Wednesday, October 14, 2009

McCourt Bombshell: Frank & Jamie Separate

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, wife separate (AP/Yahoo! Sports)

First thought: Great timing, guys. Second thought: John Moores' divorce causing the gutting and sale of the Padres (Jamie McCourt is the CEO of the Dodgers). Stay together for the kids, Frank & Jamie!

UPDATE: From Ken Rosenthal at FOXSports.com:

The divorce will not be amicable, one source said.

"They've already 'lawyered' up," the source said. "They're trashing each other terribly. It's going to be World War III."

The McCourts, married since 1979, are living in separate houses, sources say. They attended the Dodgers' recent postseason games, but did not sit together. [...]

Any uncertainty in the team's future ownership could be resolved if one McCourt buys out the other. Jamie McCourt would be better positioned to make such a move, sources say.

Frank McCourt reportedly financed more than half the purchase price when he bought the Dodgers from FOX Entertainment Inc. — owner of FOXSports.com — for a reported $430 million.

It is not known whether a pre- or post-nuptial agreement exists between Frank and Jamie McCourt that would allow for an orderly ownership transition.

UPDATE:
Couple who run the Dodgers separate (LA Times)
Dodgers owner separating from wife/team CEO (Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports)

photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images

97 comments:

Kyle Baker said...

Are you KIDDING? Jesus SHIT.

That said, hope it won't affect the team.

Kyle Baker said...

Who'll save the children???

Anonymous said...

What. The. Fuck.

Anonymous said...

LA Times says it could place the future ownership of the team in doubt. wow

Kyle Baker said...

First Capt. Lou and now this. I need some normalcy! *assumes fetal position on floor, pretends he's an egg*

Kyle Baker said...

Of course, PB...can you imagine? If one won't buy out the other, if there are or aren't pre-nups, how much is still owed (a lot)...these are all huge factors.

Damn, I was just tooling along, enjoying some pasta and red wine. Then BAM! My "parents" are getting a divorce. Now I'm thinking it's my fault, blaming myself.

Sons, you've gone through this with your dad. Any advice for us?

Anonymous said...

Well it doesn't affect the team on the field, not until the off-season anyway. So I'm still somewhat ok. Damn, for all their faults, I really liked the McCourts. It's nice to actually have some family ownership. I hope things work out......for the kids sake.

NicJ said...

Meh. Can't be any worse than when FOX owned the dodgers.

NicJ said...

Who is going to sit down Vin and tell him it's not his fault?

Kyle Baker said...

It could have huge potential down the road as players needing to be resigned might not want to be a part of a franchise with a big question mark hanging over it. Same with, say, a manager or a GM...

Doesn't change the game tomorrow or the next, but it is a factor moving forward without a doubt.

Kyle Baker said...

We better get over to Vin's and have a heart to heart with the little lad. Warm up some milk...

rbnlaw said...

The hell with Vin. Somebody get to MLASF before he locks himself in his room.

Kyle Baker said...

Oh, no. MLASF must be so hurt. He has school tomorrow, too. This is going to take a lot of animal crackers to get through.

NicJ said...

Are we going to have to pay two $15 parking fees now?

Paul said...

I don't like this guys.

Players have the flu, Owners are splitting up, Our pets heads' are falling off!

Anonymous said...

Cant Jamie just go away and give Frank the team. Not that I dont like Jamie, but it would be cool to read about which hollywood starlet are owner is boning this week.

Anonymous said...

Paul, ok just calm down!

NicJ said...

I'm going to go hit up the cougar bars, I could be Co-Co-Owner!

Kyle Baker said...

@ Nic

Twin Palms in Pasadena is closing, so that Cougar trap is out.

Kyle Baker said...

Maybe Jamie REALLY wanted to go on this Steve Garvey cruise.

NicJ said...

Wait, how does this affect the new HD scoreboard and Dodgervision that was supposed to be installed in the offseason?!?


