J. Bruce Llewellyn, Chair of the Philadelphia Coca-Cola
Bottling Co., announced Saturday that he intends to make a
bid to buy the Vikings by the July 1 deadline, according to
Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. If he acquires
the team, he would become the first African-American to own
controlling interest in an NFL team, as well as the only
current African-American majority owner in a major pro
sport. In a release, Llewellyn said that he would keep the
team in MN, and that a number of the team's current owners
would remain in his ownership group (STAR TRIBUNE, 6/21).
Llewellyn's group includes former Vikings GM Mike Lynn.
Lynn: "This is not a Mike Lynn deal. I'm just a bit player.
I own a little tiny portion" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/21).
CLANCY CONNECTION: Lynn said that he and Llewellyn were
asked to be part of Tom Clancy's failed bid for the team.
Clancy is engaged to Llewellyn's daughter, Alexandra.
Llewellyn "wanted to replace Clancy as the team's majority
owner and declined" to join the bid (Jerry Zgoda, STAR
TRIBUNE, 6/22). Llewellyn is also a first cousin of Gen.
Colin Powell (Jerry Zgoda, STAR TRIBUNE, 6/21).
OWNERS PLAY IT COOL: In today's STAR TRIBUNE, Jerry
Zgoda reports that five of the Vikings owners contacted on
Sunday about Llewellyn's planned bid "reacted with responses
ranging from noncommittal to skeptical." Vikings co-Owner
Philip Maas said of Llewellyn's proposal, "He's got three
things wrong with his approach." Maas said the problems
are: the offer is less than the minimum $200M asking price;
the proposal involves buying the team's partnership interest
and not a 100% sale of its stock; and the deal's structure
would create adverse tax implications for those partners who
didn't re-invest in the new ownership group (STAR TRIBUNE,
6/22). But Lynn countered, "What we have proposed what Mr.
Llewellyn wants to do is get the majority of the stock, say
51 percent" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/22).
TAYLOR-ING HIS BID: T-Wolves Owner Glen Taylor will
meet with members of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities
Commission this week as he continues to consider making a
bid for the Vikings (Jerry Zgoda, Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
6/21). In St. Paul, Tom Powers wrote that Taylor "is the
only local option" for the Vikings (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS,
6/21). Vikings co-Owner John Skoglund, asked whether Taylor
still would be a favorite even if his bid is less than some
others from outside MN: "Part of it would depend on how big
a difference there is. Obviously, money's got something to
do with it" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/21).
