The moment we've all been waiting for....

Frank McCourt is selling the Dodgers. I'll provide a link to the LA Times story in a moment. But first I want to shout like Howard Dean.



Full Story.

Frank McCourt: your name is now Parasitic Asshole

I'm only happy when I'm bellowing my contempt for Frank McCourt, and I spend more time on my Facebook page than anywhere else doing just that. So a week has gone by since Red China offered $1.2 billion to take the Dodgers off McCourt's hand, and since then McCourt has pretty much stayed out of the news. Well, whatever goes through a smoker's mind and body after a week of cold turkey is happening to me. I'm getting itchy. I need McCourt to perform one of his typically underhanded, self-serving and loathsome acts, so I can tell the world what a parasitic asshole he is.

'Parasitic asshole.' Now that has a nice ring to it. Come to think of it, why can't 'parasitic asshole' be a metonym for Frank McCourt much the same way that, let's say, 'Hollywood' is for the American film industry. You wouldn't say: "I'd rather watch baseball than that crap coming out of the American film industry." That's awkward, so instead you would say: "I'd rather watch baseball than that crap coming out of Hollywood." I envision a day when the following conversation actually takes place:

What's the name of that parking lot guy from Boston?
You mean parasitic asshole?
You know who I'm talking about. The guy who bought the Dodgers.
Yeah. Parasitic asshole.
No. It's Irish sounding. Mc-something...
Parasitic asshole.
Get over it, man. Who pissed in your cheerios?
Parasitic asshole did when he ran the Dodgers into the ground.

But the change has to extend to the mainstream media in order for Parasitic Asshole to have universal acceptance. For instance, the LA Times and other media outlets should be reporting stories in this vein:

Parasitic Asshole was offered $1.2 billion to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers. The all-cash bid came from Bill Burke, founder of the L.A. Marathon, plus Chinese investors and others. Burke and a spokesman for Parasitic Asshole have no comment.

It rolls right off the tongue, don't you think? Watch this clip from The Jerk (this is an example of something from Hollywood that isn't crap), and imagine that the dog in the scene is Frank...er...Parasitic Asshole. You need only watch the first 1:33.

Dodger Stadium parking lot security won't be an issue any more.

The outgoings far exceed the incomings for F. McCourt

Frank McCourt has told the court that he can no longer afford to support Jamie McCourt's extravagant lifestyle, as reported by Steve Dilbeck. Frank claims he paid Jamie $7.76 million over the past year to cover temporary spousal support and maintenance on their seven homes...but that can't continue on his current income.

Note to Frank: there has never been a time when you could afford Jamie's lifestyle.

At any rate, he does make a pretty valid point. If we were to rephrase his request to the court in more casual terms it would sound something like this: "Hey Judge, tell my money-hungry sow of an ex-wife that the party's over. She needs to sell a house or two or three. I can barely afford the room service rate for caviar in my modest Montage suite."

Frank and Jamie are both responsible for the dire financial mess the Dodgers organization is in. Who can say if one is more responsible than the other. That said, for sheer laughs read this quote by one of Jamie's representatives: "It's inexplicable that Frank has single-handedly destroyed the value of the Dodgers in the nearly two years since Jamie was last involved with the team."

The sad part of it all is that Frank can wave all this misery away — the exorbitant cost of litigation, the usurious loan fees, Jamie's divorce lawyers chewing away at his heels, Bud Selig thwarting his every effort to keep the team, the uniform contempt of an entire city, etc. — with a magic wand if he just sold the damn team. But in the face of good judgment, he insists on continuing the war.

Dodgers News & Notes

• How is it that baseball didn't expect Frank McCourt to file Chapter 11? Bud Selig made an egregious blunder when he allowed Fox to sell the Dodgers to McCourt. He might have added to it when he shied away from staging a hostile takeover. But this would have gone strictly against precedent for a league known for sticking to the old ways of doing things, even at a time when one of it's most glorious franchises edges near financial collapse. Full story here.

• Steve Dilbeck ponders why McCourt continues to employ Steve Garvey while the latter assembles a group to purchase the Dodgers? It's a a mystery that "rates slightly behind Charlie Sheen taking steroids for a baseball movie." Full story here.