I'm guessing that whole Next 50 campaign is out the window.

Kyle Baker said...

The Next 50 has been weighing on me lately, as to why it hasn't moved, so this actually fits in with the separation/divorce story line and makes sense.

NicJ said...

Maybe my dream will come true and the Buss family will buy the dodgers.

Anonymous said...

Dusty, I've been wondering about that too. When were they supposed to start on it?

Anonymous said...

who was that billionaire that made a bid to buy the dodgers way back when Frank was first buying the team?

Kyle Baker said...

PB-

It was supposed to have been soon, if not already. Believe me, I know local govt red tape, working as a part of it that I do, but there was no real excuse for them not moving sooner on this. They kept using "going through permits and land use ordinances" types of excuses, but we all know that shouldn't be a problem for a city and county looking for every new bit of tax revenue they can scrounge.

Hell, I was even thinking, maybe I should throw my hat in the ring for a govt relations gig with Dodgers to help these processes along.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

akdlfja;djlfjas;kljdfiowenahnb

NicJ said...

Well last year the used the fact that they couldn't start because the dodgers played in the playoffs and then the world baseball classic. They were supposed to redo the interiors of the stadium (offices and clubhouses) this offseason as well as the new scoreboards.

Kyle Baker said...

They're all cheap excuses. If they wanted to build something like Next 50, they could. I live right down the street from where they're controlling the fucking Mars Rover with a keyboard. If they can do that, they can build a few shops and restaurants in the parking lot.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

I hope this doesn't mean we have to trade Jake Peavy.

Kyle Baker said...

Damn, Orel. You really dropped a bomb on me.

Now I'm idly looking at old family photographs, thinking about the good old days. Now with the holidays coming on...Tito, get me some tissue!

Neeebs (The Original) said...

I had a feeling. Just saying, haven't seen Jaime around at all, and certainly not around the McCourt seats.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

For all the gruff people gave the McCourt ownership, I was actually very satisfied, especially when contrasting it to FOX. We've been the the playoffs four times in the last six years, three times in the last four, and we've advanced the furthest since 1988. And whether or not you agree with his cost-effective measures, I think we can all say with certainty that this club reached a plateau that has made them one of the best clubs in the leauge, and that does not happen by coincidence.

I'd put this on TBLA, but they'd rip my head off.

Kyle Baker said...

Neeebs-

I hadn't seen Jamie sitting in the seats up front in a looooong time. And I always do a look-see to see who is right around that area pre-game as part of my routine. I've seen her on the field as part of pre-game ceremonies, but you're right, very little if any time spent in her actual seat.

Kyle Baker said...

MLASF-

I couldn't agree more with you.

Josh S. said...

Whew! At least their split will be amicable, since Ken Rosenthal said it wouldn't be.

(Seriously though, screw them and their awful timing.)

Neeebs (The Original) said...

I call infidelity. Only question is who was zooming who?

Kyle Baker said...

Wow, Neeebs. Quick with the infidelity trigger. *tiny pause* I think you're absolutely right.

Kyle Baker said...

Where is Fangraphs on this breakup? We need a chart, stat!

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

@Dusty - Fangraphs blames Ronnie Belliard and his poor fielding. Obviously if Orlando Hudson had been starting this whole mess could have been averted.

Kyle Baker said...

MLASF-

Where is KempKershaw on all this, then?

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

He'd be here if Garland got a spot in the rotation over Bills.

Kyle Baker said...

We need some humor:

http://tinyurl.com/yg5lyo4

Paul said...

This is the most fun in consecutive seasons I have had as a dodger fan. Someone call dr. Phil and get this worked out! Or a pep talk from Tommy?

NicJ said...

So will we see Mark Cuban with front row tickets at tomorrows game?

Kyle Baker said...

Paul said:

"This is the most fun in consecutive seasons I have had as a dodger fan."

