That could really help CSNH. I wonder if the Dallas customers would be forced to get CSNH because that would be awesome.
Castor, I noticed from your profile you are from the Beaumont area like me. I live in Nederland. This Comcast/Time Warner buyout may allow us to have an option to actually receive CSN-H legally. I hope this works out although I truly love my Direct TV. I may have to purchase the minimum package that includes CSN-H for one TV so I can switch back and forth for games. Anybody know what the minimum package you can receive CSN-H on Comcast is and how much it cost???? Can you get it without a digital box? I may have to post this question in the GARM as I am sure most people in this thread do not have CSN-H.
It wont help me, unfortunately. I live on the northwest side of Beaumont, towards Sour Lake. I'm about a half mile from were TW stops and CMA (or New Wave, now) starts. I'm with Dish because the old CMA was horrible.
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2014/02/astros_bankruptcy_lose_big.php Judge Marvin Isgur Treated The Astros Like Nolan Ryan Treated Robin Ventura By John Royal Thu., Feb. 13 2014 at 9:00 AM No, Nolan Ryan returning to the Astros wasn't the most important thing to happen to the team this week. While most of the city's attention Tuesday afternoon (and that of the local sports media) was centered on Nolan Ryan's return to the Houston Astros, on the other side of downtown Houston the asses of the Houston Astros bankruptcy attorneys were being handed to them by Judge Marvin Isgur. And while the return of local legend Ryan to a PR-friendly role might make for good visuals and easy stories, what was happening in bankruptcy court was much more important to the short and longterm future of the team. The Astros appealed Judge Isgur's ruling putting CSN Houston into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And while appealing the ruling, the Astros requested that the judge stay his opinion, or stop enforcement of the ruling, until the appeal could be heard by Federal District Court Judge Lynn Hughes. Judges stay orders when they think there's a chance the opinion will be overturned, primarily when an area of law is still unclear, which it's not in this case. As a result, the judge refused the Astros request for the stay. He stated from the bench that the appeal was without merit and that it had no chance of success. He told them that the network could be a success, and that it was the team's duty, as one of CSN Houston's owners, to make the network a success. To quote from Judge Isgur's opinion that was issued on Wednesday: The Astros' futility argument turns 'bad faith' law on its head. It is true that the petitioning creditors [Comcast] may not sustain an involuntary chapter 11 bankruptcy petition if a chapter 11 case would be futile. In this case (and contrary to the evidentiary record), the Astros now argue that the Astros, by exercising veto rights through its appointed director, can render any hope of reorganization to be futile. In this case, the alleged "futility" arises only because of the Astros' unsupported threats to cause a director to breach his duties. The Court is unaware of any case law that would support a dismissal based on futility that is engineered by the party seeking the dismissal. Judge Isgur further ruled in his opinion that the Astros didn't even have standing to challenge the bankruptcy and that while Comcast might have done an end run around the Astros to get the bankruptcy filed, it didn't matter because, unlike the Astros, Comcast was acting to save and preserve the network. The judge also accused the Astros of wanting to turn decades of established bankruptcy law on its head while offering zero legal support for its claims and arguments. In other words, the Astros attorneys struck out like Chris Carter did 212 times last season. Judge Isgur's written opinion was blunt and brutal. It was as if he was personally offended by the Astros arguments before him, which is quite possible. And worse for the Astros, written opinions from bankruptcy judges tend to be a road map to follow for judges hearing the case on appeal. So when the court quotes Jim Crane saying the network can be a success with the right plan, then the odds of the appeals court giving into the Astros is as slight as the team winning the World Series this season. The Astros and the rest of the Comcast bankruptcy parties are set to appear before Judge Lynn Hughes Friday, February 21. The parties will talk to the judge and he'll probably come up with some kind of timetable for hearing the appeal and making a decision. But the Astros should not let it get that far. They should dismiss the appeal and get to work on reorganizing the network. Dear Astros, I get it. Judge Isgur gets it. We all get it. You think Drayton McLane lied to you. You think that Comcast is trying to cheat you. You haven't gotten all of what is owed to you to for your media rights from last year. It looks like you won't get your media rights money this year. It's not fair, and you just want to take your ball and go home. But that's not how the law works. Not when you are an owner of the damn company. You have to figure out how to act like an adult and make it all work. Jim Crane removed himself from the CSN Houston operating board. Crane's replacement is the general counsel of the Astros. But here's another idea for Crane and the Astros. Why not put Nolan Ryan on the board? He's under contract to the Astros. He's a former MLB team owner. He's part of a group that owns two very successful minor league franchises. He's an astute businessman who understands the necessity of media rights fees to the success of a major league team, but he's also smart enough to realize the longterm importance of actually owning the network. Most importantly, Ryan is not emotionally invested. He wasn't lied to (allegedly) by Drayton McLane. The Houston Rockets are convinced this network can be a success. So is Comcast. And according to the judge's opinion, Jim Crane has said the network can be a success. So get it done. Come up with a new operating plan, come to the realization that Drayton McLane's rosy projections were just that, rosy projections. And get the carriage deals worked out, even if it means short term losses for the network because what's more important to the Astros, short term network losses or another year with no media rights fees and pissed off fans who can't watch the games?