• The other potential suitor is a Dodger Stadium fixture too. Unlike Garv, he pays a small ransom to be be there. With an impressive list of credentials that includes a coaching stint with the San Fernando Orioles, you better believe Dennis Gilbert warrants serious consideration. Full story here. 

Frankrupt!

Frank McCourt doesn't need you...he doesn't need anything! Except this ashtray, this paddle game and this remote control...

Another weiner makes the news

At the risk of offending Juan Banda and Farmer John and perhaps even getting my head caved in, I know a lot of people — Dodger fans among them — who would rather eat their own feces than eat the current incarnation of the Dodger Dog. They sure don't look or taste like the O'Malley's used to make them. TMZ has the full story.

Pic courtesy of Wikipedia

A glimpse into Frank and Jamie McCourt's first date

This should give you a general idea of the conversation that took place between Frank and Jamie on their first date.

It's starting to look like LAPD might have the wrong guy

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck is still confident that Giovanni Ramirez is the prime suspect in the case of Bryan Stow beating, but that confidence seems to be waning, reports Eric Leonard of KFI.

Beck admitted yesterday that the investigation can go either way: "We go where the case takes. . . If it leads to a conviction, if it leads to exoneration, wherever it leads, we will follow the case."

This is a different cry from a month ago when Beck affirmed that the man in custody was "absolutely" the right man.

Ramirez has been in custody since May 22, and so far no formal charges have been filed against him.

Dodgers News & Notes

Rupert Murdoch should kiss Frank McCourt goodbye

• FOX acknowledges that MLB is a bigger meal ticket than Frank McCourt. Forbes 
• In a series of questions and answers, Bill Shaikin forecasts what the near future may have in store for Frank McCourt. LA Times 
• Heading into the freeway series, former Dodgers and now current Angels reminiscence about the good old O'Malley days. LA Times 
• The Dodgers' woeful record in interleague play is part of a League trend. LA Times
• Great moments of the Freeway Series. You better believe Chan Ho Park's karate kick is on that list. OC Register
• Freeway Series preview. Yahoo Sports 
• Along with pitching matchups. SB Nation 
• James Loney turns it around in June. Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness 
• Everyone is talking about Matt Kemp, and it has nothing to do with Rhianna. MLB.com 
• Sheriff Kevin Malone has found a higher purpose than baseball. TJ Simers

Updates:

• Mark Cuban doesn't fit the typical MLB owner profile. Jayson Stark
• Dodger attendance continues to slide — an average of 9319 fewer folks per game compared to 2010. LA Times

Kershaw dominates Tigers; McCourt dominates headlines. And that's a problem

ESPN LA's Tony Jackson blisters Frank McCourt for stealing the spotlight from Clayton Kershaw and his two-hit, complete-game shutout against the Detroit Tigers Monday night:

"So, I now write directly to Frank to just please go away and leave us all alone. And, most importantly, leave this once-proud franchise alone. Forever. Because the next time one of your pitchers goes out and paints a masterpiece like this, the story needs to be that masterpiece. Not some letter you got from the commissioner and what it means, and how long it might take to mean what it's going to mean."

I was at this game and the discussion around me was about Bud Selig's decision to reject the FOX TV deal and what a scumbag McCourt is.

If you were too consumed with off-the-field events to enjoy Kershaw's mastery of the Tigers, MLB.com gives you all eleven strikeouts for your viewing pleasure:

Bryan Stow upgraded from critical to serious condition

Brian Stow — the victim of a beating on opening day at Dodger Stadium — opened his eyes and showed movement in one arm, doctors at San Francisco General Hospital announced today.

Come on, Bryan! It's a longshot, but all of Dodgerland is hoping for your full recovery. 

Read full story here.

Yes, we know: It's a mess!

Harvey Levin of TMZ sat down with Mark Cuban to discuss buying the Dodgers. The conversation summed up the "mess" the Dodgers are in due to Frank McCourt's mangling of the ballclub's finances.

Nine variations of "mess" are used in the conversation, along with a sprinkle each of "chaos", "screwed up", and "disarray." Here, they are itemized:

HL: The Dodgers are in chaos right now… 

HL: You see what it looks like. It's a frickin' mess!