Me, too. Interesting you said that. I've been around since 1981 from afar and from right down the street since 1999...but these past two years have been really great for me, as a Dodgers fan.

Kyle Baker said...

Diamond Leung tweet:

"RT @ToddZolecki: Pedro will start Game 2. Myers, Kendrick off NLCS roster. Park, Bruntlett are on. Myers is not happy about being left off"

NicJ said...

PARK?!?!

that just made my night.

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

She's gonna be grabbing a lot of cakes.

Kyle Baker said...

Delino-

Is there is Jamie McCourt/Miss Elizabeth parallel?

Hopefully she doesn't turn into the Fabulous Moolah.

Kyle Baker said...

Hopefully Park will give up two grand slams in an inning to us.

Paul said...

All I know is I hope no one pulls a foreign object out of their pants. Ala macho man vs Tito Santana.

Kyle Baker said...

I thought this was a no DQ series, Paul?

Paul said...

I think it might be a lumberjack match

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Per MLB.com -
On paper, fireballer Jonathan Broxton has the edge on Brad Lidge, who had a disastrous regular season. But Lidge's NLDS performance could mean he's recaptured his perfect '08 form.

SHUT UP ABOUT FUCKING BRAD FUCKING LIDGE

It was 1.1 innings! I mean, he walked two of the six batters he faced! It...he...I...2.00 WHIP...auah...but...four outs...aah...ahgas;;aashf

(thud)

asalnweoiadcnvnapnw

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

kjasdklhfnvaheiohgasd

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

adfjahdvbeuihwnavsd

Orel said...

Medic!

Nostradamus said...

@Orel

That was great, I laughed out loud a little.

Steve Sax said...

Park news cited in a NPUT.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

ahgienaibuwebasubvz

Kyle Baker said...

MLASF said:

"SHUT UP ABOUT FUCKING BRAD FUCKING LIDGE

It was 1.1 innings! I mean, he walked two of the six batters he faced! It...he...I...2.00 WHIP...auah...but...four outs...aah...ahgas;;aashf"

Try fitting that into a Tweet to the whitebread chickenshit ECMB tweeters who kept carrying on re Lidge after Phiwwy won game 4. Seriously, I kept saying almost the same thing; I'm sure they blocked me at some point. God forbid the facts change their storyline that Brad Lidge was BACK. He walked batters, looked really shaky in both appearances, and got an out on one pitch by an extremely frustrated batter swinging at anything. But hey, this guy is money, and he's baaaaack! *winks, makes six-shoter gesture with both hands, makes clicking sound with mouth, and cashes his check*

Nostradamus said...

Not that we need more reasons, but we just have to win it all now, just to potentiallysee two people that that absolutely want to kill each other out there on the field together accepting that trophy.

God, it'll be great.

Kyle Baker said...

Can someone lean over and hit reset on MLASF? I think he's experiencing a BSOD episode. Just switch him off, wait a minute, then turn him back on. He'll be fine.

Kyle Baker said...

Mr. C-

And one of them won't be Jeff Kent! Who would have ever guessed?

Josh S. said...

I think Mr. LASF just told me to be sure to drink my Ovaltine.

Kyle Baker said...

A crummy commercial, Josh?

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

What's ECMB?

Oh, and, askghasdhnuiwbevz

Kyle Baker said...

East Coast Media Bias

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Oh, wait, never mind.


avhjebiasgdbviqef

Steve K said...

It looks like I'm a little late on this, but didn't the McCourts buy a mansion in Malibu last winter? I wonder if that's when the separation happened...

lizzieinsb said...

All those dreamfields... Maybe a nice thought. The park improvements ... Wishful thinking. Jerry Buss & family... That's a delusion I could believe in.

But why the dirty laundry now? TMZ?

& for the record, Red Carpet for ParkSan.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

According to Curt Sandoval via Twitter, the media knew about the split up for about a month.

NicJ said...

Thats what im talking about! A Buss family owned Dodgers would be great.

