Auction Update, or: How Much Does Mark Cuban Want to Own the Texas Rangers?

• Mark Cuban has shown to be a "idiot" in his actions in the NBA. Great news for MLB!!!!

• Is Tom Hicks out or not? The StartleGram has a one sentence update from 'sources' that says he is gone. No accompanying data whatsoever and no mention of it elsewhere. Is that rat bastard gone or not?

• Ok, so cuban didnt get the team. I can live w/Ryan&Greenberg, but they need to do two things here: A) Enclose the ballpark. Take a page from Minute Maid Park, build a structure around the park to keep out the elements during the spring and summertime. Less ungodly heat at game time=better playing and watching environment. B) Ditch Metroplex SportsService as park consessionare. Bring in some local/regional resturants at the park similar to whats being done at New Yankee, Citi Field, Petco Park and the aeformentioned Minute Maid. Id rather have a Risckys BBQ or Fuzzys Taco than the dirtwater hotdogs, greasy pre-formed cheeseburgers and stale popcorn they serve now they have now

• HMMMMMM. CUBES WAS FREE AND EASY IN THE EARLY GOING, RAISING BIDS WITH SOMEBODY ELSE'S MONEY, BUT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO SPEND HIS OWN MONEY, HE QUIT.

• meo..meoala...Hallelulaj..the witch is dead (Hicks) long live the Kings (Ryan/Greenberg/2 really rich dudes that actually spent damn near 600 million dollars yesterday for our little Redshoes) meow, meow..all is good that ends with Hicks not owning the Rangers..meow, meow

• gracias senor

• At the end of last week the Rangers filed a motion to dismiss with an accompanying brief that says, in short: "Plaintiff asserts that Rangers Ballpark�s assignment of the Ballpark Lease to TRBP is null and void under the terms of the Leasehold Mortgage.26 Plaintiff�s claim fails for several reasons: (a) First, section 6.9(p) of the Credit Agreement authorizes TRBP to transfer the Ballpark Lease to Rangers Ballpark. Section 3.11.1 of the Leasehold Mortgage expressly provides that it is subject to the Credit Agreement; (b) Second, the assignment of the Ballpark Lease is not a modification. Consequently, section 3.11.1 therefore is inapplicable; (c) Third, even if the assignment constitutes a modification of the Ballpark Lease, Section 3.11.1, declaring any modification �void,� is a disabling restraint on alienation, a type of provision invalid under both Texas and New York law; and d) Fourth, assuming arguendo that the assignment is a modification, the Ballpark Lease was transferred subject to the Plaintiff's lien pursuant to the Leasehold Mortgage. 25 In its Prayer for Relief, Plaintiff reserves its right to seek damages, attorneys� fees and other remedies. 26 Plaintiff references two amendments made to the Ballpark Lease prior to the Leasehold Assignment but does not attach the amendment documents or rely upon them for any of Plaintiff�s legal theories. As a result, the legal consequence of these amendments is not part of this declaratory judgment action. As such, an assignment subject to the lien against the Ballpark Lease does not materially impair the practical realization of Plaintiff�s first lien in the Ballpark Lease. Consequently, for these multiple, and independent, reasons, Plaintiff fails to state a claim upon which declaratory relief can be granted." Still waiting on judge to rule on motion to dismiss.

• Anyone know about the ballpark lease and what JP morgan is going to do with the lawsuit they filed?

• Ah, c'mon guys, Cuban was just doing business. In a way he did G-R a favor. The creditors had been complaining about how they weren't getting a good deal because somehow the process was biased towards G-R getting the team for an undervalued price. Since obviously there was a real bidding war going on last night that argument won't hold any water anymore. @db: No, actually, they can't. It's an iPhone. There is no such thing as "additional batteries" for an iPhone. Sam should get a phone that actually allows the end user to change his own batteries.

• It's an iPhone. You can't replace the battery.

• Can someone buy Sam some additional batteries for his phone?

