Balsillie and Bettman Go To War

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Executive Committee...still sorting through things

I really appreciate the effort. I'm looking for the NHL Executive Committee, not the NHLPA.

Yeah, I know but that was the first favorite I found. I really need to clean up my computer. I can't find the page I'm looking for and Google turned up nothing.

Sorry, but I FAILED

FireOnIce wrote:Yeah, I know but that was the first favorite I found. I really need to clean up my computer. I can't find the page I'm looking for and Google turned up nothing.

Sorry, but I FAILED

Exactly. I think we have a better chance of finding the Caramilk secret that the identities of the NHL Executive Committee.

shabbs wrote:I don't think the judge was ever ruling on if bankruptcy was the right way... he was ruling on who was running the team and did they have the right to bring it into bankruptcy... I think he deferred that to the NHL/Moyes working it out earlier and then focused on Balsillie's bid... which he deemed there was not enough time to get it all done.

So, now we're on to a wide-open auction where Balsillie should win it based on his bid giving the most to the creditors.

Not sure what will happen after that... the NHL will fight it tooth and nail.

But if Moyes does not have the authority to put the team into bankruptcy, then the judge, effectively, is allowing the NHL's claim that they are running the team. And if they are running the team, and they don't want to sell it, then what's the point of the auction?

FireOnIce wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:I'm having a hell of a time figuring out who the hell are members of the NHL "Executive Committee". Anyone?

I have this in "my favorites", gimme a sec.

Favorites???! You're one of them IE users, aren't you? INCUBUS!!!!

This video of a meeting of the NHL Executive Committee was obtained from 'unnamed sources'...



...a shocking insight into the secret business of hockey.

davetherave wrote:This video of a meeting of the NHL Executive Committee was obtained from 'unnamed sources'...

...a shocking insight into the secret business of hockey.

That doesn't help for a couple of reasons, one of which is I can't see the goddamn video.

That must have been back from the 24-team times; the electronics are anything but state of the art.



Loved the part where Bettman fried Moyes. Or is Bettman the pussy?

wprager wrote:

FireOnIce wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:I'm having a hell of a time figuring out who the hell are members of the NHL "Executive Committee". Anyone?

I have this in "my favorites", gimme a sec.

Favorites???! You're one of them IE users, aren't you? INCUBUS!!!!

I hate not being able to understand jokes. I am not computer savvy, but can surf a mean internet. I understand what IE means, but don't know why that may be a bad thing.

IE is Internet Explorer, the web browser from Micro$oft. It used to be really, really bad. Horrible, in fact, when compared to Mozilla (formerly Netscape, now Firefox). It's caught up a lot (but, again, it's all catch-up, you won't see much innovation from IE) but I still prefer Firefox (although there are other options now that, some would argue, are better than all of them).

Anyhow, Firefox is free to download; there are a million plugins you can install (and even if only 1% of those are any kind of useful, that's still a high number).

I can't stand IE (or Outlook) and use it only when forced to do so. I have no problem with Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint or many other M$ products.

wprager wrote:IE is Internet Explorer, the web browser from Micro$oft. It used to be really, really bad. Horrible, in fact, when compared to Mozilla (formerly Netscape, now Firefox). It's caught up a lot (but, again, it's all catch-up, you won't see much innovation from IE) but I still prefer Firefox (although there are other options now that, some would argue, are better than all of them).

Anyhow, Firefox is free to download; there are a million plugins you can install (and even if only 1% of those are any kind of useful, that's still a high number).

I can't stand IE (or Outlook) and use it only when forced to do so. I have no problem with Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint or many other M$ products.

That's essentially true from Microsoft in general.
They haven't made one product that was innovative - everything they have done was either bought from someone, or copied.

FOI - I'd suggest either Firefox or Google Chrome, although I hear that Opera and Safari are also quite capable.

Firefox seems to have the least problems with major holes, although it probably has more "minor" ones. Chrome is a Google product, so that's probably description enough. Both seem less prone to attacks as well (Chrome probably more so).

Prags - what do you use for mail if you don't use Outlook?
I tried Thunderbird (although that was a very long time ago) and didn't find it nearly as user friendly. Also, it doesn't sync through iTunes, as far as I can tell.

I use T-Bird. Have been a loyal fan since Netscape/Mozilla through to the split to Firefox/Thunderbird. I find it extremely useful -- easy, quick, just the way I like it. Certainly that has something to do with having used it since forever.

I've used Outlook at work, so I'm more than a little familiar with it. I still prefer T-Bird. Of course I cried when I had to give up my non-graphic e-mail client under Unix. I think it was called "tin" or maybe that was the newsgroup reader. Too long ago.

Jim Balsillie's 'eminence grise', attorney Richard Rodier, comes off less than favourably in this article by Nashville-based hockey writer Dirk Hoag at OnTheForecheck.com, whose work is regularly featured on the respected hockey site KuklasKorner.com.

Thanks to James Mirtle (Globe & Mail, FromTheRink.com) for this reference.

