rockets, it doesn't matter if someone won the thread. hands are being forced and something will happen. we do not want to miss this season
No. You didn't just report what Charlie said. You made more snide comments about the Astros and Crane. You talked about how the season is being Junction Jacked, etc etc. I merely pointed out how this is actually Comcast's fault as they kept the Astros from getting out of the way. Somehow that makes me a dick? That's rich.
Well I'm pretty sure people were expecting a dismissal which would have led to the Astros and a Rockets going their separate ways, and leaving CSN to wither away. Under that scenario, everything has collapsed, the network gets shut down, people get fired, the rockets potentially have to scramble to another network at a cheaper price just to ensure that no games are missed this year... The way it played out really is the best possible solution for all parties involved...and things likely get resolved not only sooner, but in a more organized manner. The fact that whoever ends up running the channel already has Comcast distribution is huge...wasn't sure how that would have played out had the Astros potentially left for DTV without this hearing (but as I said before, they likely go to fox under the previous terms).
Uhh yeah it was pretty clear the bankruptcy petition was going nowhere. Further when the Judge kept pushing negotiations between the parties it was clear he wanted them to reach an accord. Did I know he would approve an agreed order spelled out like it was? No. However it was clear that Comcasts bankruptcy Petition was not going to hold water. Comcast only agreed to the terms in the agreed order because the Judge made it clear to their counsel which way he was leaning... and it wasn't for Comcast.
Correct. Most people were predicting a dismissal. The poster you responded to said he couldn't believe the Astros are now negotiating on behalf of the entire group and you implied that any lawyer had that figured out ahead of time. That's just ridiculous. There are lawyers on this board, in this thread, and not one of them predicted this agreement.
That is fair. I thought you were saying you expected the Petition to be granted. Also keep in mind, this whole deal may fall apart. The Judge has reserved ruling on the Petition and Dismissal.
Agreed, this isn't what the majority was predicting but at least everyone's interests are covered by this ruling. I don't see how the DTV RSN is going to come to fruition unless the teams give up equity in the Network for more in upfront media rights. Comcast pretty much offered that already and it was rejected.
What was clear to me (at least in my opinion) was that: 1. the strongest arguments presented by any party were the arguments for dismissal. there are multiple grounds on which this case could be dismissed; and 2. once the Comcast rep confirmed the numbers, that this wasn't going to go in their favor. Isgur is super practical and pragmatic. He had one attorney for each party in the court with him, while the rest were outside. He spent the last 30 minutes or so of the first night throwing the word, "collusion" around....he grilled one of the creditors on whether they were even a proper creditor to a bankruptcy. As another friend of mine who practices in commercial litigation said going into this, "even Comcast has to know this isn't going to work, right?" Ultimately, he asks Crane on the stand how long he thought it would take him to right the ship. Crane gives him an answer suggesting he could work to get it done quickly....and that's exactly what the judge steered this towards, with the threat of dismissal looming. The exact opposite of Comcast's hope that the threat of a trustee would force the Astros into a position they couldn't afford to accept -- and frankly, a position the Network couldn't afford to accept. Comcast doesn't agree to this order if the judge is tipping his hand the other way. No way in the world they would otherwise agree that the Astros can go out and seek to replace them, bringing in 3rd parties they would have tortious interference claims against but for the fact Comcast agreed to waive them.
I actually predicted this exact outcome earlier in this thread. I think it was somewhere between pages 19 and 83. Check if you don't believe me.
I am an attorney and own my own firm with several offices in different states. Not to say that everything is predictable after awhile, as in the law things are constantly changing depending on the parties, Judge, facts, etc. Further, I am not a bankruptcy attorney. Still, yes it was clear the Petition was going no where. As I addressed in my response to Nick, I thought he was surprised that the Petition was not granted. Comcast is the overall loser I suppose (that is relative), unless Comcast filed the Petition knowing they didn't have a leg to stand on and hoped that the Judge would force all the parties to sit down and negotiate. Motivations are not always so obvious.
That is basically what I said (although as usual you articulated it better than I)..... so obviously I agree with you. Honestly, the Judge was a master at manipulating the parties and letting them know they should try to work this out. Make no mistake though, had Comcast and the parties forced the issue, that the Motion to Dismiss would have been entered... and as I said earlier, may still be granted.
Whatever dude. Go back to what you are good at which is making figures of speech where you think it's fine to say degrading things about a woman who has nothing to do with this debate. Because you suck at predicting outcomes of a bankruptcy hearing.
What Comcast was offering did not guarantee carriage on the other networks... and still came with the shady stipulations that they were potentially trying to do this from the start (i.e. - attempt to take over the network at a favorable rate). At least in this scenario, the Astros have control over whether or not they want another company to do what Comcast was trying to subversively do. Also, they can now potentially negotiate a more profitable deal with Fox or DTV who now potentially would have a ready-to-go RSN with Comcast distribution already in place.
I think a lot of people are forgetting CSN could outbid Fox for the rights of the games if that were to happen. Then it would be up to Crane to choose and by all accounts he likes money. That was CSN's plan all along. **This, of course, assuming CSN can finally strike a deal with the providers wit the Astros out of the way.
That's what I see the Astros not wanting to deal with again... depending on the other carriers to agree to terms with CSN is NOT a given, regardless of the carriage rates discussed. Fox already had outbid CSN previously... they just weren't offering equity. They're already on every channel lineup. Subscribers are still subsidizing a channel (FSSW) that no longer carries any local sports. I feel if the $$$ match up, it would be the easiest/quickest/most profitable transition they could come up with.