• Nah, Cuban wanted the team. He thought he saw weakness in the Greenberg/Ryan group's financing and figured he could swoop in and pick up the team for a slight bit more than G-R's original deal. G-R just had a stronger backing than Mark anticipated.

• Eff Mark Cuban. Will not be renewing my Mavs season tix after this year -- would cancel them now, but already paid.

• I hope Cuban plans to explain himself soon. There's a building opinion that he was just playing some silly little game to add more money thaty he doesn't really need to the pile he already has that he doesn't really need. He should know better than to screw around with the passions of sports fans out of sheer selfish interest. There are lots of ways to make money at that level, there was really no need to put the Rangers future at risk. I just hope he was trying to buy the club for all the right reasons, and not just gaming the system for a few extra easy bucks.

• So Cuban the Douche only succeeds in bleeding Greenberg/Ryan of funds that should have been used to increase the payroll and make improvements to the ballpark. The only good thing to come out of this is now everyone can see Cubans true colors.

• I'm so happy I could gush!

• Indeed, thanks to all who stuck around -- Sam, most of all.

• congrats Sam on the job you done did

• great job by Mr. Merten. Glad Greenberg and Nolan won this and let's gooooo Rangers!!!!!!!!!

• I made it through this whole damn thing! I need a life

• Rangers post game show says Greenberg/Ryan have won the auction.

• As Cuban takes the bid to $390 million, I wonder: Can he get Valley View thrown in for an extra pack of smokes? http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/080510dnbusValleyView.1e56a0f.html

• They should have asked Judge McBryde to run the auction. Neither side may have been happy, but at least it would have been over by lunchtime.

• @Mark Perez and Bob W.: I'll throw in another 20 if Sam does it. $40 if Sam recites Al Pacino's entire speech from And Justice For All. Poor Sam's not going to get any sleep tonight. I think Judge Lynn may have set this whole thing up for reversal by not insisting both parties bring cash and cash only. Just tossing this out there, but how can anyone say whether C-C's numbers are accurate or realistic, with all the funky algorithms and calculus involved to determine the number? And how do we know this is not just a strategy by C-C and the lenders to try and run out the clock on G-R and their financing, which supposedly expires in ten or so days? No appeal takes 10 days - except maybe Bush v. Gore. After that date, won't G-R financing be in tatters, and C-C proclaim that they're the only player in town?

• Mavs Maniacs vs Snow Monkeys winner gets the team

• Just think if Ryan releases the Snow Monkeys on Cuban?

• Thanks Dr. D. Are the fat dancing guys in this movie?

• Yeah, I can't ask him either. I refuse to tweet until they come up with a better verb for it. @Mark Perez: Lauria is G-R atty Jessup is C-C atty Nelms is judge Lynn is other, unseen judge that Lauria is pouting about not being in charge instead of Nelms Merten is delirious on-site tweeter Wilonsky is supervisor Cuban is smirking Ryan is probably suffering from hematochezia

• Yes: Lauria is Greenberg's attorney. Lynn is the bankruptcy judge, but Nelms is the judge overseeing the auction. William Snyder is the CRO. And Clifton Jessup is Cuban's attorney.

• Ok I need a cast program. Lauria is G-R atty. right? Lynn is judge Nelms is CRO? Jessup is who?

• Dunno, doc. You should ask him. Or is this when I break in my never-used Twitter account? Is this where I disavow my vow of silence? Doubtful.

• Has Lauria said "Fuck you!" to Sam? Seems like he has to everyone else there

• At this point he'd do it just to get outta there. And to collect $10. I mean, who wouldn't?

• $10 bucks to Sam if he jumps up and yells "THIS WHOLE COURTROOM IS OUT OF ORDER!"

• Hard to say which will die first: Sam's phone or me. I think Sam's loopy. I do not understand this latest tweet at all: "G-R atty says $34.9 million of C-C bid was deducted by CRO, dropping bid to $300 mil--below the original cash bid." How can Snyder just deduct from a bid? Do I need to go to Fort Worth? I need to go to Fort Worth. Get a bagel at Boopa's, anyhow.

