This Week's Newsmakers: Fehr Will Leave A Mixed Legacy
THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the performances over the past week of people and entities in sports business. Here are this week’s newsmakers:
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Canadiens Sale, Which Draws A Record
Price, Does Not Cause Many Headaches |
WIN: CANADIENS -- While tumultuous ownership issues continue to dog several franchises -- see the Coyotes and Lightning -- the Habs are set to change hands in a quick, seamless fashion. The Molson family, who presided over the team from 1957-71, regains control of the club from GEORGE GILLETT, providing stability for one of the league's most storied franchises. The deal also may set a new benchmark for the league's teams -- the purchase price is reported to be valued at as much as $550M, which would mark a record for an NHL club.
LOSE: MAX MOSLEY -- The long-time FIA boss’ reign appeared to come to a close this week when he announced that he would be stepping aside to end a contentious standoff with some of F1's most prominent teams. Mosley had come under fire in recent years for his antics away from the office, but ultimately it is his budget cap proposal that is the final straw for the teams, who threaten to break away and start their own series. But upset about what he characterizes as misleading news reports surrounding his ouster, Mosley threatens to return to his role atop the FIA, a move that could end the series' short-lived peace.
DRAW: DONALD FEHR -- While his planned retirement from the MLBPA remains more than nine months away, the debate over his legacy is already underway. The opinions are mostly uniform: Fehr will be remembered as a hard-nosed negotiator who made great strides in his strident representation of his players, but his reputation will forever be sullied by his role in the Steroid Era. While Fehr is praised for his tireless defense of players' rights, leading to monumental salary growth during his tenure, his fierce protection of their privacy no doubt hindered the implementation of testing programs and allowed the record books to be forever tainted.
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