Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has offered $1.8 billion for the Los Angeles Clippers

[RegentDenali]

I do love the irony that Ballmers bid topped the one by Geffen/Doprah/Ellison.

Anyone whose been in the technology field knows the long time inferiority complex syndrome Larry Ellison has had against Microsoft and their top dogs for decades.

That Ballmer outbid Ellison for a pro-sports franchise is priceless.

 

[RoboticDreams]

I do love the irony that Ballmers bid topped the one by Geffen/Doprah/Ellison.

Anyone whose been in the technology field knows the long time inferiority complex syndrome Larry Ellison has had against Microsoft and their top dogs for decades.

That Ballmer outbid Ellison for a pro-sports franchise is priceless.

Geffen is a prick. I'm happy he isn't part of any ownership deal.

 

[RegentDenali]

Geffen is a prick. I'm happy he isn't part of any ownership deal.

Same with Doprah. The NBA is trying to claim they are forcing this sale because of Sterling being racist, while Doprah is one part of the new potential ownership group. One of the biggest profiteers of promoting racism on the planet.

Owning a WNBA team would be more her speed.

 

[RoboticDreams]

Same with Doprah. The NBA is trying to claim they are forcing this sale because of Sterling being racist, while Doprah is one part of the new potential ownership group. One of the biggest profiteers of promoting racism on the planet.

Owning a WNBA team would be more her speed.

I cannot stand that look-at-me bitch. She always turns every convo into a "it's all about me" conversation. I guess I'm just a bigot.

 

[cezero]

gotta love all of the people defending the racist and hateful words of somebody who has been found to have clinical psychological problems.

our country is just sick.

 

[RoboticDreams]

Yay, cezero has weighed in! Nobody is defending that pos but let facts be damned. Defending his right to say whatever the fuck he wants to in private is a mortal sin. Viva 'Murica!

 

[wazzu31]

It's just a heavy transitory city these days. Sure there are loyal fans for all the franchises down there.

You watch. In a couple months, Ballmer and Hansen will be making announcements about groundbreaking for the new Seattle Arena to be built on the land they acquired last year just south of SafeCo Field. Clippers will be heading to Seattle around 2016. The NBA has to be political about this. They aren't going to run out and announce the Clips are moving tomorrow. The process will be drawn out to lower the fallout.

LA needs to concentrate on getting a NFL team and USC needs to get cracking on the Coliseum renovation.

This hurts Seattle much more than it helps. Unless Ballmer is just completely out of his mind he will not be spending 2 billion to get the Clippers then try to move them to Seattle. This isn't Ballmer and the Seattle group purchasing the team. Fan support and merchandising would be alot better in Seattle but there is much more money in LA to be had by an owner. You don't buy a team for 2 billion just to move it and drop it's value by 75%.

 

[sjballer03]

I do love the irony that Ballmers bid topped the one by Geffen/Doprah/Ellison.

Anyone whose been in the technology field knows the long time inferiority complex syndrome Larry Ellison has had against Microsoft and their top dogs for decades.

That Ballmer outbid Ellison for a pro-sports franchise is priceless.

This is the 3rd time he's been outbid for an NBA team. First the Warriors, then the Hornets and now this. He must be furious lol

 

[sjballer03]

This hurts Seattle much more than it helps. Unless Ballmer is just completely out of his mind he will not be spending 2 billion to get the Clippers then try to move them to Seattle. This isn't Ballmer and the Seattle group purchasing the team. Fan support and merchandising would be alot better in Seattle but there is much more money in LA to be had by an owner. You don't buy a team for 2 billion just to move it and drop it's value by 75%.

I think Ballmer will lay low for a bit and revisit the Seattle question down the road. At the very least, he'll be able to use Seattle to gain leverage for TV deals and venue leasing agreements.

 

[wazzu31]

I think Ballmer will lay low for a bit and revisit the Seattle question down the road. At the very least, he'll be able to use Seattle to gain leverage for TV deals and venue leasing agreements.

But the problem is that it basically is a now is never situation if a team is to ever come back to the actual city of Seattle. In a few years all the sports friendly members of the state, county and city will be gone and most likely back to the liberals who don't understand that sports actually creates revenue for the surrounding area.

He couldn't really leverage anything though, even a shitty tv deal in LA will be worth way more than a lucrative television deal in Seattle as no matter how good the Sonics would be their ceiling is the 3rd most popular team in the city. And the leasing thing is just a cluster as I stated earlier that the arena agreement is about to run out and the only allies anyone in sports has is going to be gone.

Either way, Ballmer has 20 billion but I can't imagine he is going to just give away 2 billion of it when he could've offered 50 million more and got the Kings in Seattle.

