AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2005 > December > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USDry numbers can’t measure any Braves sale
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
So the Braves, owned by the Time Warner Corp. in New York, tenants of Turner Field in Atlanta, are for sale. And for the first time. “Time Warner has never seriously put the Braves up for sale before,” said an executive who should know.
Considering the alarm sounded across the area, the amount of space and the number of headlines devoted to this speculated transaction, it’s as if another aquarium is upon us.
You want to know what an impact this would have on Time Warner, the largest entertainment corporation in this world?
According to Merrill Lynch, the brokerage firm, the Braves amount to about .4 percent of Time Warner’s value. That’s less than a drop in a bucket. Yes, it’s important to the baseball fan in the South, but since fewer than 3 million paying guests passed through the turnstiles at Turner Field last season, it cannot be viewed as a such a pressing issue, say, as the ravages of Katrina.
Even when the Braves and Hawks were under the aegis of Ted Turner, on Turner Broadcasting’s scale of ownership, they were included among “Others.” Have we not more critical matters on our hands?
The Braves are certainly not a pressing matter to Carl Icahn, the Minneapolis investor who once controlled corporations. Icahn would bust up Time Warner and unseat the current chief executive, Richard Parsons. Turner’s downfall began when he fell under the influence of Gerald Levin and Time Warner, then AOL, who put Turner, a dashing success story in the South, in deep water. Sadly, Turner is a mere figurehead now in the life of the Braves, which he once owned and who now play in the stadium bearing his name.
Time Warner did not exactly hang a “For Sale” sign on the Braves. As it came out, the corporation merely announced that it had hired an investment banker to evaluate two assets, the Braves and Turner South, the regional channel that’s a mere blip on its screen, “which could result in their sale.” That laid Time Warner wide open to wild speculation in our precinct.
First, attention centered on Arthur Blank, which I’d suppose is a logical move, considering the rise of the Falcons against those owners of the dreary Hawks and Thrashers. However, neither the NFL nor major league baseball looks upon dual franchise ownership with favor. Blank is not viewed as a glutton for power, and the fact that he is a baseball fan, lukewarm at best, would hardly indicate that he’d care to double his load with the Braves. He is happy in his role and any interest in the Braves, in my opinion, is unimaginable.
Whatever takes place will be a long time in the process. Terry McGuirk, chairman and president, and key figures in the Braves organization have held a meeting, and it’s business as usual. Rather strangely, he had not been included in the flurry of speculation. “Whatever happens, not much will be changed,” he said. “All will probably remain in place, and that’s way, way off.”
Just about all the likely suspects have been covered. Even Stan Kasten has been rejuvenated, though his prior interest had centered on the ownerless Washington Nationals. The prospect of his rising to the fore as a Braves frontrunner are slim and none. And though Icahn once was a figure in the Minnesota Vikings, it’s safe to say the last thing in his financial planning is another sports franchise.
As a longtime shareholder in this firm, beginning with 100 shares of Turner Broadcasting years ago, the plight of the Braves is of little concern as an investor. As a guy who grew up on baseball, it’s in my blood. Talk about overreaction: This has taken our people by the throat.
But that’s baseball for you. That’s the game, and let us not forget, this is not a matter of business, it’s a matter of heart.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Furman Bisher
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By SouthernJackassradiopersonalitygonehaywire
December 18, 2005 12:06 AM | Link to this
Well it’s about time, not interested now tho…I’m out…
By Jim
December 18, 2005 12:16 AM | Link to this
Thanks Furman for your comments… needless to say that in 91,92,93 as we chanted and tomahawked in the wee hours as we cheered our own to the penant and jumped in our seats as Sid slid home…. none of us were thinking of the “business” of baseball….
And furthermore those that have relegated our beloved sport to a matter of simply profit and loss… they’re the big losers, and that goes probably most of all for the players themselves….
Since I love the game itself, I get over the turnstile of the comings and goings of the hired hands that the “game” has made the players into…. I’ve loved it since my childhood days in the fifties when “Hotlanta” was not a word and summer was scorching in our town because no one had air conditioning…
So I’ll continue to love the game…. and harbor my secret contempt for those who have sold out inside for the power of greenbacks….
Hopefully someone like crazy Mark Cuban that has more money than business sense will step up to this plate and hit a homer for those of us like you and I …..
Go Braves…. Go Baseball….
By Eric the Elder
December 18, 2005 07:47 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bisher, because you are my favorite AJC columnist, I wanted to email you rather than post, but I couldn’t figure out how. I really struggled with your following paragraph:
“As a longtime shareholder in this firm, beginning with 100 shares of Turner Broadcasting years ago, the plight of the Braves is of little concern as an investor. As a guy who grew up on baseball, it’s in my blood.”
Am I wrong or are there some brutal misplaced modifiers in there? Is the plight of the Braves a longtime shareholder? Is a guy in your blood? Whew! I hope you don’t think I’m nit-picking. I just had to read the paragraphs several times to discern your meaning.
