Although Disney "may have so far failed to create
significant financial or marketing success" with the Angels,
MLB officials and sports business analysts say the team
"should remain an attractive investment to potential
buyers," according to Scott Reid of the ORANGE COUNTY
REGISTER. Meanwhile, Anaheim city officials said Tuesday
that Disney "had informed them" that the sale of the team
and the Mighty Ducks "was a possibility." Analysts put the
value of the Angels, who lost "at least" $43M in the first
three seasons under Disney, at $250M, but note that the team
"still has plenty of upside." Sportscorp President Marc
Ganis: "The fact that the Angels are unattractive to Disney
doesn't mean they're not attractive to potential buyers."
The large L.A. TV market and the recently renovated Edison
Field are "substantial pluses for potential buyers," and
Ganis added, "The grunt work has already been done by
Disney." But MLB officials and analysts "caution" that a
new owner "would still face several hurdles," including the
league's lack of a salary cap (O.C. REGISTER, 8/19).
STAYING PUT: The ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER's Felix Sanchez
wrote that Anaheim city officials have emphasized that the
Angels and Mighty Ducks are staying in Anaheim because the
city "has contracts in place to" to keep the teams from
moving. City Council member Tom Tait pointed out that due
to contractual obligations, the Angels "couldn't leave" for
17 years (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 8/19).
IN THE NICHOLAS OF TIME? In L.A., Broadcom co-Founder &
CEO and prospective Angels bidder Henry Nicholas III is
profiled by Diane Pucin, who writes that Nicholas, who
recently donated $1.28M to the UC-Irvine rowing team, "seems
to love competing and he seems to love sports." Nicholas:
"A baseball team really belongs to the community. An owner
belongs to the community and a corporation has to recognize
that. ... But what (the Angels) are really lacking is a
soul. A corporation can't provide a soul" (L.A. TIMES,
8/20). Nicholas has also invested in Gotcha Glacier, a $65M
indoor snowboard park slated for construction across from
Edison Field starting this fall (L.A. TIMES, 8/20).