• ok I hate twitter but this Sam dude is kick ass with the reports. Kind of seems like he should have the sports blog.

• Bet Sam's got a iPhone 3G running iOS 4

• Ladies and gentlemen YOUR NEW TEXAS RANGERS!!!! First we introduce Rangers Man the first ever human baseball mascot!!! Sorry Mr Met, this guy is all baseball head to toe...and could WHOOP YOUR ASS!!!! And what about....The Ranger Maniacs...the first ever MLB cheerleaders...all dudes...all flabby...all Rangery!!! Got a manager that snorts some fun stuff now and then? NO PROBLEM, SPORTS FANS!!! Free chalupas to every game Ron snorts a line off Mike Maddox's Zappa soul patch!!! AND THATS NOT ALL RANGERS FANS!!! Free Reddi Wip when Josh Hamilton homers twice or more in a game!!!!!!! Sorry Chuck Morgan, you're good and all, but not EXTREME ENOUGH for this new TEXAS RANGERS!!!! WELCOME BACK HUMBLE AHHHHHHHHHHHH BILLY AHHHHHHHHHHHHH HAYES AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Did you enjoy the days when those gay arthouse movies played at the Inwood? WE DIDNT THINK SO RANGERS FANS!!! In the spirit of making the INWOOD all kick ass and stuff with all Sandy Bullock all the time now, we're getting rid of the seats...installing bean bag chairs. FIFTY THOUSAND OF THEM!!! Suck it, Truffaut!!! YEAHH!!!!! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN YOUR NEW TEXAS RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!

• The As won today.

• Outta there at last! SO glad to be back in my car and away from those crazy nutballs. Boy, you sure do get a different perspective on people when they're all pissed off and acting like spoiled children. Never thought I'd hear "I'm rubber and you're glue" in a court of law. I've lost all respect for mankind. My butt's sore has hell now but I needed that 200 bucks from Peppy - if that was his real name. Fricking lawyers get all the damn money handed to them and I gotta spend four minutes of bent over hell to get mine. Mom always said I'd never get anywhere without selling my soul. Guess she was right. Hope they don't notice me walking funny back at the shop. So long losers!

• You can go suck it, Cuban! Nolan is the man and he like really knows baseball and shit and you don't! Why don't you go back to your Dirk and Steve Nash butt orgie wear you put basketballs wear no human bean ever should. Pervo!! I got 14 Nolan Ryan posters and 13 of them have him giving world class noogies to that Ventura punk. Your a punk to so you better watch out! I can reed to and I reed Jen in Forth Wirth and she sez Nolan got you beet like five ways to Sunday, oh yeah! You gonna cry now?? I bet you do cry like a sissy girl. Lenders is bad peeple cuz they want money and cause all the problems in the world I know of. Thay make me cry and I want them to so go away so they don't four close on the ballpark. Thay have to play baseball their! Hope you dam happpy now Cuban!!!

• Does this mean Mr. Cuban is gonna build them Rangers a new baseball field down at Cedar Crest?

• Think Nolan has an iPhone charger Sam can borrow? Because apparently, his phone's a bigger POS than mine.

• The judge keeps trying to restore order but these guys really hate each other. They found three - three! - more baseballs on Nolan which they forced him to turn over after autographing them. Cuban wasn't going to let it go, though. He took a pen apart at his table and has been blowing spitwads at Nolan's lawyers until they finally had to build a briefcase wall to fortify themselves. Cuban's still doing it because he thinks it's funny when the spitwads stick to the briefcases and a made a joke like, "I'd like to see them explain that to their wives!!" Don't ask me to explain it, maybe his head has gone to mush with the Auction That Never Ends. Nolan is whispering something about using "snow monkey assassins" he pays in roadkill and broccoli. He says he likes to pay all his employees with that and now says he "wished to hell" he'd taken the ag commissioner job instead of "hanging out with fag lawyers and a brat billionaire who needs his face punched in." Oh wow. That pizza delivery guy looks REALLY pissed! Wonder what that lawyer just said to him.

