1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Hello, I'm Scott sash Nick. Thanks for joining us on 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: this Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, where we explore the 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: big money issues in the world of sports. Joining me 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: today is Bloomberg Sports business writer Evan Novie Williams and 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: Michael barr Is off today. Mr Novie Williams, We've beginning 6 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: with one near and dear to your heart, the guys 7 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: riding the bikes in France where the spectators knocked them 8 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: down and there's a guy in a BMX flying over 9 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: the top. I have exhausted my knowledge of the Tour 10 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: de France. Go opening up right with it? Huh, yeah, 11 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: I do. You have been saying for how long has 12 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: this been going on? Already two and a half weeks. 13 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: You've been saying for two and a half weeks that 14 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: you want to discuss the Tour de France, and I 15 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: don't know what we're going to discuss, but go ahead. 16 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: I feel kind of like bar when he talks NASCAR, 17 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: you know, pushing a fairly obscure sport that I know 18 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: that a lot of our listeners UH don't love. But yes, 19 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: the Tour de France. One of my favorite annual sporting 20 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: events are probably cyclists This is a good chance, by 21 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: the way, to see if Steve Horowitz listens to the show. 22 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: We had a personal shout a favorite out of our 23 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: cyclistic Yeah, he likes the cycle. Has invited you to 24 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: go to what Piermont from Manhattan up to Piermonts the 25 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: best ride there is out of the city. That's a commercial. 26 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: Best ride there is, that's a commercial. I don't remember 27 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: what is it Piermont. It's like it's like Carmel car 28 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: service or something. Not a sponsor. But yeah, let's get 29 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: to the professionals. UM to France has been going on. 30 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: I love it. It's a great event. I enjoy watching it. 31 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: Most people do not. There's some fun business stuff as well. Um. 32 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: There's a guy named laws and Craddic who was one 33 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: of the few American cyclists in the event. He broke 34 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: his shoulder, shattered his scapula the first the first stage 35 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: of the race. Um, they were in France. Um, I 36 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: don't remember exactly where in France. Uh. The water bottle 37 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: popped off someone else's bike, hits his front wheel, he 38 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: goes over, hit the spectator, shatters his shoulder. Now he 39 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna win the race. He's not an overall contender, um, 40 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,559 Speaker 1: but pretty much ruined his whole race. He was raising 41 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: money for a Vella drome down in Houston. You know, 42 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: he was expecting to raise two thousand dollars. Now suddenly 43 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: he is the darling of fans. The fact that he's 44 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: been writing for the past two weeks with a broken shoulder. 45 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: He's now raised a hundred and thirty thousand dollars. How much? 46 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: How I would imagine it doesn't cost that money. Where 47 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: this thing's gonna have? Like HDTV, keep go funding Houston 48 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: Cowboys style screen Um. One of the better stories of 49 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: the tournament. They just went over cobblestones a couple of 50 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: days ago. I'm sure you can imagine that very painful. 51 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: He's asking teammates to take cliff bars out of the 52 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: back of his jersey because he can't reach back and 53 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: grabbing them himself. He can barely hold on to the things. 54 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: But he's gutting it out and he's raising a lot 55 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: of money for a good cause. All right, So give 56 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: me some other what give me? What is the big 57 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: picture business of sports story with the Tour de France. 58 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: If people here aren't watching it, yeah, the big you're 59 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 1: watching it? You're watching it on a t T. I'm 60 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: watching on NBC Sports Net. Yeah, the big story right now, 61 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: there is a dramatic imbalance and we've talked about it 62 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: in soccer as well, between teams that have a lot 63 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: of money and teams that don't. And the teams have 64 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: a lot of money obviously can pay for the best riders, 65 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: and and a team in cycling is really important helps 66 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,119 Speaker 1: you break win for your best riders. You know. It's 67 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: what it is, not in the not in the child 68 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:12,959 Speaker 1: this year smiling kind of way, but in the real, 69 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: actual breaking win kind of way. Uh So, this team 70 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 1: Team sky you know, which is the richest team. They've 71 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: won the PA four the past five events. They're dominant, 72 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: you know, And at this point in the state at 73 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: the tour right now, the guy who was supposed to 74 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: win this Team sky Rider is in second place, and 75 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: the guy in first places his teammate. You know, they are. 76 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: They are so dominant that even their riders who are 77 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: supposed to be I'm not sure you know that they're 78 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: both kind of working together now whereas in the past, 79 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: like the team head go to the second place. They're competing, 80 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: but there are moments where you know, one of them 81 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: goes on a breakaway and then the other one isn't 82 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: supposed to be working to track them down. You know, 83 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: you're supposed to be waiting for other people that to 84 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: track down your teammate. It's going to get a little hairy. 