Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Liberation Day, Perhaps?

Wow. The stunning news that Frank McCourt has been ousted as operating and business head of the Dodgers stunned the sports world today. Given MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's historic reluctance to take a stand on substantive issues, compounded by the fact that he gave the okay for a highly-leveraged McCourt to purchase the Dodgers in the first place, I had not expected a pre-emptive move of this kind, certainly not in mid-April of this season.

I don't know if it was the $30M bridge loan from Fox which McCourt needed to pay payroll, or the continuing concerns over the Bryan Stow tragedy (including the victim's continued precarious health as well as the criticism over the Dodgers' perceived slow response), the embarrassing financial chicanery unveiled by the very public McCourt divorce case, or even the future desperate moves to source additional funding from anyone who would listen (including foreign investors). But somehow, Bud Selig realized that the Dodgers, one of baseball's crown jewel franchises, could not persist under such wonership and management.

Liberation from the McCourt circus, finally? To paraphrase SoSG reader QuadSevens:

Alternatively, to paraphrase SoSG reader Paul:

But hold on with those fireworks over Endor. During the course of tonight's game, we received this one-paragraph note from the Dodgers' VP of Communications:

Subject: Statement from Dodger Owner Frank McCourt

"Major League Baseball sets strict financial guidelines which all 30 teams must follow. The Dodgers are in compliance with these guidelines. On this basis, it is hard to understand the Commissioner's action today."

Oh, shit. Die Ewoks kommen. Achtung, baby. There may be three other "prequels" ahead of us. Including Jar Jar Binks, I might add.

I was at tonight's game and will post an At-Game Recap tomorrow morning.

2 comments:

Josh S. said...

To answer paragraph two: Perfect storm of all of that.

Paul said...

Of course Jar Jar Binks = Bud Selig.

Me sa don't like da all-star tie!!!!