I remember reading an article once talking to the Sportsnet Execs that had just negotiated that $12.5 Bil tv rights deal I think it was. And the guy was talking about Bettman, how he would call regularly asking did you think about this or that, ways to justify such a higher and higher price, until they finally were persuaded and paid that amount that seemed so unbelievably high to many.
It’s hard to imagine why the sale of the team itself would be leading to so many delays. Im guessing the issues must be more related to the real estate portion of the deal which seems much more complicated right now and a bit blind perhaps still.
I also remember Firestone telling the story of how when he was down in Tampa for the weekend when they were deciding which two teams were going to be given the expansion rights. And Firestone tells how one of the owners catches him in private at the hotel and says to him something like, you know you have no chance right. And Firestone is saying how he just gulped, and went on as if nothing happened.
I wonder what would happen if he had gone to the press or something complaining about the bid process before it was announced. Would they just not give him the expansion rights or use it to humble him from speaking against the league in the future?
Still though, I always wonder about the thinking of preferring the billionaire with $6bil over the one with $2bil reasoning that the richer guy is more likely to spend even if losing. I would figure, first of all, they are all billionaires, and 2nd all losses will surely be added to the team debt just like governments do, regardless how wealthy they are? I cant believe any of them will just cut a cheque to cover losses, would they? It might change the way I look at demanding owners spend to the cap at all times in small markets if I thought they were deficit financing.