Kyle Baker said...

J Steve-

You are correct re the 2nd crib purchase. It was strange that they needed at least two McMansions, but at the time, I thought hey, I guess what them rich people do with theyselves.

Paul said...

Brad Lidge is back baby! Manny is back baby! Mark Loretta is back baby! Baby got back baby!

Kyle Baker said...

Are baby back ribs back yet?

Paul said...

exactly DB.

However
Captin Lou gone baby gone.

Steve K said...

It looks like I was wrong about the extra house being related the separation... the LA Times now says they own four homes (two next door to each other in Malibu), the most recent of which was purchased in early 2008...

Kyle Baker said...

Four homes, two next door to each other...that kinda smells suspicious to me, rather than dispelling the notion the purchase(s) were relate to a separation.

Like wealthy people's version of sleeping on the futon.

NicJ said...

I cant even afford two houses in Monopoly.

Im alllllll over Baltic Ave. though.

Steve K said...

Do you think if we all chip in, SOSG and its readers could buy the Dodgers? It might be marked down due to the divorce...

Kyle Baker said...

Maybe the McCourts can commission EK to do a mega puzzle to end all puzzle, and the winner gets dibs on the team but has to assume the debt.

Steve K said...

I was hoping one of us was an internet bajillionaire... I can't take on Frank's debt!

Kyle Baker said...

J Steve-

I can narrow that down to not me.

I hear tell that RBN has a huge stash of pennies, though.

Paul said...

Andruw Jones and Brad Penny are going to buy the team.

We are now hours away from the game. I feel like a kid on Christmas eve. Or a divorce lawyer who just heard the McCourts seperated.

Kyle Baker said...

Paul, if I go to bed now, will tomorrow (Christmas) come quicker? When can I open my presents? Do we have to go to church? When is grandma getting here? Do I have to eat my asparagus? Is Uncle Alex going to get drunk again?......

Kyle Baker said...

Sure hope I get the b-b gun I asked for.

Paul said...

I don't know DB but what I do know is Irish coffee with mint baileys is on me. It is tradition of mine on the Friday before christmas.

lizzieinsb said...

Whatever with the houses--Frank is likely to chalk those up to more insightful real estate purchases, until their private life somehow gets busted.

But whattup for the Dodgers? Their future could be bleak, but the McCourts will never be poor.

Sorting it all out may very well up-tick billable hours for the usual suspects.

Collateral winners: attorneys & accountants. Collateral nail-biters: Dodgers.

lizzieinsb said...

PS for Christmas, I just want a "w", upper case, lower case, gift wrapped or not-- drama ok, not not necessary.

Go Blue!

Nostradamus said...

8 more wins are the only thing on my list this year.

Though a baseball-size welt somewhere on Shane Victorino would make a great stocking stuffer (Not a euphemism. Really.)

NicJ said...

This is almost long enough for a PGT, or a PMT (Post-Marriage Thread)

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

DB - I think she found her right Million Dollar Man (which seemed like an infinite amount of money back then)

rbnlaw said...

No truth to the rumor that Corbin Bernson is repping Mrs. McCourt.

DB,
How'd you know about my pennies?

I've got about 10 grand I can get my hands on in no time. I'm willing to pony that up as part of a "fan consortium" to buy the Dodgers.

rbnlaw said...

Anybody have the link to the Gammons' report about Torre supposedly saying it's a "living hell" working for the McCourts?

Can't imagine working for the Parking Lot King (and Quees) can be much worse than working for Steinbrenner.

okojo said...

Future ownership is in doubt, because the McCourts still have a huge amount of debt they need to pay off their buying of the Dodgers in the first place, let alone the loans they used Dodger Stadium as collateral..

If any buyer of the Dodgers is going to do what Eli Broad would do, demand the broadcasting rights, and create a sports channel like YES, NESN and SNY. They are not going to be chumps like the McCourts...