Yesterday, we heard the news that Mark Cuban did something people as rich as Mark Cuban can do -- he bid a remarkably high $1.3 billion for the Cubs, well above common estimates of the Cubs value. That's, um, a lot of money for a baseball team, especially one that hasn't won a World Series since 1908.Still, Cuban can apparently afford it, and that high bid mixed with his name recognition suddenly has him as the favorite to take the franchise:
Crain's Chicago Business recently quoted one of the bidders as saying Cuban is now "the lead guy" in the battle to buy the Cubs, while Boston Red Sox owner John Henry said in an e-mail to the New York Times that he could think of "no one better suited to reverse the fortunes of the Cubs for the long term" than Cuban. [...]If there's one thing Cuban's huge bid and general insane-but-sort-of-awesome demeanor suggest, it's that winning would be the top priority. Even at the cost of Cuban's antics, to Cubs fans, that has to sound like a pretty fair trade.
"I think the only thing we care about is that whoever gets it is committed to winning," he said. "We don't want someone coming in here and all they care about is making money and cutting payroll and putting it in his pocket."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-04-2008 @ 4:12PM
biff_tannen said...
I suppose this would usher in the era of Piniellie-ball
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8-04-2008 @ 4:13PM
§ said...
Cubs fans want to remind you they actually did win one in 1908
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8-04-2008 @ 4:29PM
Dayna said...
And in 1907.
8-04-2008 @ 4:26PM
Riggs said...
Cuban has won how many world championship's in the NBA? And his show did what on TV? What makes this guy a winner? This reminds me of when the XFL signed with NBC and it was going to be a winner because it had VInce McMahon's name on it. Cubs fans - watch out... your expectations will be higher now which means the disappointed level will be that much greater!
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8-04-2008 @ 10:40PM
Clay said...
Riggs, please see the Dallas Mavericks pre Cuban and post Cuban. Not only has he made them the 3rd most valuable franchise in the NBA, he has made them into a playoff team year in and year out. The last time the Cubs won a World Series was 1908. I don't think he could do worse even if he tried really hard. The question isn't whether he'd make the Cubs better, it is will the MLB good ole boys club allow him in to play? Cuban would be the best thing that has happened to Chicago sports since the Bulls signed Jordan.
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8-12-2008 @ 3:06PM
Clare said...
Totally agree Clay - only short-sightedness and a desire to hang on to the (losing) past of the Cubs could explain why people don't want Cuban. So he's a character - remind me why that's bad in an industry where attention equals money equals success.
Anyone that wants to see the Cuban take the helm of the Cubs - http://www.thepoint.com/campaigns/bring-cuban-to-the-cubs
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