Burkle connected to the Dodgers now

[Trueblood]

Not sure how much this effects the new arena efforts or any potential Maloof sale but Burkle is being mentioned with the Dodgers now. Maybe he can play a role in saving 2 California based teams?

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dodgers-burkle-20110423,0,4458701.story

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Not sure how much this effects the new arena efforts or any potential Maloof sale but Burkle is being mentioned with the Dodgers now. Maybe he can play a role in saving 2 California based teams?

I don't think the Dodgers need to be saved in the same way that the Kings do. There are some similarities - both teams are owned by marginally-rich owners (rather than über-rich owners) who have fallen on financial hard times, in the case of McCourt, a nasty divorce where the wife was awarded 50% of the team. Both owners are also dead-set against selling. But the Dodgers aren't claiming that they can't make a profit in L.A. and they're darn well not moving. It looks as if MLB is taking steps towards forcing McCourt to sell the Dodgers, and whether its Burkle or somebody else, they'll find an owner who can spend the money and the team's presence in L.A. is not at stake.

That said, Burkle seems to have the money to buy both if he really wants to. He already owns an NHL team. Still, I don't think that Burkle is the key for us, because unlike MLB with its anti-trust exemption, I don't think the NBA can quite force a sale. Donald Sterling is still around, after all. Burkle is a nice backup to have if the Maloofs decide they absolutely have to buy the Hornets and move them to Anaheim (oh please oh please oh please) but KJs work in finding $10M of funding and the arena plans, which must have made some impact on the league, are much more important.