Atlanta 3.0: Three local ownership groups emerge

[roccerfeller]

"lovingly??" NO WAY.

They are referred to SERIOUSLY as the "septotards" for a reason.

and I totally agree that ego and stupidity and irrationality will stand with them and the deal will get screwed up.

I know

I meant it sarcastically

 

[bleuet]

Nothing new, but this article seems to tie it together nicely.



http://www.examiner.com/atlanta-thra...g-team-atlanta

Hum hum, five groups, he means, five sharks

Boy, you gotta love hockey to loose 20M a year. I am most sceptical and do not believe anything coming from ASG.

I mean, they've been looking for buyers for five years, go public on emergency, and just like magic, five group are interested!.. I love comedy

 

[Magnus Fulgur]

Hum hum, five groups, he means, five sharks

Boy, you gotta love hockey to loose 20M a year. I am most sceptical and do not believe anything coming from ASG.

I mean, they've been looking for buyers for five years, go public on emergency, and just like magic, five group are interested!.. I love comedy

There have been groups who expressed interest over the past five years, but it was only exploratory with the condition that the inter-owership lawsuits finished first. Nobody was going to buy the team without that settled. They were waiting for the law suit to be over. Now that it is, yes - suddenly ASG is free to sell to interested parties.

It's not comedy. It's fact.

They had to sustain the losses because they were trapped in the lawsuit for the past five years. They had no money to make things better, so it just got worse and worse. Plus, owner Steve Belkin wasn't contributing his 30% share to the Thrashers.

Of course you don't believe what ASG says. You don't understand the situation at all.

 

[CC Chiefs*]

There have been groups who expressed interest over the past five years, but it was only exploratory with the condition that the inter-owership lawsuits finished first. Nobody was going to buy the team without that settled. They were waiting for the law suit to be over. Now that it is, yes - suddenly ASG is free to sell to interested parties.

It's not comedy. It's fact.

They had to sustain the losses because they were trapped in the lawsuit for the past five years. They had no money to make things better, so it just got worse and worse. Plus, owner Steve Belkin wasn't contributing his 30% share to the Thrashers.

Of course you don't believe what ASG says. You don't understand the situation at all.

I had a business meeting the other night with a HIGH up (VP of Ops) for my company home based out of Marietta. He told me the newness in Atlanta has worn off and it very hard to get companies to buy Boxes and ST. Just saying.

 

[headsigh]

-At least three "in-town" ownership groups (1 singular owner, 2 ownership groups) interesting and have been in talks with ASG. All of them are solely interested in purchasing the Thrashers and not the entire arena, so I don't know how much the parking rights are an issue. It's never been much of a parking issue in Philips, not as much as it being stuck in the middle of nowhere.

-Another two reported to want to purchase the entire deal (Thrashers, NBA Hawks, Philips Arena, WNBA Dream)

-a sixth prospective group has been reported by John Kincade


I think it's most telling that ex-players hate ASG and want any change at all, this is a quote from Ilya Kovalchuk:

Kovalchuk, of course, has an ax to grind with the team’s ownership. He turned down a contract extension worth $100 million to explore free agency. One of the factors he ultimately gave for not wanting to re-sign was concerns that the franchise might relocate.

“It’s tough,” he said. “I think they should the sell the team to the guy who really cares about hockey because those fans -- they deserve it and, you know, they got right now, I work here eight years and they never really make any moves to get guys or make our team better. We always got the first picks but it seems like we always let them go.

“It’s tough. For me, I’m sure if they will sell to the guy who loves hockey and they’re going to keep the team here because it’s a beautiful city. I remember when we make playoffs the whole place was crazy about hockey and they deserve that and they’re not far away this year but, it’s still, I’m sure, you know, they want to go deep and see real playoff hockey.”

 

[headsigh]

Two other groups have also expressed interest in purchasing the Thrashers, Hawks and Philips Arena from the Atlanta Spirit. One had meetings with officials from the NBA and the NHL. Despite their interest, Waddell said he has no direct dealings with a group interested in purchasing all three properties.