 

[RegentDenali]

This hurts Seattle much more than it helps. Unless Ballmer is just completely out of his mind he will not be spending 2 billion to get the Clippers then try to move them to Seattle. This isn't Ballmer and the Seattle group purchasing the team. Fan support and merchandising would be alot better in Seattle but there is much more money in LA to be had by an owner. You don't buy a team for 2 billion just to move it and drop it's value by 75%.

They were willing to massively overspend to get the Kings here. They had to go this high to seal the deal because the Doprah/Geffen/Ellison deal was over 1.5 billion.

Why is there more money to be made in LA? The Clippers are a joke who are not going to surpass the Lakers in fanbase in that town. They have to compete head to head with another NBA team in the same freaking building.

The Sonics in a new arena in Seattle will be an absolute cash cow money making machine. Especially if Ballmer is also part owner of the arena.

Paul Allen had to overpay to take ownership of the Seahawks from Ken Berring. And he put up some of his own money for Century Link Field. Look how that deal worked out for him? $$$$$$$$$!!!!!!

I give it two years. Clips will be moved to Seattle. Done.

 

[sjballer03]

But the problem is that it basically is a now is never situation if a team is to ever come back to the actual city of Seattle. In a few years all the sports friendly members of the state, county and city will be gone and most likely back to the liberals who don't understand that sports actually creates revenue for the surrounding area.

He couldn't really leverage anything though, even a shitty tv deal in LA will be worth way more than a lucrative television deal in Seattle as no matter how good the Sonics would be their ceiling is the 3rd most popular team in the city. And the leasing thing is just a cluster as I stated earlier that the arena agreement is about to run out and the only allies anyone in sports has is going to be gone.

Either way, Ballmer has 20 billion but I can't imagine he is going to just give away 2 billion of it when he could've offered 50 million more and got the Kings in Seattle.

I had no idea about the political climate of the region. That does complicate matters further.

It's a shame because I would really like to see another SF-Sea rivalry. The Warriors and Clippers already don't like each other anyways.

 

[BobGnarly]

 

[RoboticDreams]

What did you expect him to say?

 

[RegentDenali]

E-mails obtained by lawyers for the city of Seattle when they filed a motion in NYC federal court.


Clay Bennett 8/17/07:

"As absolutely remarkable as it may seem, Aubrey and I have NEVER discussed moving the Sonics to Oklahoma City, nor have I discussed it with ANY other member of our ownership group."


Tom Ward (ownership group) and Clay Bennett, 4/17/07:

Ward: Is there any way to move here for next season or are we doomed to have another lame duck season in Seattle?

Bennett: I am a man possessed! Will do everything we can. Thanks for hanging with me boys, the game is getting started!

 

[LogicMan]

Robodream. Your on this subject because clippers ownership does worry you. Your not the wealthiest team even in your own city. This is a game changer.

 

[anotheridiot]

this is nuts. The only way this is worth 2 billion is if it includes the arena and I dont think that is the case.

bought for 12 million, sold for 1.88 billion more. This is someone with far too much money and not enough sense. Here we thought this would be a way to force a cheap deal.

There will be proof that Sterling is completely nuts though, he is still gonna fight to keep his team.

 

[starbigd]

Ballmer will never MAKE money off this deal. He's VASTLY over paying, but it's his money.

 

[Retroram52]

It's time for the Clips to move out of the Staples Center and have their own identity. Seattle is as good a place as any.

 

[trojanfan12]

They were willing to massively overspend to get the Kings here. They had to go this high to seal the deal because the Doprah/Geffen/Ellison deal was over 1.5 billion.

Why is there more money to be made in LA? The Clippers are a joke who are not going to surpass the Lakers in fanbase in that town. They have to compete head to head with another NBA team in the same freaking building.

The Sonics in a new arena in Seattle will be an absolute cash cow money making machine. Especially if Ballmer is also part owner of the arena.

Paul Allen had to overpay to take ownership of the Seahawks from Ken Berring. And he put up some of his own money for Century Link Field. Look how that deal worked out for him? $$$$$$$$$!!!!!!

I give it two years. Clips will be moved to Seattle. Done.

It seems to me that the only way that Ballmer has a chance of ever making money with the Clippers would be to move them to someplace like Seattle.

In L.A., not only do they have to compete with the Lakers in the same building, they also have the Dodgers, Kings, Angels and Ducks. Then, if L.A. ever does get an NFL team again, they'll have to contend with that as well.

In Seattle, they only have to compete with the Seahawks and Mariners and he'd be moving the team to a city that seems almost desperate to get their NBA team back. It would likely be guaranteed sellouts for decades in Seattle.