop holding up certain members of the media as examples while attacking other members. As far as I'm concerned Mendes, Garrioch, Brennan, etc... no difference.

My god this is a bad post. So just because Ian chose to cover a bid you obviously don't like he's a hack of the Brennan/Garrioch branch?

Lots of people clowning themselves in this thread.

 

[Micklebot]

It's Twitter. Engaging with anonymous randos trying to get a reaction is a bad look however you look at it, especially when you're trying to appear like a legitimate NHL owner.

I mean, sure if you care about what people look like on twitter, I mostly ignore it.

 

[IpsoPostFacto]

Didn’t someone from GSP say wanted to do this right so they can honour Melnyk’s legacy with the right owner? Seems to be on track, to be fair.

maybe, but that would be a lie. They want the most money - unless that the legacy I suppose.

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

People really still claiming Ian "Literally travelled to Wrexham when Remmington/Reynolds was still in the hunt" Mendes is carrying water for Neko Sparks, huh?