MC: I have an interest in Major league baseball for the right deal, but it's just such a mess. 

MC: I can't imagine that it's not going to be such a mess that's it's going to make it hard to turn around. 

HL:  But if it's a mess and you turn it around, look at what it does to you. 

MC: It's like when I got the Mavericks. It was a mess. 

MC: But if it's just so screwed up...that the pieces are so messed up that it takes twenty years to fix . . .

MC: There's literally franchises out there that are in such disarray and in such [a] mess... in multiple leagues… that no one can fix them. 

MC: They [MLB] might just take...[the Dodgers]...back and decide not to sell it for a while. . . So they might say "We'll take it back, we'll fix it up some and clean up some of the mess". . . and sell it then. 

MC: I don't know how big a mess [it is]. It's not for sale yet.

Cuban admits he's conscious of the wishes of many Dodgers fans for him to buy the team. So, at least we know the countless cries of "Mark, save the Dodgers!" via Twitter and Facebook aren't falling on deaf ears.

And to Cuban's credit, he didn't shy away from the question of buying the Dodgers. A simple "no comment" is what you would have gotten from most people faced with this opportunity. Quite frankly, it was refreshing to hear him end with: "We'll see what happens."

Watch full interview here.

Rejected! Bud Selig says no to Frank McCourt. No Fox TV contract (updated)

Bill Shaikin of the LA Times is reporting that Bud Selig has rejected the proposed television contract between the Dodgers and Fox Sports.

The reasoning was laid out explicitly in the Commissioner's statement:

It is my conclusion that this proposed transaction with FOX would not be in the best interests of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, the game of Baseball and the millions of loyal fans of this historic club.

The $385 million up front would have likely rescued McCourt from his current financial hole and secured his role as owner of the Dodgers. The Commissioner's Office would have preferred all of the up front money to be put back into the team, but "last week's divorce settlement earmarked up to $173.5 million for the McCourts and their attorneys."

Selig's decision now invalidates the divorce settlement and opens the door for Frank to sell the team or sue Major League Baseball.

Read full story here.

Update 1: Lawsuit looms
Frank McCourt's lawyer just released a statement in response to MLB's rejection of Dodgers/FOX TV deal. This excerpt is pretty laughable:

Commissioner Selig’s letter of rejection is not only a disappointment, but worse, is potentially destructive to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Major League Baseball.  Accordingly, we plan to explore vigorously our options and remedies with respect to Commissioner Selig’s rejection of the proposed FOX transaction and our commitment to protect the long-term best interests of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

I like a man that doesn't shy away from hyperbole.

Read full statement here.

Update 2:  This is gonna get ugly
One of the few cool people associated with ESPN, Molly Knight was on the air today with Steve Mason and John Ireland. Knight brought up a possible — and horrific — scenario in which Frank McCourt would sell the team alone but continue as landlord of the stadium and parking lot. She also mentioned that a McCourt lawsuit could "force" MLB to open their books, but that Selig is willing to sustain "collateral damage" in order to get carpetbagger McCourt out of baseball.

The Knight segment starts at about the 7:30 mark. Listen here.

Update 3:  Open letter to McCourt  
Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times writes a open letter to Frank McCourt: "You say you love the Dodgers? Then do what’s best for the team and the franchise. Sell the club and move on." Read entire letter here.

Update 4: "Take the team. But I'll keep everything else."
The Wall Street Journal reports that people close to Frank McCourt are saying that he has long considered suing MLB in the event that Selig rejected Fox TV deal. The article also mentions that ol' carpetbagger will try to claim that the team is separate from the stadium and parking lot:

A person familiar with Mr. McCourt's thinking said he plans to argue that Major League Baseball can only make a claim on the team itself, and not on his other properties or companies connected to the franchise. However, while Major League Baseball signed off on these deals, including the $367 million loan against ticket sales, another person familiar with the agreements said all of the entities are subject to the governance of Major League Baseball, which can move to take control of each of them.

Read full story here.

