Listen Up, Texans Rangers Fans: This Right Here Is How You Get Shi ... Um, Stuff Done

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., May 12 2010 at 1:35 PM

Categories: Biz, Sports

See, Rangers fans, we shoulda taken out billboards along I-30.

It's very possible, if not downright likely, that at any second now word will come down that Major League Baseball has seized ownership of the Texas Rangers in order to wrap up the sale of the team to Chuck Greenberg -- after which time the creditors will announce that, whoops, they've thrown the team into involuntary bankruptcy. Calls are out; messages have been left; updates, I hope, forthcoming. (Update, kind of: I've been told we shouldn't expect MLB to move this week. Unless it does. 'Round Friday. Ish. But it probably won't.)

Meanwhile in England, where Tom Hicks is trying to sell Liverpool FC for £800 million -- or twice its guesstimated worth, per most experts --and has a possible taker in a "Chinese multi-millionaire internet gaming tycoon," there's this breaking news: Spirit of Shankly, the Reds' supporters union that has hounded Hicks and co-owner George Gillett since forever for breaking all kinds of promises, is getting a sit-down with Premier League officials to talk about Hicks's shite stewardship.

First, the group sent league officials this lengthy missive, a laundry list of lies, damned lies and statistics concerning Hicks's ownership of the soccer team. (As in: "The debt on LFC is now at a staggering height. Before Tom Hicks and George Gillett the Club had a debt of £44 million. Within months, this had risen to £350 million and it currently stands at £237 million. The hollow promise of no debt is only beaten by the lack of regulation or protection given by the Premier League.")

SoS demanded to speak to the League about the damage done and what steps could be taken in the future to make sure the next owners don't fook it up even worse, if such a thing's possible. To which the league said: "OK, come on down to London this Friday so we can discuss what you think would make a right fit and proper owner for Liverpool FC." May be nothing, but, still it's something. Meanwhile, I'd like Bud Selig to fire Ron Washington for letting Darren Oliver start the ninth last night. I'm writing my letter right now.

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