Candidate #5
Name: The fans
Qualifications: Does the possibility of a fan-owned team sound ridiculous to you? It's not as far fetched as you might think. The concept of community owned teams (that is, sports teams as publicly traded companies)
looms large in Europe and elsewhere in the world, and while only one sports team in America, the
Green Bay Packers, are publicly owned, they're
not doing so bad for themselves.
Besides, there's a puncher's chance that this might happen:
Congresswoman Janice Hahn is currently working on the "Give Fans A Chance" act, essentially an amendment to longstanding antitrust legislation that would allow public groups to bid for professional teams (the Packers are currently the only grandfathered exception to a general ban on this practice). While most people think that even if this bill passes, it wouldn't take effect in time for the Dodgers to be involved, you really never know.
Upside: To
paraphrase the Congresswoman, the upside is that you would never, ever again have to watch the Frank McCourts of the world using team resources to finance Barbie's Dream House style
swimming pool expansions when your team desperately needs a no. 3 starter and solid middle relief. Obviously, even a public company appoints leadership, so there are no guarantees that the team will instantly shape up and start winning, but even losing is easier to take when you know it's not happening because your owner's wife would rather give up "making the playoffs" instead of giving up her $200,000 hair styling budget.
Downside: If passion in ownership were the only thing necessary to win, the
Raiders (RIP
Al Davis) would be back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back Super Bowl Champions. They are not. So it takes more than just enthusiasm. But look, there's not a huge downside to trying this. If it doesn't work out, you can always sell the team back to another dickhead billionaire. I say
viva los Doyers libres!
Odds: 20-to-1, but hopeful
[photo via]
Name: The fans
Qualifications: Does the possibility of a fan-owned team sound ridiculous to you? It's not as far fetched as you might think. The concept of community owned teams (that is, sports teams as publicly traded companies) looms large in Europe and elsewhere in the world, and while only one sports team in America, the Green Bay Packers, are publicly owned, they're not doing so bad for themselves.
Besides, there's a puncher's chance that this might happen: Congresswoman Janice Hahn is currently working on the "Give Fans A Chance" act, essentially an amendment to longstanding antitrust legislation that would allow public groups to bid for professional teams (the Packers are currently the only grandfathered exception to a general ban on this practice). While most people think that even if this bill passes, it wouldn't take effect in time for the Dodgers to be involved, you really never know.
Upside: To paraphrase the Congresswoman, the upside is that you would never, ever again have to watch the Frank McCourts of the world using team resources to finance Barbie's Dream House style swimming pool expansions when your team desperately needs a no. 3 starter and solid middle relief. Obviously, even a public company appoints leadership, so there are no guarantees that the team will instantly shape up and start winning, but even losing is easier to take when you know it's not happening because your owner's wife would rather give up "making the playoffs" instead of giving up her $200,000 hair styling budget.
Downside: If passion in ownership were the only thing necessary to win, the Raiders (RIP Al Davis) would be back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back Super Bowl Champions. They are not. So it takes more than just enthusiasm. But look, there's not a huge downside to trying this. If it doesn't work out, you can always sell the team back to another dickhead billionaire. I say viva los Doyers libres!
Odds: 20-to-1, but hopeful
[photo via]
.jpg "How Comms Guru & Founder Of The PR Net Lisa Smith Put Her Stylish Stamp On The Industry")
.jpg "Who Are The Assoulines? Meet The Chic First Family Of Luxury Publishing")
