In Philadelphia, John Gonzalez notes Apollo Global Management Senior Managing Dir and prospective 76ers Owner Joshua Harris is “reportedly obtaining a team that doesn't own the building it plays in,” as Comcast-Spectacor owns the Wells Fargo Center. The franchise also “doesn't have its own TV network and instead appears on a station also owned by Comcast.” Gonzalez: “So what exactly is Harris getting beyond a good (not great) team with mediocre attendance and suffering television ratings? What kind of revenue, if any, can he expect beyond the gate? Is he getting a cut of concessions or parking?” Harris “might be a shrewd businessman, and he might turn the Sixers into a profitable and/or successful franchise.” But, "for the moment, he appears to be another rich guy with the disposal funds to subsidize an acquisition for no other reason than his own vanity” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/12).
DEADLINE LOOMING: In Houston, Zachary Levine noted with “exactly seven weeks from baseball’s trade deadline and with a last-place club that could prompt selling off present parts for the future, the Astros are viewing things the same way they did with the draft as they try not to be bogged down by ownership limbo.” Although MLB ownership meetings aren’t until August, Astros Owner Drayton McLane “expects the deal to sell the team to Jim Crane to be approved before then, likely leaving the deadline in Crane’s hands.” McLane said, “We think it will be completed well in advance of the deadline.” He added, “Any trades that we’re thinking of making, we would certainly talk to Jim Crane about” (HOUSTON CHONICLE, 6/12).
FRONT OFFICE OVERHAUL: In Boston, Nick Cafardo wrote Cubs Owner Tom Ricketts “could solve the franchise’s 103-year-old problem -- and some modern ones -- if he heeds this advice: hire as many Red Sox people as possible to run the organization.” He could consider Red Sox VP/Player Personnel & Professional Scouting Allard Baird or Senior VP
& Assistant GM Ben Cherington “as general manager,” and Exec VP & COO Sam Kennedy or Senior Advisor of Baseball Projects Jeremy Kapstein “in a president/CEO role.” But the Cubs are “not an easy fix for Ricketts.” He “already has one of the more respected GMs in the game in Jim Hendry, who has won three divisional titles.” Still, Cafardo wrote, “Strong leaders such as Kennedy and Kapstein would tie good business sense with good baseball knowledge” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/12).
CLARIFICATION: THE HOCKEY NEWS retracted a story it posted on Thursday that stated Wild Minority Owner Philip Falcone was “expected” to be indicted by the SEC. THN stated, “While the SEC is conducting an investigation of Falcone, it is inaccurate to report that an indictment is expected as the investigation is ongoing” (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 6/10).
