Funny Finance and Not-So-Funny Media

Well, we can’t say that 2010 will be a boring sports year.

We’ve started with more on The Golfer, Gilbert Arenas reprising Bishop from “Juice” on a teammate, Pacquiao/Mayweather taken of the table (for now!), coaches allegedly abusing players, those and other coaches getting fired/hired/passed over and Mark McGwire’s steroids admission.

Heck, Bret Hart returned to the WWE!

Yesterday provided some of the bigger “what in the world” moments so far and I want to mention two of them: an ultimatum for the Florida Marlins and a question of what should be dominating the news cycle right now.

In my first week with The Perpetual Post, Chris Pummer and I debated the legacy of Bud Selig. As said by both of us on live radio and online, he’s a very difficult person to defend because of the steroids/PED debacle among many other issues baseball has been shellacked with in his time. Something I left out, however, is what I think he can do to at least go out on a positive note.

The public wrist-slap given to the Florida Marlins & owner Jeffrey Loria regarding the team’s use of received revenue-sharing funds. As the venerable Maury Brown explains for Biz of Baseball, this can possibly set a new direction for teams that have received monies from the luxury taxes paid by teams such as the Boston Red Sox, Anaheim Angels and both New York franchises over the years.

Something that I do ask myself when reading this: is it possible that while many still cry for placing some sort of salary cap in MLB, is this the beginning of creating a salary floor just as the National Hockey League? If it’s true – this Scribe believes it to be so – that some of these teams such as the Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates have essentially pocketed the money instead of spent it on payroll and player development, then what will be the next steps? How can and will owners keep tabs on each other? What role will the Player’s union take? How much of this will be left on the next Commissioner’s lap in 2012?

The second thought is related to the three major news stories in the media yesterday. A friend on Facebook wondered why it seems that more people care about the “problems” of two fairly rich white men compared to the problems of a nation struck by an earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.

When Conan O’Brien released his letter regarding NBC’s horrendous handling of its late-night quandary, he found a flood of supporters to his plight – including myself, admittedly – and every major media outlet had something to say. Jay Leno, Jeff Zucker (the programming boss at NBC) and the network itself have taken a tremendous and deserved public relations flogging for years of terrible decisions that have come to a head in the last week.

For the Peacock, millions of dollars have been lost and trust from their affiliates has been shattered (but can be rebuilt). Many TV writers and producers will speak to the lost jobs because of The Jay Leno Show. Rival networks, bloggers and other internet pundits and the print world are having an absolute ball.

Why is this more important than the devastation in Haiti?

From Knoxville to Los Angeles to Seattle, Lane Kiffin and Pete Carroll have essentially taken the sports world hostage –McGwire’s admission is more punching bag than lightning rod, isn’t it? – due to their new jobs. As you know, Carroll’s nine years at the University of South Carolina were highly successful, but the NCAA is threatening to take a proverbial magic eraser to it all because of a multi-sport investigation. Though no one can change what happened on the field, the NCAA’s sanctions can harm USC’s program over the next couple of years. The shocking firing of Jim Mora (Jr) led to the hiring of Carroll and a domino effect in the college world.

Kiffin shocked the country by bolting to take over for Carroll and it appears that USC is trying to bring most of the band back together (notably a possible return of Norm Chow as offensive coordinator). Once a sympathetic figure in Oakland going against Al Davis, he’s become persona non-grata after one season in Tennessee and multiple secondary violations in his short time there. Another rich college coach bolting to a school for more riches, more control and more ego-stroking has stoked the flames in sports media. Literal flames burned in Knoxville as idiot students decided it would be a good time to riot to show their anger at Kiffin’s departure.

Why is this more important that the devastation in Haiti?

The truth is that neither situation is. At times, however, we think certain stories are a bigger deal because of who we are surrounded by at a given moment.

Working in the media world or anything connected to it means that while there are more tragic stories that should take greater precedent, we've developed an ϋber-analytic perspective of anything involving such characters as Leno or O’Brien, Kiffin or Carroll. It helps prop up these "problems". It gives more hits and page views. It kicks up ratings for a moment because we’re more interested in people that aren’t us than people that are.

As for everyone else outside of those realms, just listen to what's talked about at the water coolers, the corner, the classroom, etc. The priorities of a media outlet differ from those of individual consumers FAR more often than perceived. And as much as it’s easy for many of you to believe, there are people in media who actually care about what’s happening in Port-au-Prince.

The even more bitter and harsh truth according to many people is that the earthquake in Haiti is a sad event, but not of utter importance to them as being unemployed and on the brink of homelessness themselves. You don’t need any more reminders of the Great Recession except that donations won’t be as plentiful today as they would have been when we were swimming in Monopoly money.

Sports networks aren’t going to discuss Haiti unless the aftermath touches a game significant outside of Haitian interest. Broadcast networks, already in flux, will discuss Haiti for a certain period, then jump back into the late night tussle. Yet, that’s why we have so many sources for information; we can decide what stories matter depending on which outlets we choose and the time we use for them.

Say What?!?!: Some of us want to help, some of us don’t. Some of us can lend a hand, some of us can’t. Yet, if you are considering donating to relief efforts to Haiti, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE examine who you are giving money to. There are a lot of predatory people who exploit tragedy and goodwill in their scams. I implore you to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE give carefully.

Picture courtesy of the New York Times

Infamous

Warning: there are a few more links than normal.

Name the current owners of all your favorite teams.

