ajcsportstalk

By Bob

February 17, 2009 11:30 AM | Link to this

I’m not surprised. It’s called PRIORITIES. They are apparently more concerned with keeping Howard Stern on the air than keeping the Braves in a pennant chase.

By bernie

February 17, 2009 11:33 AM | Link to this

Liberty needs to get out of the baseball business because it is obvious they don’t care whether the Braves win or lose.If Liberty would just give a few more millions to the Braves they could become competitive again. With half the money they putting into Sirius the Braves would win it all.

By Andrew

February 17, 2009 11:34 AM | Link to this

Would be nice but at this point it would be too little too late. If the ownership had given up enough to sign Abreu, it’d have been worthwhile and gotten fan interest up at just the right time. That $5 million would have been a better investment than $530 in radio when people are going back to local and internet radio since it’s FREE!

By Techfan23

February 17, 2009 11:36 AM | Link to this

Liberty Media SUCKS…they couldnt give Smoltz 10 Million but can give a stupid radio company 530 million. More people care about baseball than satellite radio!

By Evan

February 17, 2009 11:37 AM | Link to this

It’s good because that money saving jobs of the people who work for Sirius XM will then keep spending money and truly stimulate an economy rather than some absurd spending bill that will only serve to put this nation further in debt and make inflation of the dollar worse.

By Techfan23

February 17, 2009 11:38 AM | Link to this

lets hope they can give 2 million to the Braves so Griffey can play!

By Justin

February 17, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this

Andrew,

You probably don’t have sattelite radio. I listen to cable news channels why I drive in my car, that is not free. Look at the bright side, if this angle works out and they make some good money it can only help our baseball team.

Justin

By THOMAS

February 17, 2009 11:44 AM | Link to this

Just goes to show you where their priority lies, I wish Authur Blank would have gotten the braves or someone who cares.

By Minnesota Jacket

February 17, 2009 11:54 AM | Link to this

This literally has nothing to do with their priorities I do agree though I wish they could of opened up the wallet for an extra 1-2 mill so we could have signed abreu and glavine a few weeks ago…

By Dobro2837

February 17, 2009 12:00 PM | Link to this

I lived in Denver for nearly seventeen years. We had a family member employed by a Liberty Media company.

Liberty Media is a media company, not a baseball company. Duuuhhh !

So you go figure.

Dobro2837

By George W.

February 17, 2009 12:17 PM | Link to this

well if they are not in the baseball business they need to sell the braves to someone who is DOBRO2837… That’s the problem… Go Figure that…

By getnathan

February 17, 2009 12:22 PM | Link to this

We need Ted Turner to buy back the team. He was George Steinbrenner like in the way he spent money for the Braves.

Arthur Blank would be a great owner, too

By cva104

February 17, 2009 12:28 PM | Link to this

Corporate ownership sucks. We have no idea who is actually making the decisions that decide the teams future, or what the motives are behind these moves.

By rotty

February 17, 2009 12:31 PM | Link to this

I think this is a question that should be answered by Selig since he approved the sale to Liberty and spurned Blank.

It is bad form and very bad timing to drop over $500mm on a money losing mess of a radio business one which is in tougher shape than baseball (auto sales tanking, people cutting back and the huge advertising expense of keep that business going).

Adding 20mm to the Braves payroll would have

Again forget what we think - someone needs to get Selig involved who has clout.

By Marc

February 17, 2009 12:32 PM | Link to this

Well, I undersand the complaints, but if you want the Braves to have more revenue then you should want it’s ownership to have more expendable cash. If bailing out Sirius XM (and I love my XM so I’m not really upset by this) means more money down the road, then that could mean larger budgets also for the Braves.

By cj

February 17, 2009 12:32 PM | Link to this

I have XM and listen to the MLB channel year ‘round so it’s fine with me, that said they need to unload the Braves to someone that cares about the team and not taking the money the team generates and investing it elsewhere.

By Marie

February 17, 2009 12:42 PM | Link to this

Arthur…Ted….Please……

By bairet

February 17, 2009 12:43 PM | Link to this

I wish Liberty Media would sell the Bravos to someone like Arte Moreno.

By Jonathan

February 17, 2009 12:45 PM | Link to this

They need to unload this team. Liberty Media is a media company, they care about things like DirecTV and now Sirius Radio. They need to sell the team to a group or an owner that will actually care for the needs of the team, instead of just forgetting completely about them. I would love to have someone like Ted Turner back as the Braves owner. Then we might actually be able to compete with teams like the Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees financially.

By Joe C

February 17, 2009 12:54 PM | Link to this

Maybe Liberty can put the fantasy shows and departed hosts back on MLB Home Plate (where’s Charlie Steiner?). XM/Sirius has really gone down hill since the merger.