85 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: But the point is that a lot of people now 86 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: are clamoring for a salary cap. You know. It looks 87 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: kind of like European soccer in that there are a 88 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: few teams that have any chance to writers are clamoring 89 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: for a salary camp. Well, the writers are clamoring for 90 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: revenue sharing, you know, which is cycling is one of 91 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: those sports where writers don't get any cut of the 92 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: of the media money, whereas you know, here in the 93 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: US we're so used to relatively strong unions and some 94 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: form of fifty fifty share and it's not a huge 95 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: sport here in the US, But in France, in Spain, 96 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: in Belgium and the Netherlands, uh, this is must watch 97 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: sports TV and those rights are are fairly expensive. So 98 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: there's a there's a piece of the money that that 99 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: writers want to get. And then there are also people, 100 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: smaller team owners, managers, et cetera, that are saying we 101 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: need a salary cap. We can't compete with Team Sky. Uh, 102 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: we need some kind of level playing fiel. Okay, let me, 103 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: can I impress for a minute? Can impress the audience? 104 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: So we are through the Altruees and headed to the Pyrenees. Yes, 105 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: we've called the Pyrenees. Start later this week. Thank you 106 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: very much, very nice and not that I want our 107 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: listeners to turn their attention elsewhere. I have not sampled, 108 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: but you have told me on more than one occasion 109 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: now that Lance Armstrong's podcast is fantastic. Highly recommend Lance's podcast. 110 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: He is uh as people out there. No, he's fairly brash, 111 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: he's kind of curmudgeon e but uh, he wrote this 112 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: event and don't look on Wikipedia. But he did win 113 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: it a number of times but before they were taken away. 114 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: He knows a lot about it. He has guests on 115 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: that also know a lot about it. It gives you 116 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: an inside look at what, for my money, has to 117 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,599 Speaker 1: be the most grueling annual sporting event out there. The 118 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: things these guys put their bodies through is amazing. But 119 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: also kind of everything that happens behind the scenes, the tactics, 120 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: things like that that you might not pick up on 121 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: if you just turn NBC on in the morning, I 122 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: certainly would. But there's a lot going on there. It's 123 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: it's a very it's a fascinating race. Now, everybody told me, 124 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: now the tour is cleaned up, no more doping, no 125 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 1: more of all this. You tell me, have the time 126 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: slowed down? Where do we stand in the battle of 127 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: clean sport and this particular race where it seemed it 128 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 1: was a wash in cheats? So I I certainly don't 129 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: know for sure. Times have slowed a bit, you know, 130 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: which which leads a lot of people to think that 131 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: maybe that the heavy drug use that was rampant on 132 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: the in this event five or six years ago, it 133 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: might not be happening now. I believe it's probably a 134 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: bit cleaner, um. But I mean it would be naive, 135 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: just like in any sport out there professionally, it would 136 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: be naive to think that that it is entirely cleaner, 137 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: even mostly clean at this point. Butina, you're watching this, 138 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 1: so you're watching the Tour de France at all. I 139 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: actually did watch just a little bit yesterday. Do you 140 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: think how many minutes? I want to say, maybe about three? Right, 141 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: that's about it. That's my thre Okay, well, I want 142 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: to know if someone like falls right, there's a crap? 143 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: How cool would this be? Do you think we could 144 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 1: do it? How fun would a podcast be if you, 145 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,039 Speaker 1: me and Bar got on bikes and actually had to 146 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: exert ourselves, like obviously you would have no trouble. You're 147 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: the triathlete guy whatever, um like the semi out of 148 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: shape used to be athlete guy. And then how do 149 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: we characterize Bar hasn't been on a bike in a while. 150 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: He does the characterize the way he does. I think 151 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: you're suggesting this just because you want to see Michael 152 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: barr In on a bycle. I think are we dressing 153 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: up in the full because I don't know if I 154 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: want to see absolutely not. I don't know if I 155 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: want to see any of you take offense On that, 156 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: we can move on to the New York Mets, a 157 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: story we broke here at Bloomberg. Do I pat myself 158 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: on the back? I broke that the Mets about ten 159 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: of the Mets is soon to be on the market, 160 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: and part of that is going to be Comcast and 161 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: Charter through their ownership of s n Y. These are 162 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: all dating back to the shares that people bought when 163 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: Fred will Upon and Saltcats needed money because they were 164 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: being sued by the trusty in the made Office state. Um, 165 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: this is the same kind of set of shares that 166 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: Bill mar bought one of million dollars shares, but those 167 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: are divvied up, so there could be multiple buyers for 168 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: one of the twenty million dollar shares. So what are 169 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: we to make of this coming to market now at 170 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: a time when there are no control, there's no voting rights, 171 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: there's no board seat, there's no nothing. As they say 172 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: at the time, it came with a chance to meet 173 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: Mr Met get a special card that said owner. So 174 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:39,319 Speaker 1: it's expensive meeting every yeah, yeah, um yeah, and there 175 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: could be more. Right, there was. All these people that 176 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: put in were given kind of an option that extended 177 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: through Right, there's a there's something in those clauses that 178 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: means they can get out starting this year, Is that right? 