Essentially, Rodier is portrayed as a 'corporate raider', a term coined to describe a breed of business instigator whose role has been to destroy companies in order to buy up the remains at fire sale prices. While this type has been fictionalized in the movie "Wall Street" the real corporate raider is far more ruthless than the movie version.

A fascinating read...

---

Craig Leipold unloads on Balsillie and Rodier
Alleges attempts to undermine the Nashville Predators
Dirk Hoag, OntheForecheck.com, August 5, 2009

Thanks to James Mirtle for pointing out the statement filed by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly (full text here), which goes into some detail about the July 29 Board of Governors interview with (and subsequent rejection of) Jim Balsillie and his application to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes.

Attached to the end of Daly's brief is a statement which former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold read to the Executive Committee before their interview with Balsillie. In it, he outlines previously unreported attempts back in 2005 (well before there was any discussion of selling the team) by Richard Rodier, Balsillie's legal representative, to stir up discord between the Predators and the City of Nashville, and Rodier's frank suggestions on how to relocate the team to Hamilton, Ontario by any means necessary.

If you Predators fans needed to get your blood boiling, take a look at some of these excerpts after the jump...





Before we get to Leipold's statement, there's this from Daly's review of the interview process. Craig Leipold grills Balsillie over the "Hamilton Predators" fiasco (all emphasis below is mine):

Mr. Leipold and others also questioned Mr. Balsillie at length regarding his actions in 2007, which appeared to have been taken with the purpose and effect of destabilizing the Predators franchise in Nashville. Issues that were discussed included the facts that in June 2007:
without the consent of Mr. Leipold and against the express direction of Commissioner Bettman, Mr. Balsillie began soliciting "Hamilton Predators" ticket orders in Hamilton, Ontario using the Predators' intellectual property;
Mr. Balsillie had publicly announced lease negotiations with the arena in Hamilton; and he had submitted a "conditional relocation application" to the League.
Mr. Leipold, Mr. Gillett, Mr. Ed Snider, Mr. Ted Leonsis and I all questioned Mr. Balsillie about his conduct relating to these activities and his answers were wholly unsatisfactory.
Mr. Balsillie actually suggested that his unauthorized activities somehow "helped" Mr. Leipold by leading to a resurgence of interest in the team in Nashville.

Wow, what a steaming piece of tripe that is. Far from being apologetic over his misappropriation of the Predators logo to drum up interest in Hamilton, Balsillie acts like he did Leipold and Nashville a favor.

The real meat, however, is the statement that Leipold read to the Executive Committee prior to the Balsillie interview, which starts with:

To be blunt, I plan on voting against Jim as a potential owner, and it has nothing to do with the Phoenix Coyotes or Jim's desire to move an NHL franchise to Hamilton, Ontario. Rather, I simply don't trust Jim, and don't believe he would be a good partner in the NHL or owner of an NHL franchise.

The bombshell comes when Leipold alleges that Balsillie, through his legal representative Richard Rodier, attempted to devalue the Predators back in 2005, well before the sale process began:

A. On February 23, 2005, February 25, 2005, and March 7, 2005 (which is prior to any contact betwen Mr. Balsillie and me regarding the Predators), Richard Rodier, the attorney for Mr. Balsillie, contacted the Director of Finance for Nashville inquiring about the terms of the lease between the Predators and Nashville and the Predators compliance with the lease. I have copies of these emails, and it is my understanding that Mr. Rodier also had telephone conversations with the Director of Finance and, potentially, other members of the Nashville administration. Specifically, Mr. Rodier inquired as to whether the Predators had met the net worth requirements of the lease, and suggested to the Finance Director that the Predators could be in default of their lease due to the unclear language in the lease regarding a net worth provision.
B. Prior to Rodier, The City of Nashville had never inquired about the Predators net worth or the requirements.
C. On March 9, (two days after his last e-mail) Mr. Rodier forwarded me a letter introducing himself and inquiring about purchasing the Predators.
D. Over the next 10 days, three articles in the Toronto Globe and Mail regarding the financial difficulties of the Predators. These articles were printed on March 10 (the day after Mr. Rodier approached me), March 16, and March 18. The March 18 article specifically referenced the fact that the Predators might not meet the net worth requirement under their existing lease with the City of Nashville. I should not that I have learned from subsequent conversations with Nashville officials that they never disclosed to Mr. Rodier that the Predators did not meet the net worth requirement. In fact, the city had absolutely no documentation regarding the Predators net worth, nor had they even requested this information prior to Rodier's requests.
E. Beginning in May of 2005, (and only after the Nashville Media became aware of the Globe and Mail articles) the Nashville administration began to publicly question whether the Predators were in compliance with the terms of the lease, because of our refusal to turn over confidential financial records. Unfortunately, the Nashville administration took an extreme position and argued that only physical assets (hockey pucks) could be used in calculating net worth under the terms of the lease. We believe this was the position being espoused by Rodier. For the next two years, our lawyers had to argue with the administration whether we were in breach or not, and the Nashville administration used this alleged breach to withhold large sums of money from the Predators and the arena manager.
F. To summarize, the City of Nashville had never raised the net worth requirements of the lease with me or the Predators for 8 years, until Mr. Rodier brought the provision to their attention. Mr. Rodier contacted Nashville officials prior to contacting me regarding the potential sale of the team. From the point Mr. Rodier e-mailed the city's Director of Financial and the subsequent public media attention from the Globe and Mail, our relationship with the city deteriorated greatly because the city was emboldened to argue that we were in breach of the lease. The episode ultimately cost the team thousands and thousands of dollars in legal fees and made the sale of the Predators far more difficult.
G. I only learned of Mr. Rodier's emails with the City Finance Director after I broke off negotiations with Mr. Balsillie in the summer of 2007, at which time certain administration officials advised me of the Rodier emails and inquiries of 2005.