I'm not. I just think it's funny that all those around here who have been blind supporters of Crane are being proven to be naïve fools.
There are several factions in this forum. Those that don't care for Crane or his antics throughout this whole mess. Those that hate Comcast...many who blame them as this big evil empire with horrible customer service even if they've never subscribed to it. Those who just want the games on their provider, not matter what network. I've noticed many of those with law backgrounds or opinions seem to be in the anti-Comcast group and tend to predict things going against Comcast and now seem befuddled that the judge doesn't necessarily see it that way.
FWIW, I have a law background and didn't predict that things would go against Comcast. Pretty hard to actually predict things while reading only a few pleadings without being privy to all of the legal research and all of the testimonies and evidence. But I do know that there is some precedence in a chapter 11 case being used to break a stalemate in a deadlocked board and most bankruptcy judges are inclined to give a business a chance to reorganize rather than just flushing it. I don't think people who initially predicted dismissal was totally off base, though. Some did so on the basis that certain of the creditors' claims are "subject to a bona fide dispute" and it turns out they were but additional creditors (the landlord, etc) joined the petition and made up the necessary number of eligible creditors.
Not sure if anybody here has pledged their undying loyalty to that man... But yes, there are enough people who want this to work out for the good of the Astros as fast as possible because they want to watch the games (as well as long term financial health for the franchise to assemble the best team they can). You can be this person and still not like Crane very much (like myself). I would probably dislike him more if he took a bad deal, or simply took a lowball buyout for desperate cash, all while leaving the Astros in a vulnerable position vs the rest of the league. Letting them have the media rights back, and dissolving the channel, was the fastest way to achieving a resolution. Bankruptcy court is the slowest way to achieving a resolution, which still likely could involve the Astros getting their rights back and the channel being dissolved. THAT is the more frustrating part... That the chances for a swift resolution to all of this becomes more unlikely with each ruling/appeal that keeps the original stalemate intact, and the possible inevitable outcome could have been a reality 6 months ago.
anyone who remotely disagrees with Granville on this = "blind supporter" and "naïve fool". Granville, your drivel in these threads is the primary reason I never click any more. I come here today to see if I can maybe get some new actual information, and here you are again. Welcome to my ignore list. I think you make two.
May I submit that there is a "those who've neither embraced nor judged or hated any parties involved" group? Some of us realize we haven't been party to any of the proceedings and we're in no position to arrive at any judgment or opinion. I just want the Astros to *win*.
Sorry to hear that. At least you should be able to watch games at sports bars like Buffalo Wild Wings if the buyout goes through. Hopefully, the bankruptcy reorganization is settled quickly and carriage deals can be reached although I have a feeling it will drag on for a while. What is frustrating in our area, is there is absolutely no way to see the games other than crappy internet streams.
If I read the judge correctly, the initial filling was insufficient as only two of those debtors did not have bona fide disputes. At least two of the new debtors, Rocket entities, did not likely have debt by the time Astros should have been allowed to leave.
Who cares..... You have been an example of those who don't expect Crane to act like a responsible business partner / decent human being just because you are a fan of his team. You even said on a Rockets board that you just want the Astros to win. That pretty much sums up your agenda and proves my point. You don't care what Crane does to screw things up for fans of the Rockets.
I'm pretty sure none of the parties have acted like "responsible business partners", as each of them has blood on their hands. You just feel the need to blame Crane for everything, which isn't productive here. The fact that you equate these negotiations with him being a "indecent human being" shows that you have a clear bias. There's only one "blind supporter" here... and its you in your hatred for Crane.
It must be very liberating to be free from the chains of rational thought and analysis and be able to simply revert back to "Crane bad." Did Crane beat you up and take your lunch money?
When Judge Isgur stated in the very beginning that the case likely belonged in bankruptcy court, I think that was a huge indicator of how things would eventually turn out. Yet there were still people claiming nonsense things like Crane not having a fudiciary responsibility to CSN H to act in it's best interests. It's sad that when the Judge says things like turning the law on it's ear and Crane's supporters aren't the least bit disappointed that Crane is too damn stubborn to realize that and take action to change course to reach compromise. I respect your opinions very much as you have been the most balanced of all the legal folks to weigh in.