179 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: They can start to get out, they can go to market, 180 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: the Mets can buy them back at fair market value, 181 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: unlikely to do so. So the sellers are dipping their toes. 182 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: And these are from what I understand, these are motivated sellers. 183 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,839 Speaker 1: Comcast and Charter never wanted to own the piece of 184 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: the New York Mets. They did this as a favorite, 185 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: Wilpon and Cat's longtime business partner in the network, who 186 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: needed the money right that So this was done as 187 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,959 Speaker 1: a favorite. Now they're looking to get out. But you 188 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: wonder where where's the worth, what's the value? What are 189 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: you doing? We talk about this a lot. I I 190 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: I still don't really understand why you why anyone would 191 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: really want to buy a minority stake in the team, 192 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: unless it came with a board seat or as we 193 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: saw with Josiah and the Nets, an option in the 194 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:40,719 Speaker 1: future path to control UM. I would say this, there 195 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: are some reason I wrote a magazine story years ago 196 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: why people buy one to well, that's one and they 197 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: can always you know, account and told them you have 198 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: to do it, But there are people who did it. 199 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: One is a way to get an advantage in their 200 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: core business. It's a cool thing to do. If you 201 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: can take a meeting in the clubhouse, if you can 202 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: go to the game and bring bring a perspective client 203 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: into the Mets clubhouse or on the field. That's not 204 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: something that everybody can offer. And Arthur Blank said that's 205 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: one reason he knew people did it, and then there's 206 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: I mean, there's always the cool factor, we know that, 207 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: and then the big one. And I heard this from 208 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 1: more than one person that it was a training ground. 209 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: They were thinking about getting involved as managing general partners 210 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: of professional sports teams, but they just wanted to dip 211 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: the toe in, sort of learn the business as an 212 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: LP and see if it was really something they were 213 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: ready to commit big dollars to, because, as you know, 214 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: these things do not come cheap these days. Okay, so 215 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: there's a number of different stakes up for the Mets 216 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: right now. Smarter or to to combine them into one. 217 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: Let's say there's it's not this exactly, but let's say 218 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: there are three four million, four percent stakes out there. 219 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: Better to sell that as one twelve percent stake or 220 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: is it better to sell that as twelve stakes? It depends. 221 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: If somebody wants five, they'll sell five. If somebody wants 222 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: the whole shebang, and I understand it's more than they'll 223 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: sell the whole showing. So it just depends on the buyer. 224 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: And let's not forget as we mentioned Bill mar and 225 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: Jerry Seinfeld, those are two guys that have no goals 226 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: of owning a major league franchise in the future, they 227 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: probably are not taking meetings within city field. There's also 228 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: some kind of there's people out there that want to 229 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: spend money just to own a piece of the team 230 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: that they grew up watching. And as well, Steve Cohen 231 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: wants the Mets. I wonder if he just wants to 232 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: sort of he's not going to have. Yeah, but you know, 233 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: whatever whatever is on the whatever something comes on the market, 234 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: Steve Cohen puts his hand, us, I'll pay. Does the 235 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: Does the way the team is performing on the field 236 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 1: matter at all in these negotiations long termble that? I 237 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:39,199 Speaker 1: don't think so. Moving on, guess what's still out there? 238 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: Guess what we're still talking about? Um NFL. Can you 239 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: believe that this flared up again? It's so poorly managed 240 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: by by the powers that be in the NFL and 241 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 1: and at this point, I guess you kind of have 242 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 1: to include the union in some capacity as as well. 243 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: The fact that we are still talking about this, that 244 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: Donald Trump is still tweeting about it, that it is 245 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: still this huge contentious issue between players, ownership, commissioner, and fans. 246 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,319 Speaker 1: Let what happened this time around in the handbook for 247 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: the Dolphins. Yeah, the Dolphins, they listed the punishment that 248 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: that they I mean, they were essentially reserving the right 249 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: to to to to punish players who were on the 250 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: field during the anthem and knelt during it um. And 251 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,319 Speaker 1: it was in the section of their handbook included in 252 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: secret curfew all the way through other things. Suspension could 253 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: be a four game suspension, could be a fine, and 254 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: it was. It was all very nebulous. And the Dolphins 255 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: reasoning was that and and other teams don't seem to 256 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 1: have interpreted it this way, but they said that they 257 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 1: needed to have everything on the books before people reported 258 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: early they were they were one of the early res 259 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 1: so so they said it was more of like a placeholder. 