By SouthernJackassradiopersonalitygonehaywire
December 18, 2005 10:56 AM | Link to this
Eric the Elder—learn the English language—then you will be able to understand Bisher’s writing—or get your eyes checked—or better yet, just F*** off…
By JustAnotherSelf-ProclaimedBaseballKnowItAllGoneWild
December 18, 2005 11:19 AM | Link to this
“Braves have buyers calling”…”Phones ringing off hook with potential suitors”…I didn’t think that a “minor league” team would spark much interest!…That is what Sourhurtz has turned the team into isn’t it?…18 minor league players on the roster last season, but fans still paying “major league” prices. Maybe some huge corporation or conglomerate will acquire this team, cut the budget, and use it in some catchy advertising scheme—and a name change…maybe COMCAST COCHISES or ATLANTA SUMPLANTA or, well sh*t it doesn’t evem matter, Hell! this is only the Braves, a very miniscule small-market enterprise…very minor league…
By Buford
December 18, 2005 11:35 AM | Link to this
It looks like the Braves new closer, Rudy Seanez won’t be the new Braves closer after all, the Redsox made him a better offer, sound familiar? I guess the Braves’ offer of a new uniform & cap, 2 bats & a mitt, thirty dollars, and all the Gatorade that he could drink, during a game of course, just wasn’t enough to land a seasoned veteran with high 90’s fastball and mid 80’s change up…Schuerholz, it sure would have been nice if you had worked on getting a closer and bullpen now when good players are available instead of August or September—when it’s too late!
By LeTwan Anthony
December 18, 2005 11:51 AM | Link to this
Minor league baseball team, hardly. Minor league newspaper, you got it. Surprised and disappointed at Furman’s read on things. Gotta get my Marietta Daily Journal out and see what they have to say about the Braves’ suitors. The MDJ broke the story December 10 - days before the AJC knew anything was going on. According to them, Arthur Blank was reported to be buying the Braves.
Furman can’t be in touch from St. Simons. Someone on the AJC staff needs to develop a few sources and be able to report baseball news with some timeliness and accuracy.
Maybe Furman thinks this is a non-story because it passed by the AJC so readily - not sure how to take his comments. Most of us who grew up with the paper and with Furman know that the AJC is a flawed product now. Best aquarium coverage in town, though. Go figure.
By LeTwan Anthony
December 18, 2005 12:02 PM | Link to this
Buford, there you go breaking news again on this site. LeTwan can’t find any mention here of Seanez being almost ready to sign with Boston. Of course, a Google search tells the whole story. Every other city in America has the story this morning. Guess that big addition to the pen won’t be happening, huh?
The worst thing that could happen would be for Cox Enterprises to buy the Braves. Imagine that?
By Zach
December 18, 2005 03:17 PM | Link to this
Wow, now I know why I don’t read local columnists in Atlanta when they write about the Braves. This column along with others recently are enough to make even the most enthusiastic fan depressed about the Braves chances.
By LeTwan Anthony
December 18, 2005 04:10 PM | Link to this
Pretty dull blog day. Looks like the Braves won’t get Seanez but they can have Dan Kolb and Wes Helms back. Helms was cut loose and Kolb will be non-tendered by the Brewers. Scott Boras strikes again.
By Buford
December 18, 2005 06:42 PM | Link to this
LeTwan I read the story about Seanez and the Redsox early this morning on ProSportsDaily—maybe some of these “beat” writers on AJC staff should read it too, and quit sniffin’ all those jockstraps…
By AlbieRockerson
December 18, 2005 06:50 PM | Link to this
Well at least all this talk about the Braves being for sale is a blessing in disguise for Shurhurts, it has silenced most of the chatter about how he hasn’t got a closer—and if you will notice, the $6 million per year spent on Renteria is the exact same $6 million that Chipper gave back in the restructuring of his contract—so wasn’t the nearly $14 million left over not enough for a premium closer—or does it go back to the current “owner” to help bolster their bottom line?…Looks like Chipper got “F*******”!
By AlbieRockerson
December 18, 2005 06:59 PM | Link to this
I said, it looks like Chipper got F-U-K-E-D!….and the morons blocked it out…
By old timer
December 18, 2005 09:19 PM | Link to this
Gee Albie, too bad they blocked out such a fine word you used there. JS is appointed, not elected. He isn’t George W. Bush. He doesn’t need to divert our attention from anything.
By Eric the Elder
December 18, 2005 10:02 PM | Link to this
Well, Mr. SouthernJack-blah-blah, you certainly told me off, didn’t you? No worries, mate - - at least you used the Golden Rule of Blogs: If you disagree with someone, throw the f-word at them. Hope you feel a little less tense now.
In spite of what you think, I know misplaced modifiers when I see them, and a journalist of Mr. Bisher’s stature shouldn’t be using them. If that gets your nose out of joint, too bad.
By SouthernJackassradiopersonalitygonehaywire
December 18, 2005 11:23 PM | Link to this
Blah Blah..Blah Blah Blah…Blah..Blah Blah………Blah……BLAH!
By ADHD
December 19, 2005 12:04 AM | Link to this
Atlanta Braves fans—the only fans that I know in the world that relish losing so well!