Dodgers Return Fire Against Bud Selig

The fun continues. From ESPN:

New Los Angeles Dodgers executive Steve Soboroff came to the defense of embattled owner Frank McCourt on Thursday, blasting commissioner Bud Selig's decision to have Major League Baseball assume control of the team. Soboroff, the Los Angeles civic leader and former mayoral candidate whom the Dodgers hired Tuesday as vice chairman, said Thursday the Dodgers are in good shape financially and Selig's move was "irresponsible" and came as "a shock."

Soboroff cited the Dodgers' potential 20 year, $3 billion television deal with Fox as evidence McCourt has sufficient funds to operate the team.

"All this momentum is building and then all of sudden this letter comes in and says, 'You don't have any money. You don't have this or that.' I think it was irresponsible," Soboroff said.

He added: "That letter was not expected. [It] was a shock. ... Let us show the exciting things that we can do, that Los Angeles can do for Major League Baseball." The television deal, which McCourt reportedly presented to MLB representatives on April 5 as a long-term solution to the team's financial problems, has yet to be approved by Selig.

"Frank has money in the bank," Soboroff said. "He has a $3 billion deal with Fox. Not on [the credit card]. He's got it on [the ATM card]. The only thing [preventing] him from sticking [the ATM card] in the machine, is this letter. "Can't we talk to the commissioner? Can't we talk to the people that are going to vote on this?" Soboroff said he was unsure of McCourt's plans to challenge Selig's decision. Soboroff spoke with the owner Wednesday after the letter had been delivered and said McCourt had a "mature" response.

Any thoughts on what a "mature response" would entail? Is "nanny nanny boo boo" still considered mature?

Soboroff added: "How do you single him out when you don't single the Mets out? Come on."

The Mets have reportedly borrowed $25 million from MLB to keep baseball operations afloat as the Wilpon family looks for someone to buy a share of the team. Ownership needs to raise funds as it battles a lawsuit by the Bernard Madoff trustee that could potentially cost the team $1 billion.

Selig bristled Thursday when asked if he sees any similarities between the Dodgers and the Mets.

"The only thing I'm going to say is that there are a lot of differences," Selig said, according to multiple media outlets. "The situations are clearly not similar, and that's in a myriad of ways. ... So if you ask me is the analogy is a proper one, I say no. "Anyone who portrays that as the case ... is incorrect. Very incorrect. That's based on the facts, as I know them."

Saying we're not the Mets is like when the owner of my son's (former) daycare defended her treatment of staff by saying "I'M NOT HITLER". (100% true story)

And I thought the only link between the Mets and the Dodgers was me, SoSG Delino DeSheilds. Apparently financial incompetence and general schmuckness is also in that ven diagram. (Not unlike me too).

PS - I'm gonna just keep posting my concept art for the War of the Roses reboot until it goes viral!!!