Update 5: Don't expect any of that Stockholm Syndrome
From the LA Weekly, more on this underhanded strategy by McCourt to sell the team but hold the parking lot hostage:

McCourt seems to believe that MLB can seize just the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium, but it can't seize the other entities which collect revenue from Dodger tickets or parking fees. Clearly those are functions that are integral to the operation of a baseball team, but Frank believes that by spinning them off into separate entities, he's put them out of MLB's grasp. If that were true, it would be all but impossible to sell the team. 

Read full story here.

Update 6: Save us, Mark Cuban!
Closing the door on Frank McCourt and opening the door to Mark Cuban. The money wizards at Forbes write that Bud Selig would be a fool not to invite Cuban to buy the Dodgers. Here's one of the writer' stronger yet pretty obvious points:

Oh, and if you didn’t already know this, he’s liquid baby.  As in cash liquid, homey.  Financially, he’s as liquid as the ocean while Frank McCourt has been a desert as his resources are all dried up.

Makes complete sense to me, but the crusty old fogies at MLB headquarters don't see it that way. Read full story here.

Update 7: Sorry, Frank. But you agreed not to sue
Via 6-4-2, the MLB Constitution explicitly prohibits team owners from taking the league to court:

The Major League Clubs recognize that it is in the best interests of Baseball that all actions taken by the Commissioner under the authority of this Constitution, including, without limitation, Article II and this Article VI, be accepted and complied with by the Clubs, and that the Clubs not otherwise engage in any form of litigation between or among themselves or with any Major League Baseball entity, but resolve their differences pursuant to the provisions of this Constitution. In furtherance thereof, the Clubs (on their own behalf and including, without limitation, on behalf of their owners, officers, directors and employees) severally agree to be finally and unappealably bound by actions of the Commissioner and all other actions, decisions or interpretations taken or reached pursuant to the provisions of this Constitution and severally waive such right of recourse to the courts as would otherwise have existed in their favor. 

 Source material originally provided by The Biz of Baseball.

Giovanni Ramirez going back to prison

 Giovanni Ramirez was ordered back to prison to serve 10 months on a parole violation:

After an hours-long hearing, Deputy Commissioner Ali Zarrinnam ruled that Giovanni Ramirez, 31, violated the terms of his parole by being a felon with access to a weapon. Police found the gun during a search warrant served as part of the investigation into the beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow.

The LA Times has the full story. Please read what Abort McCourt posted earlier today while the parole hearing was still in process.

Giovanni Ramirez update: Parole hearing today

A parole commissioner will decide today whether Giovanni Ramirez — the LAPD's suspect in the beating of Bryan Stow — violated his parole by "being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition." The ruling will determine if he goes to state prison or is set free.

Full story here.

Ramirez' name has been out of the news recently. The suspect has been in custody since May 22, but the LAPD still lacks sufficient evidence against to file formal charges against him.

Meanwhile, Ramirez's legal team has been pretty quiet, too. We use to get a claim of week of Ramirez's innocence since his apprehension. In the first week of June, attorney Anthony Brooklier cited the existence video captured by a motel surveillance camera that would exonerate his client (read more on this at Abort McCourt). According to Brooklier, the video shows that his client didn't have a shaved head at the time of the opening day attack, and, therefore, doesn't match the description of Bryan Stow's attackers.

The Times article linked above makes a brief reference to the surveillance video:

Although Judge Patricia Schnegg said she did not have jurisdiction, authorities agreed to provide such video if it existed, and Brooklier received significant publicity concerning the issue.

I don't understand what this means. Does the video exist or is this a bluff job by the attorney? It seems that a video showing Ramirez with grown-out hair the day after Stow's attack would immediately exonerate him of that particular crime. If you're Brooklier, wouldn't you acquire that video by any means necessary, show it to the cops and say: "Bam! This investigation is over."

If there's a defense attorney out there who can shed some light on this, please send me an email.

Frank and Jamie McCourt reach a settlement (updated)

I will make an effort to update this page throughout the day:

Fine reporting from Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Here are the key points:

• The settlement is contingent upon MLB's approval of McCourt's $3 billion television contract with Fox.

• If Bud Selig were to reject the agreement, the settlement would be voided and divorce court proceedings would resume.