By keef1234

February 17, 2009 1:36 PM | Link to this

F LIBERTY MEDIA. NOT SURE WHY THIS SALE WAS ALLOWED WHEN SELIG SAID NEW OWNERSHIP SHOULD BE LOCAL? The Falcons owner wanted the Braves and we got screwed…again…

F LIBERTY MEDIA

By Matt

February 17, 2009 2:01 PM | Link to this

They are a business. Baseball is business. They are nto going to lose money on a baseball team simply to sign bigtime free agents. They obviously see SiriusXM as a potential moneymaker. Believe it or not, they own the braves to make mony, not to sink hundreds of millions into in order to make unintelligent fans who don’t get that the purpose of business is to make money. Im surrounded by idiots.

By Say What??

February 17, 2009 2:14 PM | Link to this

GET TED TURNER BACK?????? Are you kidding me??? The idiot screwed the pooch. He threw away everything he ever was. He threw away his TV station, the Braves, the Hawks, CNN, more, all for what??? A liberal, anti-American, commie red loving, Jane Fonda. Then, he lost her. He threw away everything for that b*h. He blew most of his money. He owns a ranch in Montana and raises Buffalo. Fat chance he has enough money left too buy a AA team, much the crummy Braves.

By Michael

February 17, 2009 2:45 PM | Link to this

To Say What??: Your ignorance is remarkable; you should read a book, newspaper or news magazine once in a while.

By Woman's point of view

February 17, 2009 3:11 PM | Link to this

I LOVE Sirius XM Radio and could give a flip about baseball! Professional athletes get paid ridiculous amounts of money anyway. Give me a break! The radio stations in Atlanta suck and I spend way too much time commuting in this horrible traffic to listen to such crap.

By GaLiberal

February 17, 2009 3:18 PM | Link to this

XM Radio has the potential to grow with the introduction of hand-held XM/Sirius receivers. This would also provide a new outlet for their media products. The Braves have no opportunity for growth (increased revenues) and are basically an expense to be controlled. If you want the Braves to become the next Yankees, you need to have owners with deep pockets who are only interested in how many World Series they win. You are not going to get that with Liberty Media.

By John

February 17, 2009 3:22 PM | Link to this

Sirius XM carries every Major League baseball game as well as every SEC football and basketball game among other sports. What’s good for XM is good for baseball.

By KJ

February 17, 2009 3:27 PM | Link to this

Because satallite radio will continue to make money.

The Braves will continue to loose money since they can’t seem to sell out or nearly sell the ted for several reasons:

Fickle Atlanta fans

Traffic getting to the stadium on the southside and the poor public transportation system in atlanta

corporate ownership looking at profit margin and stock prices.

By Rico Carty

February 17, 2009 3:28 PM | Link to this

Liberty loaned the money to Sirius for a steep intrest rate and preferred stock. Baseball is the buggy-whip of sports. The sports and entertainment bubble will be the next to burst.

Say What? is an Idiot.

By girl

February 17, 2009 3:39 PM | Link to this

XM/Sirius ROCKS! Besides what else you all mentioned-it has TRaffic channels where you can get continuous traffic updates for MAJOR cities like Atlanta, with out having to wait for the half hour or 15 min mark on regular radio. And i have one in my car and one in my house, so I am SPENDING my money on a monthly basis. Isn’t that what we are all supposed to be doing right now to bring us out of this recession? As for spending money to bail out, well, i hate to break the news to you, but Individuals and companies can choose to spend their money however they want. How would you like it if I came in your house and told you what you could buy or not buy?

By Tim

February 17, 2009 4:18 PM | Link to this

XM/Sirius should feature the braves games like WTBS did when Ted was trying to grow into the Super Station. Broadcast every stinking game and spend enough to field a quality team and everyone will benifit. XM/Sirius Superstation Baseball. I’m in.

By vwburt

February 17, 2009 4:20 PM | Link to this

corporate baseball. it stinks. bring back TURNER, TURNER, TURNER, TURNER, BASEBALL IS A GAME, IT’S AMERICA, APPLE PIE, BEER, HOTDOGS, IT’S A CITY THAT IS AT THE BALL PARK, ON THE RADIO, WATCHING ON T.V. BASEBALL IS MAIN STREET U.S.A. NOT THE CROOKS ON WALL STREET.

By Vince

February 17, 2009 4:34 PM | Link to this

Fun fact, Braves fans: Sirius-XM has 5 times more subscribers than the number of fans the Braves can manage in Annual Attendance. Also, as stated, this is a high-interest (for corporations) loan, not a purchase. Sirius also generates more revenue than the Braves.

By Paul from Milton

February 17, 2009 4:36 PM | Link to this

Why would we want the Braves to become the next Yankees? They haven’t won a pennant in 9 years and won’t win one this year either. I’d rather become the next Tampa Bay Rays - which is what the Braves were in 1991.

By old cracker

February 17, 2009 4:42 PM | Link to this

Now Liberty Media will tank. Be careful what you wish for.

By Iceman

February 17, 2009 4:47 PM | Link to this

The Braves have no owner. A company is not an owner.