Well, at least we know where all those reports were getting their information from. I can't imagine why other owners wouldn't want Balsillie in their club, can you?

Actively stirring up trouble to devalue a franchise in order to buy it more cheaply and break their arena lease is hardly the way to earn your way into the NHL's good graces.

Check out this other nastiness from Leipold's negotiations with Balsillie during 2007:

B. The first Term Sheet we received from Rodier required that the Predators relocate to Southern Ontario at the end of the next season and that I be responsible for acquiring an "NHL Relocation Consent." For the next several months, we argued back and forth, but I always refused to guarantee relocation because of the terms of my Nashville lease and the NHL Constitution and Bylaws.

D. Then on May 15 after meeting with Gary in New York, I met with Balsillie and Rodier in Balsillie's offices (with my attorney taking notes over the telephone). In this meeting, I made it abundantly clear, on numerous occasions, that Mr. Balsillie was buying the Predators "Where Is, As Is" and that there would be no discussions of relocating the Predators until after his acquisition and until it became clear that he was buying the Nashville Predators and would be required to attempt to make the franchise work in Nashville. He also made it clear that he understood that he would be accepting any and all risk that he could not relocate the franchise.
E. After that meeting, we executed the Term Sheet. The Term Sheet clearly stated that the Sellers could unilaterally make the Term Sheet binding and that Balsillie would be required to put $10,000,000 in escrow as a break-up fee.
F. On May 24, we exercised the option to make the Term Sheet binding and force Balsillie to put $10,000,000 in escrow. We then publicly announced the potential sale to Mr. Balsillie at a press conference in Nashville
G. From that point forward, Balsillie never abided by the terms we had negotiated in the Term Sheet:

1. He refused to make the Term Sheet binding;
   
2. He refused to put $10,000,000 in escrow;
   
3. He forwarded a Purchase Agreement, which was not in keeping with the Term Sheet and shifted all risk back to me regarding the Nashville lease or the failure to relocate;
   
4. In Balsillie's presence, Rodier advised that the Predators should sue the City of Nashville for "bad faith" to create the color of litigation prior to closing.
   
5. In Balsilile's presence, Rodier advised that after the June 30 closing, Balsillie would move the franchise in the dead of night using the litigation as cover;
   

Simply put, Rodier appears to be a loose cannon, willing to use whatever dirty tactics are at hand to serve his master's purpose of moving a hockey team to Hamilton. Perhaps I was too easy on him when I first dubbed him "The Mouth of Balsillie".

Moyes' lawyer says he's sorry:
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Phoenix/2009/08/07/10395381-ap.html?cid=rsssportsslam!%20hockey

Essentially, he claims that he meant to file his document under seal as confidential but forgot. He only found out about his mistake when he got a call from a reporter about it.

An honest mistake, Your Honor. Honestly!

wprager wrote:Moyes' lawyer says he's sorry:
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Phoenix/2009/08/07/10395381-ap.html?cid=rsssportsslam!%20hockey

Essentially, he claims that he meant to file his document under seal as confidential but forgot. He only found out about his mistake when he got a call from a reporter about it.

An honest mistake, Your Honor. Honestly!

:^^^^:

League has the courts to toss Balsillie's bid.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=287138

Phoenix30 wrote:League has the courts to toss Balsillie's bid.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=287138

Notice who's now involved...from the TSN piece:

The motion, accompanied by declarations from Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs and Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold, says the owners have concluded that Balsillie would be untrustworthy and that the court has no right to overturn their July 29 vote.

Jacobs is one of the major heavyweights on the NHL Board of Governors. Leipold is a good buddy of Phil Anschutz, the power behind the LA Kings whose company owns Jobing.com Arena, and who also has big political clout in Arizona.

From Wiki, about Jacobs:
Jacobs is well known in the sports industry, including being listed for several years in a row as one of Sports Business Journal's Most Influential People in Sports. He was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in Western New York in October, 2006.

Jacobs has owned the Boston Bruins for 35 years, and owns TD Banknorth Garden where the team plays. Wikipedia cites Jacobs has enormous political influence in the US, having been a major contributor to the election campaigns of George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Jacobs

This is getting very, very serious.