Curtain Call?

Dan Rooney Trying To Buy Brothers' Share Of Steelers

The Steelers, long considered a model franchise and a bastion of stability in professional sports, find themselves in unfamiliar turmoil, as Chair Dan Rooney is attempting to consolidate his control of the team by buying out the shares of his brothers. But Rooney's brothers, who are seeking to sell their shares to comply with NFL gambling policies as a result of their ownership of race tracks, reportedly are seeking a better deal than Rooney is offering, as the family worries that Rooney's offer "undervalues the team and takes on too much debt." With a source indicating Rooney's brothers are willing to sell to outside investors -- and Duquesne Capital Management Chair Stanley Druckenmiller expressing interest in purchasing the team -- could the franchise be in danger of falling into the hands of an outsider?