Which one has made the most impact on their teams, good or bad?

How about those teams in the middle of the pack?

Can you name who writes the checks?

The greatest difference between professional sports and amateur sports is that more than injuries, competition and scheduling, the owner has the greatest influence on the direction of a franchise. That sounds obvious, but when you were a young sports fan, you had little to no idea of salary caps, stadium funding and luxury taxes. As you grew older, you learned about who was really making the moves for your team and the motives behind these additions and subtractions. You heard fans scream for the firing of the general manager when the team had a couple of lean years. You witnessed your team rebuild over a period of years because they could no longer contend in the current climate of a sport. Or you witnessed a rebirth of your team because of those previous lean years that kept the team intact, despite losing in order to learn how to win. Yet, there was this seemingly ominous figure that was pulling the strings behind it all, despite rare public comments and appearances. You thought it was the GM or the president of operations, but in reality…

… the owner calls the shots.

Whether it’s a single person, a consortium or a corporation, the owner has many different reasons in being involved in the sports business; love for the game, bored with their insane wealth, an extension of their core business, etc. Owners are trying to find the right mix in order to ideally contend, but to realistically make a profit in a crowded landscape. Not only do they compete with different teams within the league, but within different forms of entertainment within the few hours of time they ask fans and potential customers to dedicate to the game. The really good owners have a strong business savvy that allow for consistent profits while fielding competitive teams year in and year out. They also find a way to fix holes over time – or at least attempt to – in order to return to glory in the long run. Most owners are relative unknowns outside of the vicinity of the team. The way that an owner becomes a known entity usually depends on extremes.

Think about it. Before their rise, could you recall who owned the New York Yankees before George Steinbrenner? Probably not (CBS sold the franchise to the Cleveland shipbuilding tycoon and other investors for $10 million in 1973) as the Yankees mired in mediocrity for the eight seasons before his arrival. Mediocrity in most cities translates to ‘wait and see’ and ‘this is the year we make the move’. Mediocrity in New York was unheard of at the time due to twenty World Series titles in fifty years. Hate him or love him, he had made an impact on the franchise and the game ever since. On the flipside, there are several teams that are completely handcuffed by the economic thrift of their owners. At the moment, the most notorious practitioners of this trade reside in Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Tampa, Oakland and Miami. If today’s agreement by the Florida Marlins to send their final pieces of the 2003 World Series champion (Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis) to the Detroit Tigers for prospects isn’t an indication of Jeffrey Loria’s mandate, then review his history as a ‘baseball man’. Loria, as the owners of the baseball teams in the aforementioned cities, has become the most despised man in the eyes of Florida sports fans as he has managed to dismantle a championship team in order to streamline costs and bottom out any potential profits in order to relocate out of Miami – if the state does not grant him a new stadium, that is.

In the NBA, the basketball public may not be able to tell you who owns the four-time titlist San Antonio Spurs (Peter Holt), but they can tell you about the league’s most enigmatic (Mark Cuban), most influential (Dr. Jerry Buss) and most troublesome (James Dolan on behalf of Cablevision) bankrollers. Cuban took over a Dallas Mavericks franchise that, under Ross Perot’s stewardship, only won more than 45 games three times since its 1980 inception. They hadn’t made a playoff appearance in eleven seasons before Cuban arrived in 2000. Suddenly, seven straight playoffs and an NBA Finals appearance later, the Mavericks are the third-highest valued franchise in the league behind Buss’ Los Angeles Lakers and Dolan’s New York Knicks. Strong drafting, shrewd trading and signings and steady coaching will keep Cuban’s coiffures filled. Before Cuban invigorated Dallas, Buss provided energy into a Lakers franchise that has won eight NBA titles since he purchased the team in 1979. He is often credited for bringing entertainment to the Lakers before David Stern pushed the template league-wide. He brought in superstar players to a city full of stars, giving Hollywood the proverbial front row seats to the league’s biggest attraction. Even with the recent acrimony within the team ranks in regards to Kobe Bryant’s future, the Lakers are still the biggest draw throughout the league. That cannot be said for Dolan’s Knicks. Instead of hurting your eyes here on Scribe, pick your poison here. Dolan was already demonized here in New York for the lack of success with the city’s team, but during the sexual harassment trial this past summer, he became a national punching bag for his testimony and support for Isiah Thomas.

Other sports have their polarizing owners, as well. The NFL has its fair share of heroes (the Patriots’ Robert Kraft, the Rooney family for the Steelers, Jim Irsay and the Indy Colts, not Baltimore) and villains (Bill Bidwell for the Cardinals, Al Davis for the Raiders, Dr. John York for the 49ers... Jim Irsay for the former Baltimore Colts, not Indy). The NHL can look to every team that has moved within the past decade for Public Enemy No. 1 along with two owners whose teams have deep rooted infamy (Boston’s Jeremy Jacobs and the Wirtz family in Chicago). These names in the business are known because of the fortunes they returned to their cities or the prolonged misery they have set asunder their fan bases. When you think of your employer – if you work for someone at the moment – you could probably count the number of times you have spoken or seen him/her within a year. It’s hard to determine if that is a plus or minus, being that the general public may not know much about your company. However, in a high-profile industry such as sports, when the fans know whose cash fronts the operation, that person better hope that something good comes out of it.

Wouldn’t you agree, Robert Nutting?

Say What?!?!: These may be infamous names in the NBA, but you can only pause when learning of the personal struggles with both Ron Artest and Stephon Marbury.