• If Selig were to approve the agreement, Jamie McCourt has agreed not to challenge the Fox contract.

• The McCourts agreed to a one-day trial so that the judge can determine whether the Dodgers belong solely to Frank or should be considered community property.

• If the judge rules that the Dodgers are community property, the McCourts would split their assets 50-50, which would most likely force a sale of the team.

• If the judge rules that the team belongs solely to Frank, then Jamie would receive "$100 million, keep the couple's homes and receive indemnity from tax liability."

Full story here.

Update 1: 

Molly Knight via Twitter posted the following in two successive tweets:

Source: Selig unlikely to approve Fox deal partly because if judge rules team is community property and orders sale on Aug 4 then . . . the new owner is saddled with potentially below market television deal that devalues the franchise.

Update 2:  
Via 6-4-2, reaction from Frank and Jamie McCourt following the settlement. Here's Frank being pollyannaish:

I fully expect MLB to approve the Fox transaction. MLB has taken the position that, before they approved the transaction, they wanted to see either a settlement of the divorce, or Jamie's consent, or an order from the judge. Today, they received all three. I fully expect that they will be good to their word, and they'll approve the transaction in a timely way.

Full story here. 

Update 3: 

In a follow up to his earlier report of a settlement between Frank and Jamie McCourt, Bill Shaikin writes that before Frank can secure ownership of the Dodgers, two things have to happen:

• MLB must approve the proposed TV deal between McCourt and Fox.  

• McCourt must establish that he is the sole owner of the Dodgers in a one-day trial on Aug. 4. If not, the settlement stipulates that the team must be sold. 

The rejection by Bud Selig of the Fox TV contract would cause unmitigated delight to the Dodger fanbase. But with the celebration comes a grim admonishment, per Shaikin:

The settlement announcement dramatically increases the likelihood of a confrontation between McCourt and Bud Selig, baseball's commissioner.

 Full story here.

Frank on a hot tin roof

Steve Dilbeck is confirming that Frank McCourt will meet the Dodgers' payroll obligations that are due Wednesday.

So far, I haven't found any reports indicating how he came up with the money. If I had to guess, he probably drew cash advances from future sponsorship deals like he did May 31.

Nonetheless, it appears highly unlikely ("no chance") that McCourt will meet the team's June 30 payroll, as reported yesterday by Bill Shaikin. That's when several deferred salaries become due, ballooning the payroll amount to $30 million — that's roughly triple the normal amount.

McCourt has often been likened to a feline, due to his nine lives. Maybe it's time to try a new cat metaphor, and with that I give you two lines of dialogue from the playwright Tennessee Williams:

Brick Pollitt: What is the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof?

Maggie Pollitt: Just staying on it I guess, long as she can. 

It's not a matter of if he'll lose the team, but when he'll lose the team. McCourt can keep dancing, but at some point — post June 30? — Bud Selig will take action that will force the roof to cave in.

Bank of America is a little wiser because of Frank McCourt

When Frank McCourt purchased the Dodgers in 2004, he borrowed $225 million from Bank of America. Mike Ozanian of Forbes believes that the specter of default by McCourt has scared BOA into taking a more conservative approach with Houston Astros buyer Jim Crane:

The bank is reportedly loaning Jim Crane just $220 million towards his $680 million purchase of the Houston Astros from billionaire Drayton McLane, or only about one-third of the enterprise value. Although the deal is still highly leveraged by MLB’s guidelines, it is much better capitalized than McCourt’s purchase of the Dodgers.

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway: The McCourt precedent will alter the way business is done in and around baseball, if it hasn't already.

Source says McCourt has "no chance" of making June 30 payroll

Frank McCourt is expected to meet his payroll obligations Wednesday. But here's the good news: A source "familiar with McCourt's finances" is saying that he has "no chance" of making the team's June 30 payroll, according to Bill Shakin. The article goes on to say:

The Dodgers owe about $10 million in payroll Wednesday, according to one of the people, but that figure roughly triples for the June 30 payment as several deferred salaries come due, including more than $8 million to Manny Ramirez. 

If McCourt misses payroll, how long before Selig is forced to seize and sell the team? Hang on to your seats, folks. This is going to get bumpy.