OT: Sun will be setting in a year. Moving to Boston.

[NoSpamHere]

Note the paragraph at the end of the article:

"There's still a path for the tribe to maintain ownership of the team. It could sell a minority stake in the franchise and hold games in both Hartford at PeoplesBank Arena and in Uncasville, or it could stay the course and retain full control. The ownership group could self-fund a practice facility or work with the state to fund one and have the team lease it."

This is where I think things are headed. Given the league is trying to screw with the Tribe, there's also legal recourse, especially as Hartford is in their 75 mile zone.

 

[Dogdude]

Finagling continues…

So there it is, the legal way around this franchise agreement issue that won't upset other owners in virtually every sports league. They can't force a sale to Houston, but they can do this, if the Sun agree to sell to the league. Hmmm. I'd hate to see the Sun sell out, but if you need dough, you need dough. I bet they'd need to increase their offer though.

 

[Dogdude]

Note the paragraph at the end of the article:

"There's still a path for the tribe to maintain ownership of the team. It could sell a minority stake in the franchise and hold games in both Hartford at PeoplesBank Arena and in Uncasville, or it could stay the course and retain full control. The ownership group could self-fund a practice facility or work with the state to fund one and have the team lease it."

This is where I think things are headed. Given the league is trying to screw with the Tribe, there's also legal recourse, especially as Hartford is in their 75 mile zone.

I hope so. The league messed this up for future investment groups looking for clean franchise opportunities. Maybe Lasry will pay for a "partial ownership" stake but really have full control and have the team in Hartford much of the time. Interestingly, Providence is still in the radius area of the casino. It could be a true New England team.

 

[CL82]

Here's, roughly, the Sun's existing franchise territory.

 

[Bigboote]

Here's, roughly, the Sun's existing franchise territory.
View attachment 111164

If that’s based on something in the WNBA franchise agreement/by.aws/whatever, then they shouldn’t be able to force a relocation fee if the Sun relocate to Hartford. Hartford also isn’t (much) closer to Brooklyn.

ETA: Montville is 109 miles, Hartford, 101 miles from Brooklyn. If the standard is 100 miles, then it would depend on just where they’re measuring from, which isn’t available with my rudimentary web-searching abilities.

 

[BobbyJ]

If that’s based on something in the WNBA franchise agreement/by.aws/whatever, then they shouldn’t be able to force a relocation fee if the Sun relocate to Hartford. Hartford also isn’t (much) closer to Brooklyn.

ETA: Montville is 109 miles, Hartford, 101 miles from Brooklyn. If the standard is 100 miles, then it would depend on just where they’re measuring from, which isn’t available with my rudimentary web-searching abilities.

The franchise territory is a 75 mile radius around Montville.

 

[Skeets]

So there it is, the legal way around this franchise agreement issue that won't upset other owners in virtually every sports league. They can't force a sale to Houston, but they can do this, if the Sun agree to sell to the league. Hmmm. I'd hate to see the Sun sell out, but if you need dough, you need dough. I bet they'd need to increase their offer though.

The more dough you got, the more dough you knead (Mr. Bacciagalupe, Abbot and Costello).

 

[CL82]

If that’s based on something in the WNBA franchise agreement/by.aws/whatever, then they shouldn’t be able to force a relocation fee if the Sun relocate to Hartford. Hartford also isn’t (much) closer to Brooklyn.

ETA: Montville is 109 miles, Hartford, 101 miles from Brooklyn. If the standard is 100 miles, then it would depend on just where they’re measuring from, which isn’t available with my rudimentary web-searching abilities.

I believe that the Sun's franchise area is 75 miles.

 

[Bigboote]

The franchise territory is a 75 mile radius around Montville.

Then Hartford is neither outside the Sun’s territory nor within the Liberty’s. I don’t see how it would count as a relocation.

 

[Skeets]

If the WNBA does not approve any sale except to the league itself, at less money, then that would be ugly. Even worse, if the sale to the league went through and the league turned around and sold the Sun to another city at a profit, that would be really ugly. How would the other owners feel about the future of their investment?

I don't have too much of a problem with the league having the right of first refusal, but they have to match the best offer.

 

[WFFL]

If the WNBA does not approve any sale except to the league itself, at less money, then that would be ugly. Even worse, if the sale to the league went through and the league turned around and sold the Sun to another city at a profit, that would be really ugly. How would the other owners feel about the future of their investment?

I don't have too much of a problem with the league having the right of first refusal, but they have to match the best offer.

I think most if not all owners are on board with this tbh , they dont want boston or hartford they all want houston . Selling to the league would for sure make that a reality .

 

[baggerbob]

I think most if not all owners are on board with this tbh , they dont want boston or hartford they all want houston . Selling to the league would for sure make that a reality .

Then they should be forced to match the offer that the Sun were given 325 million. If they don't then a lot of possible money will dry up, because no big money investors want to be told that if they have an offer to sell, they have to sell for less because the league says so.

 

[Dogdude]

If the WNBA does not approve any sale except to the league itself, at less money, then that would be ugly. Even worse, if the sale to the league went through and the league turned around and sold the Sun to another city at a profit, that would be really ugly. How would the other owners feel about the future of their investment?

I don't have too much of a problem with the league having the right of first refusal, but they have to match the best offer.

They're already treading on anti-trust territory with moves like this. And do we really know if all the other owners are all in on Houston? That doesn't make a lot of sense, there are plenty of cities with every bit as much basketball cred. Sports team owners tend to be a pretty high-powered bunch, and while playing ball is in their best interest to a degree, I'm pretty sure none of them like being told what to do with their investments.

 

[BobbyJ]

This whole operation isn't hard to understand. The NBA and their owners are having their executive assistant (Englebert) funnel the franchises to them to keep lining their pockets. They know the demand and interest is building fast and they want to capitalize and grab the money. For those that can read it there's a good article in the Boston Globe by Chris Gasper that details it.
Is the NBA pulling the strings in WNBA relocation? The approach to the Boston bid is undermining proof the W can stand alone. - The Boston Globe

 

[WiseWillie]

This whole operation isn't hard to understand. The NBA and their owners are having their executive assistant (Englebert) funnel the franchises to them to keep lining their pockets. They know the demand and interest is building fast and they want to capitalize and grab the money. For those that can read it there's a good article in the Boston Globe by Chris Gasper that details it.
Is the NBA pulling the strings in WNBA relocation? The approach to the Boston bid is undermining proof the W can stand alone. - The Boston Globe

The relocation of the Sun is clearly a complex issue but the article is definitely a reality check for anyone interested in the behind the scenes negotiations on franchises in the WNBA/NBA. There have been discussions of antitrust implications as well from potential restrict of trade. Then there's counter arguments for league stability for long term viability not mentioning collective bargaining agreements that might protect the league from antitrust action. Time for the parties to lawyer up or way beyond that? Think I'll just sit back and try to follow the money.

 

[Skeets]

The relocation of the Sun is clearly a complex issue but the article is definitely a reality check for anyone interested in the behind the scenes negotiations on franchises in the WNBA/NBA. There have been discussions of antitrust implications as well from potential restrict of trade. Then there's counter arguments for league stability for long term viability not mentioning collective bargaining agreements that might protect the league from antitrust action. Time for the parties to lawyer up or way beyond that? Think I'll just sit back and try to follow the money.

Hint: the money almost always wins. Money talks.