In a "surprise announcement," Chiefs Owner Lamar Hunt
said Tuesday "that he had linked up with another big local
name, Western Resources Inc., to make a joint bid" for the
Royals, according to Charles Crumpley of the K.C. STAR. At
least two other bids for the team were made by yesterday's
initial bid deadline. They were by E. Miles Prentice, a NY
lawyer, and a group led by George and Bobby Brett. The
"starting price" is $75M. If the Hunt-Western bid is
successful, half-interest in the team would belong to Hunt
Sports Group; the other half would be owned by Westar
Capital, a Western Resources subsidiary. Hunt Sports Group
would be the managing partner and would operate the team.
The Hunt-Western alliance "put an end to what had been a
popular notion of the Hunts linking up with the Bretts"
(K.C. STAR, 4/29). George Brett said he was "surprised" by
Hunt's joint bid: "We had been talking off and on for a long
time, and both parties kind of agreed that we'd make
separate bids and then continue talking" (K.C. STAR, 4/29).
REAX: In K.C., columnist Mike Vaccaro: "For Hunt, and
for sports, it sounded like the official closing of an era:
Families are no longer willing -- can no longer be willing -
- to absorb every penny of a team's liability" (K.C. STAR,
4/29). Also in K.C., columnist Jason Whitlock writes,
"Brett vs. Hunt could get a little messy. ... Right now, I
say let's go with Lamar Hunt. He's reliable, consistent,
honest and above board" (K.C. STAR, 4/29).
