Friday, May 06, 2011

The McCourt Circus Spins Into Outer Orbits Of Absurdity

Little has been said about Steve Soboroff, the friend Frank McCourt hired to improve fan experience bark at the media on McCourt's behalf. Soboroff was hired on a Tuesday, saw McCourt emasculated by MLB on Wednesday, and then barked to anyone that would listen on Thursday. After that, he was quiet...

...that is, until Soboroff ran his mouth again, insulting MLB emissary Tom Schieffer with an untrue allegation, which forced McCourt himself to have to bail Soboroff out:

The Dodgers' ownership drama took a bizarre turn Thursday when owner Frank McCourt apologized after his vice chairman claimed the team could not get prompt authorization to increase security in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death.

Dodgers Vice Chairman Steve Soboroff told several media outlets Thursday that Tom Schieffer, the trustee appointed by Commissioner Bud Selig to run the team, did not respond promptly to a request for upgraded stadium security. The allegation outraged Major League Baseball officials, for whom Schieffer produced an email in which he granted authorization two minutes after the request from Dodgers general counsel Sam Fernandez.

In addition to issuing a statement, McCourt apologized in a telephone call to Rob Manfred, the MLB executive vice president and Selig's point man on the Dodgers.

I don't think pissing MLB off on extraneous sidebars is a very good strategy. And if Frank McCourt has to step in to help you with your spin, what does that say about you?

(Meanwhile, the fan experience suffers.)

UPDATE 5/7 1p: Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times' Dodgers blog also thinks Soboroff should head for the door. Screaming.

10 comments:

Fred's Brim said...

(sobs)

Kyle Baker said...

Last night I listened to NPR Larry Mantle's interview with Soboroff (it's available online). I was appalled at what a horrid spinner this guy is. If I were McCourt, I would not trot him out again for that purpose.

Nostradamus said...

If I were McCourt, there are a lot of things I would not have done, including that.

rbnlaw said...

I love Soboroff. If anyone is going to speed up the MLB takeover and eventual sale of this team, it is that man.

Keep talking, Stevie.
Sell, Frankie (not the pug), sell!

NicJ said...

For some reason the song "baby elephant walk" pops into my head whenever I see Soboroff.

Pistol Pete Reiser said...

Yes, please keep talking Steve. Please please please...

spank said...

Frank McCourt=Smart

Steve Sax said...

@Spank: I assume you mean Maxwell Smart.

(visualizes Frank talking into his shoe)

rbnlaw said...

(visualizes Frank saying, "You shot me fanny?")

NicJ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.