They were forced to *open* their roof, not close it. And, it doesn't matter when. It was disingenuous and most definitely a double standard. But you're right: Selig sucks.
You're not getting off that easy, msn - I'm BACK!! Sure... virtually every previous sale. Again, as I think bobrek did - don't confuse a "press announcement" with a "press conference.' Two entirely different animals. Which is exactly how they could have handled the announcement when they reached an agreement to sell/buy the team. If you'll recall, the press conference devolved into a series of "no comments" because, legally, Crane doesn't own the team yet, Drayton hasn't sold it yet, and so neither could say anything of substance. Which begs the question - what was the purpose of the press conference? And, again, for the umpteenth time, I'll remind you that Selig specifically asked them not to hold a press conference. Because Drayton inadverently started a ticking clock with the press conference. Whe he set the parameters of 30-60 days, it gave Selig an opportunity to sit on him, letting those 30-60 days pass which then puts pressure on Drayton to answer why his deal isn't done yet. If this all flew under the radar, or, at the very least, was handled more subtly, Selig loses that leverage and the negotiations have to occur behind closed doors.
But Major, this is about moving the team to the American League; not Crane's deal. Crane's already made his decision - the question is whether or not MLB is going to approve it. By holding a press conference - again, against Selig's wishes - he put both himself and Crane on the hook publicly. And handed Selig an opportunity to sweat them to up the pressure to eventually get what he wants out of it.
Sorry; quick follow-up: As noted in my resposne to bobrek, when Hicks and Ryan announced a sale agreement, they issued a press release on a Saturday night; I could find no evidence of a press conference. (They did hold a PC after the arbitration, etc., and final approval was secured.) If you don't know, sending out a release on a Saturday night is tantamount to not sending out a release at all. Newspapers have their Sunday paper all but finished by Friday and have only a skeleton crew there on a Saturday night "just in case." It's a pretty standard tactic to avoid media coverage, underscoring my contention that "sale agreement" announcements are usually handled under the radar because, until MLB approves, there's really nothing anyone can say of any substance. Plus, no one wants to make a big splash only to slink away if MLB puts the kybosh on the approval (which is what likely is happening here - trust me: Jim Crane does NOT want to face the press again if this deal falls through; second press conference or not).
Welcome back! We still won't agree, but the discussion is enjoyable anyway. Screw Selig's wishes. He doesn't own the Astros. There is way too much power vested in that smug, mothballed POS. I hope this thing ends with the maximum possible amount of egg on Selig's crusty, weathered face. Actually, it raises the question; it does not "beg" the question. :grin:
When the Fowler/Wilf purchase agreement for the Vikings was reached there was a function involving newsmen and cameramen. What is that called?
Right - but it's Crane's decision whether he's OK with moving to the AL. Drayton has no influence on that. No he didn't. Again, all Crane has to say is that MLB changed the terms or didn't approve the deal and walk away. There's no bad PR or anything involved for Crane. There might be for Drayton, but he has no influence on anything at this point. His only job is to wait and hope.
Ask yourself why that might be. If Selig was going to get leverage out of it, he'd WANT them to hold the press conference. If this deal doesn't go through, the only person that comes out looking bad is ... Selig. For rejecting a sale; for lowering the potential sales price of other franchises; for dooming the Astros to a mess. There's nothing Drayton could do, and Crane wasn't responsible for the change in terms. Maybe Selig didn't want a press conference because HE didn't want to be forced into that position of being the one to publicly kill the deal. Drayton has an answer: Selig refuses to put it to a vote. Then the question goes to Selig. And the time frame is November 30th - that's based on how long Crane's investors are locked in. It has nothing to do with a press conference.
Well, technically, it's not Crane's decision until MLB approves the sale. Which inherently gives Selig leverage, as mentioned. Holding a press conference in which you dismiss the approval as a formality and set the timetable for approval at 30-60 days gives him more leverage because now the stakes have been raised. Yes, Major; they did. Because now they have to answer for why the deal isn't happening. That's why a release is significantly different from a conference; a PC gives the illusion of "access" - it beams McLane and Crane into homes and on the front page of newspapers and changes the dynamic considerably. *Especially* after Selig asked them not to. Each and every response to me in this thread has uniformly failed to address that key point: Selig asked them not to have a press conference and they did anyway. And now Selig’s holding them hostage. You don’t think the two have any relation? It's been nothing BUT bad PR for Crane. Again... when you set a timetable, and the timetable expires, people start digging around. This is from astros.com’s coverage of the press conference: McLane said it would take 30-60 days for Major League Baseball to approve the transaction, and he expected it to "sail right through." That was May 16. The by-far most damaging piece on Crane was this profile in Forbes , which, more or less, first brought Crane's past business issues to light and put an early public dent in his bid. And it came out June 14… 28 days after McClane said, in a press conference, that approval would take 30-60 days and “sail right through.” That’s not a coincidence. McLane set that in motion. And has we got closer and closer to 30 days, and the approval wasn’t sailing through as he promised… people started getting curious. So while Drayton knows this clock is now ticking, as Crane starts to feel the heat around him... there's Bud Selig, holding all the cards... If they'd kept it quiet, stayed out of the spotlight, this could have all been down on the down low - no timetable, no public access; behind-closed-doors negotiations. Instead, it became public in a big way, McLane spoke out of his rear end........ and here we are, nearly five months later, and nothing is sailing through.
He already had the leverage; he's the commissioner of baseball and has the capacity to single-handedly railroad this. Unless you think Selig is an evil mastermind (hi, msn!), he was probably trying to protect Drayton from making a potentially embarrassing mistake because he already knew he was going to hold a move to the AL over the sale. Selig didn't need additional leverage; McLane voluntarily handed it to him. MLB owners ultimately vote yea or nay, not Selig. So, no - Selig doesn't look bad - he can hold Crane's shoddy business record up, his sketchy finances, the Frank McCourt debacle and say (likely in a press release) that Crane didn't meet the standards of a ML owner. Maybe Selig didn't want a press conference because HE didn't want to be forced into that position of being the one to publicly kill the deal. Again, I think you're misunderstanding our POV here. The (imo) ill-advised press conference gave Selig *more* leverage, not all of his leverage. He's the commish; he started this with a tremendous amount of leverage.
not one thing you said provides leverage over Crane. seriously, not one thing. the leverage is in approval, itself...it happens or it doesn't. that's it.
Again, it provided *more* leverage; not all the leverage. Selig has had leverage from the start. It made very public what should have been a behind the scenes negotiation, which can change the dynamic considerably.
I've never given him near that much credit. He's a crotchety, old, out-of-touch dumbass that needs to go the hell away. That is all.
i've read your explanation a few times now; i still don't see it. What McLane did has nothing to do with what Crane will accept at this point...or what Selig can get Crane to accept. Crane agreed to buy an MLB team with an NL charter on certain terms...he never agreed to buy an MLB team with an AL charter on any terms. Crane's offer blew away what was expected for the 'stros. Crane has more leverage in this thing than I think he's given credit for; particularly if he really is willing to walk. But the fact that McLane had a press conference about it does not impact at all the discussion at this point. I just don't see it. It may make McLane look foolish..but he's not in the discussion anymore.
I'm glad to see in today's article that he's standing up to Selig and the owners...telling them that they need to make him and offer in order to move the Astros to the AL, not the other way around. I don't want the team to move leagues but if they are, the Astros should get something out of the deal.
