Wednesday night’s edition of Showtime’s “60 Minutes Sports” profiled Guggenheim Partners, the new Dodgers ownership group, with CBS’ Byron Pitts noting the team has “emerged from unthinkable bankruptcy to almost unbelievable wealth in all in less than a year.” He said the Dodgers have “gone on a spending spree that would shame even the late Yankees Owner GEORGE STEINBRENNER.” Pitts said Dodgers Chair MARK WALTER is “so low-profile, this is the first TV interview he’s ever given.” Dodgers investor PETER GUBER said in the entertainment industry, he “would always choose the best talent and pay what was proper to make that product financially successful.” Guber: “I think this team does the same thing. I think this business does the same thing. Do people make mistakes? Yes. Are they glaring sometimes? Yes … but that’s the risk you take by taking charge of a system.” The L.A. Times’ BILL SHAIKIN said when the group bought the Dodgers, “you also bought the parking lots around the stadium” which is close to 300 acres of “undeveloped land.” Shaikin said the NFL “would love nothing more than to build their new football stadium in the Dodger Stadium parking lot” (“60 Minutes Sports,” Showtime, 4/3).
