In an "emotional address at McNichols Arena," Rocky Mountain
Entertainment President Tim Leiweke resigned after two months as
head of the Nuggets' "off-court operation." Leiweke had been
with the Nuggets for four years, "turning around" the team's
"flagging business and marketing operation." Leiweke cited the
stress of 12-hour days and the building of a new arena and
"courtship" of the NHL as the main reasons for his departure.
Leiweke: "I don't want to die before I turn 40. ... The stress
and tension, especially the last few weeks, I quite frankly have
not handled as well as I would like to. ... I really was not
happy with what I was turning into." But the "timing of his
announcement, coming one month after an organizational shakeup
that stripped him of his title as President of the Nuggets, was
hard to overlook." During the restructuring, the perception in
Denver was that Leiweke "was being kicked aside" to make room for
new President Bernie Bickerstaff's "ever increasing profile."
Charlie Lyons, President of Comsat, the owner of the Nuggets,
said such talk didn't make Leiweke "feel any better about his
job. ... You could see it in his eyes." Leiweke will work as a
consultant to Comsat, but his role remains undefined. Gary
Hunter, Nuggets VP of Business Operations, will take over
Leiweke's job, but the position of President of Rocky Mountain
Entertainment will remain vacant (Dave Krieger, ROCKY MOUNTAIN
NEWS, 3/22).