At least five non-disclosure agreements, the first step in a purchase, have been procured by the Raine Group, a New York-based banking firm hired by the Atlanta Spirit to seek a buyer or additional investors for all or part of the three properties.

source

 

[ThrasherMinion]

I know

I meant it sarcastically

ya, I know, but I never let a chance to bash on the trolls that are the Septotards pass by.

 

[Lux Aurumque*]

I remember a time when Phoenix has multiple interested buyers as well.

They're done. That's all there is to be said. This franchise is as ****ed as Phoenix.

 

[bleuet]

There have been groups who expressed interest over the past five years, but it was only exploratory with the condition that the inter-owership lawsuits finished first. Nobody was going to buy the team without that settled. They were waiting for the law suit to be over. Now that it is, yes - suddenly ASG is free to sell to interested parties.

It's not comedy. It's fact.

They had to sustain the losses because they were trapped in the lawsuit for the past five years. They had no money to make things better, so it just got worse and worse. Plus, owner Steve Belkin wasn't contributing his 30% share to the Thrashers.

Of course you don't believe what ASG says. You don't understand the situation at all.

I am aware there was a dispute between owners in the last years... which would definitly would came to an end if a third party was buying the whole thing and send everybody home. But there was'nt. Money settles disputes. Don't know the sources about interested parties in the past, but if all this info came from ASG...

My guess is maybe there is one group for ATL and Quebecor.

Now, how serious are the ATL group? I don't know.

I wish all good the the guys in ATL as long as Qc have a team.

 

[dj4aces]

I am aware there was a dispute between owners in the last years... which would definitly would came to an end if a third party was buying the whole thing and send everybody home. But there was'nt. Money settles disputes. Don't know the sources about interested parties in the past, but if all this info came from ASG...

When there's a dispute regarding who owns the team, it doesn't just simply come to an end when a third party wants it all. They don't say "hey, look, someone wants to buy? Let's stop fighting and sell!" A resolution as to who owns the teams has to come to fruition before any sort of sales talk can begin. That resolution came in December 2010.

I suspect there have been talks with at least one prospective ownership candidate since then, and since it wasn't going too well, they went to the media.

 

[Aaronxxx]

I had a business meeting the other night with a HIGH up (VP of Ops) for my company home based out of Marietta. He told me the newness in Atlanta has worn off and it very hard to get companies to buy Boxes and ST. Just saying.

 

[ThrasherMinion]

latest info from a good source, (and I have posted when it's a source or just my conjecture, or just a rumor....)

The Thrashers are staying put. We are not the next team on the radar after Phoenix for any relocation. The NHL is NOT giving up Atlanta. There is another team in front of us.

Hint: The NHL is not making any loans to the Thrashers. They are solvent. They aren't moving out of Atlanta, they will have a new owner and will be here for a long time.

Take that for whatever you want....

 

[Magnus Fulgur]

I had a business meeting the other night with a HIGH up (VP of Ops) for my company home based out of Marietta. He told me the newness in Atlanta has worn off and it very hard to get companies to buy Boxes and ST. Just saying.

I'm sure that's the case for many companies. The economy in ATL is terrible now, and the novelty certainly has worn off to invest in Philips. That's why it's going to take a few years of new owners drawing individual STH people to Philips for companies to want to be a part of it again. They had strong corporate investment many moons ago. That went out the window whent the STHs left (and a bit before that too).

 

[bleuet]

latest info from a good source, (and I have posted when it's a source or just my conjecture, or just a rumor....)

The Thrashers are staying put. We are not the next team on the radar after Phoenix for any relocation. The NHL is NOT giving up Atlanta. There is another team in front of us.

Hint: The NHL is not making any loans to the Thrashers. They are solvent. They aren't moving out of Atlanta, they will have a new owner and will be here for a long time.

Take that for whatever you want....