By Nick

February 17, 2009 4:49 PM | Link to this

I’m happy and saddened by this at the same time. I love sirus and the braves. hmmm

By John

February 17, 2009 4:52 PM | Link to this

Tim, you’re a dolt. Sirius XM DOES broadcast every single Braves game. And every other baseball team for that matter. Educate yourself before you voice your opinion.

By Ed

February 17, 2009 5:00 PM | Link to this

Would be nice for the landlord (Liberty)to put some money into their product (Braves)

By Najeh Davenpoop

February 17, 2009 5:03 PM | Link to this

Probably because they think the amount of money they can potentially make off Sirius is a lot greater than the amount of money they can potentially make off the Braves.

This is why sports teams should be owned by people who a) truly care about the team winning and b) have other more profitable investments, so that they can afford to take losses on the sports team. Corporations often satisfy the second requirement but never the first, which means they will not hesitate to cut spending on sports teams when times are rough.

By Stuart

February 17, 2009 5:05 PM | Link to this

1)This was a LOAN with somewhat prohibitive interest rates and terms. 2)Liberty Media has to hold on to the team until 2011 at the earliest for tax purposes. 3)If Time Warner had not gotten in bed with AOL, we are not having this debate about ownership. 4)Will a different owner do any better? No guarantee here folks.

By Todd

February 17, 2009 5:27 PM | Link to this

they should take the name Turner off the stadium for having allowed the braves to get into this mess. mlb should not allow teams to be sold to corporations like this that don’t care wether the team wins or loses.

By Brown-Eyed Girl!

February 17, 2009 5:28 PM | Link to this

Let me tell you something. I just got off the phone THIS MORNING with XM radio because they are trying to rip me off. I have had XM service since 2003 when I purchased a radio for my husbands birthday. The next year, I received a radio as a gift and began receiving service. Two years ago I then got service on a portable unit to use when I am out exercising or just away from my car unit. Last year I activated another device for my husband to use when he travels. I have been an excellent customer to date. They told me I was eligible to receive another unit free, to give as a gift or to keep. I just had to pay for 3 months service on it. That was no problem. Four days ago my service was interupted because I had not updated my credit card on the account. After I made the update, they told me that my service was going to increase in March and that it would be a good thing. Long story short, I found out that they had put a year long subscription on the quote gift device and told me if I tried to cxl, they would charge me $100 dollars. THEY ARE IN TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO RIP PEOPLE OFF AND PEOPLE ARE GETTING TIRED OF IT. TO THINK THAT THE OWNERS OF MY ATLANTA BRAVES WOULD ENTERTAIN THIS IDEA MAKES ME SICK! I HAVE ALREADY CXL ONE OF MY DEVICES AND WILL CONTINUE TO GET RID OF THE OTHERS AS I AM ABLE. LET THEM GO UNDER!!!!

PS. If you have XM and wanted to get access to Sirius, you will be charged an additional $12.99 per month. RIPOFF!!!

By Brown-Eyed Girl!

February 17, 2009 5:36 PM | Link to this

By the way, satellite radio is not making money. This money from Liberty just saved their tails. They were about to file bankruptcy. I like the services offered on XM, but they have helped me to see where the problem possibly is coming from.

By fed up

February 17, 2009 6:02 PM | Link to this

This may have already been said by another post, gotta go don’t have time to read all of them, sorry…as long as it’s not us, the taxpayers, doing the bailing I’m fine with it. We’ve done more than we should have bailing out everyone else.

By NICK

February 17, 2009 6:23 PM | Link to this

When you own the Braves then you can make the decisions…

By BA BA BOEY

February 17, 2009 7:20 PM | Link to this

Howard Stern is more entertaining than the Braves. A lot cheaper too. FA FA FOEY!!!!!!!

By roy

February 17, 2009 7:23 PM | Link to this

read the rest of the story at forbes.com. Liberty wanted the satellites Sirius has access to. It’s not about Sirius………..

By WILL

February 17, 2009 7:38 PM | Link to this

THE BRAVES SUX,THE DODGERS RULE, WS 2009YANKEES VS DODGERS

By JASon

February 17, 2009 7:40 PM | Link to this

I am from Atlanta, and hate that every time I support the home team, I am also supporting a god*amn media corporation

By James

February 27, 2009 5:40 PM | Link to this

Well whatever you do - DO NOT sign up for their Lifetime Subscription without reading their fairly well hidden (and never mentioned during the sales process) terms and agreements. This is an out and out fraud on the Sirius consumers.

It appears that Lifetime does not mean YOUR Lifetime it means the lifetime of your existing receiver. That’s right - get a new car with the radio built in, upgrade to a newer device and you will quickly find out how they have resorted to misleading customers with their Lifetime promotion. So what happens if your device fails after the one year warranty is up? That’s right - you have lost your lifetime subscription.

PS - the terms and agreements also go on to say “no refunds” on the hefty $500 fee.

So beware: The promise of Lifetime Service isn’t Sirius!