Probably not, Mark Cuban

[splitterpfj]

Mr Reinsdorf is a very powerful man in baseball circles, if he says no, I don't think it will matter what Cuban says.

 

Cuban blocked from buying Cubs?

[endaround]

Selig would do everything in his power to keep Cuban from getting a team

[bullox]

It's a shame that politics can keep someone from continuing on with their dream.

[dadofandrew]

MLB does not like having anyone who might rock the boat. Needless to say, Cuban is a longshot.

[bullox]

If by 'rock the boat' you mean 'raise awareness and interest' then I agree.

[PKBadger]

1. I don't think it's Mark Cuban's dream to own an MLB franchise. Coincidentally, it was Mark Attanasio's dream and things seemed to work out OK for him.

2. After yet another season where the total attendance record was shattered, raising awareness and interest doesn't seem to be a problem for MLB.

[Fatter than Joey]

I would want no part of a Cuban owned Cubs.

[Jay Zahn]

I don't know that the Cubs are really a team that need their interest and awareness raised. If Cuban wants to do that he should buy the Devil Rays.

[TooLiveBrew]

Wow, that is a really poorly written article. http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/frown.gif

[bullox]

It's not just about the Cubs. Cuban would raise awareness for baseball as a whole. It's not a zero-sum game; if he raised awareness for the Cubs, it's not as if some other team would lose fan awareness and interest.

1. I don't think it's Mark Cuban's dream to own an MLB franchise.

Says who? If he wants to do it and is getting held back due to old men and their politics then I don't agree with the way that baseball is run. It reeks of collusion.

 

It's not as if Cuban killed someone...what has he really done that has shamed the NBA or hurt its image?

[TooLiveBrew]

As you mentioned, it doesn't sound like this is about "image" or "awareness" or whatever - it's that some powers that be don't want him around. He criticizes officiating, says whatever he feels like, and in general doesn't sit back like most MLB owners. Honestly, can you imagine how many tapes/DVDs of umpiring he'd submit in a season!

 

http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/laugh.gif

 

I agree with you that this whole thing stinks. However, if the vote on him really was 29 yea to one nay, is this really even an issue?

[logan82]

I would want no part of a Cuban owned Cubs.

 

Me either. I prefer the indifferent ownership and incompetent GM they currently have.

[Fatter than Joey]

what has he really done that has shamed the NBA or hurt its image?

 

What Cuban has done with the Mavs is amazing.

[SeriesFinale]

Wow, that is a really poorly written article. http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/frown.gif

Verdi is the worst. Condescending non-sequiters masquerading as thought.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

Gawd he's bad. That article was literally hard for me to read, it was that poorly written.

[Thurston Fluff]

It'd be fun to see Cuban get a team just to see how many times he'd get fined for questioning balls and strikes calls.

[Brawndo the Thirst Mutilat]

MLB will likely do everything it can to ensure that whoever buys the Cubs is the sort of guy/group who:

 

1) wouldn't dare turn around and immediately give the biggest contract in the history of professional sports to Alex Rodriguez, thereby setting a free agent market the other owners do not want to pay.

 

2) toes the line on things like slot recommendations for draft picks.

 

Unfortunately for Mark Cuban (who I do not think has been bad for the NBA at all), this description doesn't sound much like him, so I don't think he has a realistic chance of buying the team. Is this fair? No, I don't suppose it is. Be my guest and shed as many tears as you wish for the broken dreams of a man who will just have to find something else to do with his hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

A more interesting question is whether MLB's business practices do actually qualify as collusion. I haven't the legal expertise to say. Maybe still more interesting is whether points 1 and 2 above actually do anything to increase "competitive balance" beyond what revenue sharing / luxury tax / other legal, collectively bargained measures are doing. All I know is, if it means the Cubs aren't signing the ARODs nor drafting the Jared Weavers of the future, I'm a happy camper.