We could reply indefinitly on this. All light will be made next june probably.

Any could joke with anything in fact.. Happy for you you got good sources.

 

[ThrasherMinion]

We could reply indefinitly on this. All light will be made next june probably.

Any could joke with anything in fact.. Happy for you you got good sources.

I post for the Atlanta fans that are more in tune with local stories. Others can just keep licking up everything that the Toronto media throws at the wall.



Atlanta to Canada, since 2005.

 

[atl thrasher344]

Atlanta to Canada, since 2005.

That should be on a t-shirt.

Thanks for the update!

 

[jamwires]

Question - forgive my ignorance on the topic...

Let's say Atlanta Spirit gets multiple offers - one from Atlanta, and one from Winnipeg, KC or LV etc. If the local group offers $140m and the relocation group offers $170 or something - do they have to take the local offer?

Or is there just a set price, and if someone locally meets that, it's all good?

 

[KevFist]

Precedence goes to the local group. That's been the case in ANY NHL team sale since the mid 90's relocations.

 

[headsigh]

Question - forgive my ignorance on the topic...

Let's say Atlanta Spirit gets multiple offers - one from Atlanta, and one from Winnipeg, KC or LV etc. If the local group offers $140m and the relocation group offers $170 or something - do they have to take the local offer?

Or is there just a set price, and if someone locally meets that, it's all good?

As long as they meet the price. Local ownership gets the first crack at negotiations.

 

[ThrasherMinion]

Question - forgive my ignorance on the topic...

Let's say Atlanta Spirit gets multiple offers - one from Atlanta, and one from Winnipeg, KC or LV etc. If the local group offers $140m and the relocation group offers $170 or something - do they have to take the local offer?

Or is there just a set price, and if someone locally meets that, it's all good?

would you take the higher offer now or negotiate a 7 to 10 year (or more) lease deal that would pay more over the long term???

Also have to determine the worth of the 42 dates that will be left open if the team is sold to another city....

ASG owns the parking lots and concessions. Just saying there's lots to consider and this is going to take a long time to flesh out if they sell only the team.

besides, there's going to be a set value for what the franchise is worth and offers aren't going to be that crazy apart when the bottom line is agreed upon.

 

[pegcity]

So thrasherminion, is someone buying out Atlanta Spirit or did they find a new partner to inject some capital into the company

 

[headsigh]

So thrasherminion, is someone buying out Atlanta Spirit or did they find a new partner to inject some capital into the company

ASG by itself is still pretty healthy. They have thrown 100m contracts at Joe Johnson for the NBA team and of course the Kovalchuk-rejecting-another-100m was highly publicized. Right now the feeling from them is mostly "this isn't going the way we like it so we'd rather have someone else take this endeavor off our hands because we don't really care about it" (it shows).

 

[ThrasherMinion]

So thrasherminion, is someone buying out Atlanta Spirit or did they find a new partner to inject some capital into the company

lol. No one short of Glendale would be stupid enough to just "partner up" with the Septotards!!

The group is currently talking like they want to just unhinge the hockey team to a local person or group, but hopefully (this is me speaking) they will unload the whole shebang because anything they have touched has turned to rot.

I have my doubts as to the real number of interested buyers, but I do believe they will be sold to a local entity.....

 

[pegcity]

As long as they meet the price. Local ownership gets the first crack at negotiations.

X2

 

[pegcity]

lol. No one short of Glendale would be stupid enough to just "partner up" with the Septotards!!

The group is currently talking like they want to just unhinge the hockey team to a local person or group, but hopefully (this is me speaking) they will unload the whole shebang because anything they have touched has turned to rot.

I have my doubts as to the real number of interested buyers, but I do believe they will be sold to a local entity.....

I'm assuming Atlanta Spirit would have to re-work the lease in order for the new owner of the Thrasher to make a profit.

I always thought it seemed unlikely that an owner would be willing to just purchase the Thrashers, but hey, what do I know.

I guess time will tell