Lip Man 1

From Jon Greenberg's story in The Athletic: "Glencoe businessman Andrew Berlin, who has owned stakes in the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, would be a promising candidate to join Stewart’s group or lead one of his own. So would Winnetka’s Justin Ishbia, who co-owns the Phoenix Suns with his brother, Mat." "Would Stewart threaten to move the team? It wouldn’t be that easy. Though the A’s are finally gone, it comes after years and years of issues between the team, state and city. And to be clear, the A’s are to blame. MLB doesn’t want another fiasco like that. I imagine MLB would like to keep Chicago as a two-team town, and Nashville is no sure thing to land a big-league team. But baseball would also love to have Stewart, a great pitcher and member of the vaunted Black Aces, be the face of a franchise."

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/10/19/chicago-white-sox-the-78-related-midwest-jerry-reinsdorf-bulls-blackhawks-bears-cubs

Interesting comment from Mayor Johnson: “I’ve seen the renderings of The 78. I don’t think there’s a disagreement between me and ownership about the value added to these particular spaces,” Johnson said. “Here’s what I’ve always said: ‘You got to put some skin in the game.’ That’s it. Come to the table ready to throw down.” https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/10/18/mayor-brandon-johnson-says-he-hopes-white-sox-stay-in-chicago-calls-on-reinsdorf-to-put-some-skin-in-the-game/

“My personal view is that stadiums are not a great investment,” Mansueto said. “They’re big, costly to maintain, sit empty most of the time. And so to the extent that they create value, most of that accrues to the sports team, not the municipality. So to me, it’s fair that the sports team should own it. Moreover, here in Illinois, in the City of Chicago, our finances are strained. Teachers want more money, law enforcement needs money, pension obligations. Our city and state don’t have the funds, to be candid, and so to me, we would privately finance it.”--Joe Mansueto, Fire owner. https://soxmachine.com/2024/10/related-midwest-wants-both-the-white-sox-and-fire-for-project-78/

he has been saying this for a lot longer than six or seven years. Like I wrote, Rich is a friend but I think he is very wrong with his belief in this case.

Are we not men? NO! We are DEVO!!!!!!! 😆

With all due respect to Rich who is a long time friend but he has been talking about the Sox moving for the last 20 years in part he has said because of the fan dislike towards JR. He says the fan base won't support the team so in essence what choice does JR have? Naturally I disagree with Rich and have told him so.

Good column in my opinion: https://www.southsidesox.com/2024/10/18/24273632/jerry-reinsdorf-sell-chicago-white-sox-and-send-the-team-to-nashville-while-hes-building-the-78

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-proposed-ballpark-update

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports-media/2024/10/17/blackhawks-bulls-white-sox-chicago-sports-network-comcast-xfinity-nbc-sports-chicago-dish-network-directv

His philosophy historically has always been, "I win...you lose."

Joe Cowley has a story in the Sun-Times on how this could impact the Bulls, he has different sources of course being in the NBA but I was struck by this line in his story: After a report surfaced Wednesday that said Reinsdorf was “open to selling” the Sox, the question around the United Center was, if the story was true — some in the know have strenuously dismissed it — what would it mean for the Bulls?

https://soxmachine.com/2024/10/sources-rangers-bench-coach-donnie-ecker-dodgers-bench-coach-danny-lehmann-in-mix-for-white-sox-manager-job/

Another good column: https://soxmachine.com/2024/10/is-jerry-reinsdorf-actually-serious-about-selling-the-white-sox/

Wise advice offered in this column in my opinion: https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/10/16/jerry-reinsdorf-white-sox-dave-stewart-athletic-chicago-nashville-oakland-mlb

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/10/16/chicago-white-sox-jerry-reinsdorf-sale/

I never saw his official title just that he was helping Stewart and his group.

It was the Timberwolves.

Excellent story by Margalus: Setting aside Reinsdorf’s assertion that the White Sox would be worth more in a far smaller market, any group attempting to move the team to Nashville would encounter the same headwinds in finding public financing for a new ballpark. https://soxmachine.com/2024/10/report-jerry-reinsdorf-open-to-selling-white-sox-in-discussions-with-dave-stewart/

Last August in his press conference he stated he's been asked why doesn't he sell and he replied (paraphrasing) 'I like what I'm doing and what else am I going to do?' Maybe the 121 loss season has changed his thinking it's hard to tell where he's at, but again and we'll find out over time I think this is a ploy.

It's possible if the Sox were to move an expansion team would be brought in given the size of the market but the Cubs and Brewers would scream bloody murder over territorial rights and would demand financial compensation which could throw a wrench into the plans.

Actually I've said that the odds were remote due to JR's own comments as well as the tax hit. Before either of us says, "I told you so" let's wait and see how this shakes out shall we? As I posted this smells totally like a ploy by JR. We'll find out soon enough.

Or as stated he's using this as a ploy to try to extort state funds. I suspect he knows his stadium idea is D.O.A. with the politicians. Anyway more musings from yours truly: Don't be fooled. This is a ploy by JR to try to extort more financial money from the state/public for his stadium idea. First off, a story in Sports Illustrated wrote that Stewart and his people want the Nashville franchise and that TLR is part of it. Stewart has had discussions with Manfred about it and that MLB likes the idea of minority ownership. Plus MLB could get A LOT more money from an expansion team then relocating the Sox. JR knows his idea to get state money is doomed as long as Pritzker is governor. Second Stewart's group may be a fraud in and of itself. Third as I wrote in August 2020, the tax hit if JR sells while he is alive: https://www.southsidesox.com/2022/8/29/23325369/jerry-reinsdorf-selling-chicago-white-sox-not-on-his-life Hey the sooner he's gone the better in my opinion but this 'report" doesn't make a lot of sense.

That's true, Stewart wants the Nashville franchise. According to Sports Illustrated he's working with TLR on it. I hope JR does want to sell, the sooner he's gone the better but this smells fishy to me especially regarding Stewart.

Danny Wirtz talks about the broadcast situation: https://chicago.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2024/10/15/blackhawks-danny-wirtz-chsn-comcast-negotiations-revenue-chairman