As one of the ones who has dumped on this deal from the beginning, beginning with CSN's absolutely insulting and dishonest attempts at marketing, it was clear that the overal entity known as 'CSN Houston' never had any intention of getting on TV in Houston on anything other than Comcast and the few tiny others, unless it was at what they HAD to know was an unacceptable, way-above-market-value price. Very quickly, everyone involved knew and understood this - the fans, the Rockets, CSN execs.. everyone except the Astros and Crane. Almost everyone with a lick of common sense understands the simple concept that 'a smaller temporary deal NOW is worth more than NO deal now'.. again except for Crane. Which tells me he couldn't afford to get into the baseball business, and the ONLY way he sees any possibility that it can be viable is if het gets the outrageous per-subscriber fees he is demanding.. and that's just NOT GONNA HAPPEN, CRANE. So in order to try to force 'we the people' to have to pay for his unreasonable demands, he has been willing for two years and counting to cause Rockets fans to have to miss their games on TV. I dump on Crane because he should have known better. He should have known better than to get into the baseball business in the first place, if he couldn't actually afford it. He should have known better than to get in bed with Comcast, almost universally regarded as the worst, most shady and unscrupulous large business in the country. He should have known better than to think that people in this part of the country were going to just roll over and either switch to Comcast or harangue their cable providers into picking up an over-priced crappy product in the Astros. He should have known better than to have been as utterly tone deaf as he has been. My advice to Crane? Sell the team to someone who can afford to be a good baseball owner, and then get the heck out of Dodge.
dfbarron CSN Houston bankruptcy hearing will continue at 1:45 p.m. At the podium will be Comcast attorney Craig Goldblatt. In our tale of the (legal) tape, the Astros' closing brief in support of motion to dismiss is 66 pages and cites 73 cases as precedents. The Comcast motion is a mere 59 pages but cites 95 cases. Sounds like a push If Astros get media rights back, Jim Crane told @EvanDrellich last week he has spoken with @MLBNetwork on plan to show games. MLB will not comment, but a spokesman confirms @MLBNetwork can split signal along regional lines to allow more than one program at once. If you missed it previously, MLB is represented here by attorney in addition to Astros' counsel. Isgur to Goldblatt: trustee/examiner request “makes no sense to me right now. If you think you’re good enough to change my mind, go ahead.” Goldblatt for the moment now arguing that case should stay under bankruptcy court supervision. Goldblatt: “The alternative is for the Astros to force the network into liquidation. We believe the record supports the proposition that this (CSNH) is a debtor with a realistic proposition of reorganization.” Goldblatt: “Astros have said again today they intend to terminate their media rights agreement and license rights to a different entity. If that happens, the Rockets go with them in terms of their agreement. That would necessarily lead to the destruction of the network. Using the bankruptcy process to avoid such a result and to preserve the contract’s substantial value for the network is the very definition of what it means to file a bankruptcy petition." Goldblatt says the “dark suggestions of a Comcast conspiracy (in filing the involuntary Ch 11 petition) are wholly unfounded.” Goldblatt says Astros think the structure of Houston Regional Sports Network partnership is a “bankruptcy-proof mousetrap.” He disagees. Comcast has dropped its motion for appointment of an examiner with expanded powers, without prejudice. Isgur notes that nowhere in the CSNH organizing documents is anybody prohibited from filing an involuntary Ch. 11 petition. Basta: “The collusive conduct (of affiliates filing Ch. 11 petition) is what I am hanging my hat on" in alleging bad faith by Comcast. Basta: “They (Comcast) made promises to us that haven’t worked out. It is a bad situation, and it’s going to get worse.” Basta: “It is crystal clear that if this thing were ever in bankruptcy, we would exercise the right to terminate.” Judge Isgur says he will order that CSN Houston enter into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. “We are going to enter an order for relief,” Isgur said.
So, lets presume that won't happen till the team really starts to struggle financially. Lets also presume the Astros should deserve a fair market TV deal... based on the market size. That would be similar to what the Rangers and Mariners got. The CSN debacle has this team nowhere near getting those numbers. You think they're not taking it because Crane's "poor", when in fact it would be a bad deal even for the richest owner.
There's a ton wrong with this post, but this will suffice: So you believe CSN wasn't planning on getting on TV on other networks? Then the Rockets and Comcast should be happy with the situation as its playing out as you think they intended - but they aren't. There have been no temporary deals on the table. It's either long-term or none at all. Except we already know the Astros had a deal on the table with FSH worth more than this network. As to the rest of your message, there is zero evidence that Crane "can't afford" to be in the business. He's trying to get similar revenues to other MLB teams - is that really unreasonable? No MLB teams regularly function by losing money. Every other reasonable MLB owner would take the same stance - it has nothing to do with Crane. It has to do with the economic structure of an MLB team (vs a Cable company and an NBA team, as has been explained way too many times in this thread).
I agree with you but the people in here who only see things through rose colored glasses when it comes to Crane and the Astros will not.
I am starting to WANT the judge to kick the can down the road through the summer now. The Rockets season is pretty much lost now so it would serve Crane right to lose another Astros season without wide carriage!!!
I think you're the only one here with an obvious bias... hell, an admitted bias. The post above, you're rooting for no coverage of this team. You think that's productive?
I am not the only one who feels that way. Besides did you not notice the in the post above. That one was a joke.
More tweets of note. No need to use MLB Extra Innings to show Astros games - they can use MLB Network which already has coverage in lots of providers: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>If Astros get media rights back, Jim Crane told <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich">@EvanDrellich</a> last week he has spoken with <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork">@MLBNetwork</a> on plan to show games.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/430788309661396992">February 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>MLB will not comment, but a spokesman confirms <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork">@MLBNetwork</a> can split signal along regional lines to allow more than one program at once.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/430788610040688640">February 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Comcast gives up on their original key goal: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Isgur to Goldblatt: trustee/examiner request “makes no sense to me right now. If you think you’re good enough to change my mind, go ahead.”</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/430792036157898752">February 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Comcast has dropped its motion for appointment of an examiner with expanded powers, without prejudice.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/430808606510817280">February 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comcast_SportsNet_Houston I added a fan reaction section. shout out to clutchfans.
Judge Isgur says he will order that CSN Houston enter into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. “We are going to enter an order for relief,” Isgur said.
It probably means we will not know a true outcome for several more months maybe years. Hopefully this keeps Crane from getting any Astros games on the air through alternative means.
Judge Isgur has set a status conference for 11 a.m. Friday for CSN Houston, which is now officially under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