260 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:56,599 Speaker 1: But alarmed bills went off right away. Four games suspension 261 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: for this now, yeah, which I mean, I would imagine 262 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: if if the this season had started and the Dolphins 263 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 1: suspended someone four games for kneeling during the national anthem, 264 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: there would have been a massive uproar. And and we 265 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: don't honestly, we don't know if the plan was to 266 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: give them four game suspensions or the plan was to 267 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: be a ten dollar fine or whatever it is. The 268 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: NFL booted it back to the teams, and now you've 269 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: got the Jets saying don't worry about it, about it 270 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: and every team is setting its own policy and it's 271 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: gonna depend on what market you're in and what your 272 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 1: fan base is. What a mess. I mean, we were 273 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: joking last November. I think that that this has gone 274 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: on too long. You know that we were a month 275 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 1: and a half into into the whole anthem problem back then, 276 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 1: and we felt as though the NFL had managed managed 277 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,199 Speaker 1: to keep it in the spotlight way longer than it 278 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:47,119 Speaker 1: should have. Now we're even further. It's gonna be absolutely 279 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: I mean, we're gonna the season starts and people are 280 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: gonna be watching eagle eye. Who's gonna stay in the 281 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: locker room, who's gonna come out? You're certainly going to 282 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: see players that come out and raise a fist, take 283 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: a knee, Uh sure, yeah, And and some teams are 284 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: probably going to punish them. And in CBA talks, the 285 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: players don't often have the leverage. This is an issue 286 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: where right now I don't know what they're asking, what 287 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 1: they want, what they possibly but this this is one 288 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: of those issues where the Morris Smith certainly has a 289 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: fair amount of leverage over Roger Goodell, who does not 290 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: want this to continue, and his teams do not want it. 291 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: The sponsors certainly don't want it. They want this to 292 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 1: go away and put the focus back on football. But 293 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: unfortunately this hurts players as well, right, I mean, if 294 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: if this does hurt the owner's bottom line, you know, 295 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: the players is fine. The money will always be all right. 296 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: We only have a little bit of time. But just 297 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: for fun, let's talk about Ronaldo. Everybody knows he went 298 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: to Juventus. Not Juventus, I like Juve. But anyway, five 299 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty thousand jerseys in a day, that's about 300 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: sixty dollars worth of Ronaldo jerseys in twenty four hours. 301 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: The team probably gets eight or nine million of that, 302 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: so not bad on. I mean, what was the transfer fee, 303 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: but nine million in one day, you'll take it. Yeah, 304 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: I mean, it certainly shows that the power that Ronaldo 305 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: getting older in his career still has um what we 306 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: see it in the US. Also, you know when when 307 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: a player the Lebron James, the twenty four hours after 308 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: his Lakers jersey went on sale was was a monstrous 309 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: day of business. When superstars change change teams, they sell 310 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: a lot of jerseys. It does not I mean, as 311 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: you said that, the team is not getting all of 312 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: that sixty million. Obviously, they're probably getting a very small 313 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: percentage of that. A lot of these deals are licensing 314 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: deals and not sponsorship deals. We're not confusion if you're 315 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: if you're the companies. Ronaldo is a Nike guy and 316 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: ju Vent is sponsored by Adidas. So who's less happy there? 317 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: That's a good question. Um, I was so Nike, he's 318 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: not happy. He wouldn't he want all associates. If I 319 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: look at Ronaldo, I want if I'm Nike, I want 320 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: people thinking smoosh. Yeah. But again, the if you look 321 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: at Ronaldo's Twitter following or Instagram following versus what rival 322 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: juventis has, it is I mean leaves and bounds, and 323 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: you're not going to see outside of photos of him playing, 324 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: You're not gonna see Ronaldo in Adidas. You know, Ronaldo's 325 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 1: is a night and Nike guy. When he's wearing sneakers 326 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 1: and taking care of his kid, or playing soccer by 327 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: the pool, or with a shirt off on the beach 328 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: in santra Pe shirt off, why did you put him 329 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 1: in It's gonna be Nike. Do you just say after scoring? Yeah, 330 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: so I think that that Nike comes out still a 331 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: bit ahead, even though on the field he'll be wearing 332 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: an Adidas jersey. All right, this is the Bloomberg Business 333 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: of Sports Podcast. I'm Scott Sashnik. You can find me 334 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: on Twitter at SASA. And I'm Eben Novi Williams you 335 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: can find me at NOVI Underscore william Change That. We 336 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: are here each and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday exploring 337 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: the world of money in sports corn Us again at 338 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: the end of the week, when we speak with the 339 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: biggest and brightest in the sports business industry. You are 340 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: listening to Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio around 341 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: the world and online as an Apple podcast on iTunes.