• <i>To any Friends of Unfair Park in Fort Worth, can Sam stay over tonight? Thanks.</i> Sam can stay with Nolan Ryan downtown. I think Nolan owns an Omni Hotel condo.

• AuctionDrama -- yes, MLB still has to approve the bidder, and could still wind up going with the lower one, especially if it's Greenberg-Ryan. And if they go with Cuban-Crane, which keeps piling dollar upon dollar while Rangers Baseball Express looks for more, then Greenberg-Ryan have already said they will appeal. So, no, it's not remotely close to over. Then again, there could always be a ... <em>twist</em>. Another one, I mean.

• Un-fricking-believable! That idiot judge and the jerkward lawyers just went into chambers to make a ruling on keeping the stupid ass pepperoni on the pizza. I don't have all night here, guys! I get paid by the delivery, not the hour! Jesus, this is the last time I make a delivery to a bunch of Republicans. Nolan stiffed me for a tip claiming he "needs it for the bid." Cuban gives me a coupon for a discount on Mavs tickets. Gee thanks, Mr. Billionare, I'm sure they'll take that at Kroger. Then some metrosexual lawyer comes over to me with his hair all slicked back and wearing a Mercedes logo pendant around his neck telling me I have a "nice ass for a white boy." Someone get me outta here!!

• That Nolan Ryan dude is on roids - hemorrhoids that is! How does he plan to own a team when he can't even sit through an auction? Does he plan on trading players for Preparation H? You people really want a guy running your team from a nursing home? I bet he smells funny too! I just emailed Robin Ventura and he said he wants to give Nolan a "baseball bat suppository - the hard way!" I also heard there's a snow monkey army forming back at his ranch to take him out "once and for all." Don't even know why the dude is bidding, he's not long for this world!

• Can someone answer me this? Does MLB still have to approve the buyer/sale? Is it possible that one group outbids the other but that MLB takes the lower bid? Or is it that MLB has pre-approved both and it's the highest bidder...end of story? Thx.

• Delivery Guy is right. Someone forgot to frisk Nolan and he just threw two brush-back pitches one right after the other at Cuban's head. Red-faced and livid, Nolan screamed, "Come on, bitch! Rush the mound you oversized gnome!" Cuban bowed up like a rejected teenager with a defiant, "Nu-huh, old man!" Then he put his hands on hips and sneered back, "Your ass is grass and I'm the top-of-the-line riding lawn mower I bought off the interent!" They better settle this shit soon or it's going to turn into a bar fight!

• Personally I don't trust Cubes intentions. Is this personal for him against Greenberg? Why'd he say he'd join Greenberg and Ryan a couple weeks ago, only to jump ship and join Crane...someone who clearly doesn't want Ryan around? Ryan and Daniels are the two responsible for where the Rangers are now, any deviation from this tandem will result in sending this team back to mediocrity. Is his involvement out of spite? Cubes better watch his moves here...the Texas Ranger nation up until this point are Mav's fans. If he destroys their team, he may alienate a lot of Mav's fans.

• This is going to take a while guys. They're taking bids for pizza now...

• BOYFIGHT Boys this is baseball, can�t you do better than that? F�bombs in the hallway? Spell �pussies� like a cat. A chestbump�s required when challenging the ump And disparaging his mother, you won�t be a chump - While arguing about millions and millions of dollars (On top of the payrolls you�ll be stuck with for fellers who hopefully pay back), reason rumored is network$? Well maybe, so gloves off, permission to become jerks. This is serious, is it not, almost every boys dream To own a franchise, to be one of �the� team? And Marc to the rescue, SuperMavMan is bailing A team, that while winning, is financially failing. So what if it costs the other side to win, who said The big leagues would be cheap to climb into bed. Cuban with Ryan, D�s dream team for winning? You can win boys, keep fighting �til the very last inning!

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