Rogers in $1.3B Talks to Buy MLSE

[Hotshot]

The more things changes the more they stay the same.

Sports in Toronto will continue to stink unless 1 passionate individual owner who cares about winning will take over.

[nubreed000]

I'm for it since this is the best opportunity we'll ever have at getting MLSE out of the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund's cold dead hands.

Just look at what Rogers has done with the Blue Jays.

edit keep in mind that I hate Rogers and their nazist telecom service.

[DoNDaDDa]

I'm for it since this is the best opportunity we'll ever have at getting MLSE out of the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund's cold dead hands.

Just look at what Rogers has done with the Blue Jays.

ever heard the saying "be careful what u wish for"?

also "just look at what Rogers has done with the Blue Jays" is not a good way to start a marketing scheme LOL

AA has made it a bit easier on us but Rogers has done nothing with the jays.... unless u feel trading the best pitcher in the game away cause u claim u cant afford him....& u cant afford to build around him, then proceed to stock pile $ in a bidd to take over MLSE a good thing! LOL

[heinz57]

jesus christ... i almost forgot baseball existed in the city.. now that i think of it, i cant name a single player on the jays..

ya, my mind is made up now... i dont like this rogers business..

[Hotshot]

AA has made it a bit easier on us but Rogers has done nothing with the jays.... unless u feel trading the best pitcher in the game away cause u claim u cant afford him....& u cant afford to build around him, then proceed to stock pile $ in a bidd to take over MLSE a good thing! LOL

Watching Doc pitches was the only reason I watched Jay games in the last few years, when he was shipped out I completly lost interest in this team.

[minks77]

No, no, no. I hate Rogers with a passion. Rogers and Bell already own all of our cable/internet/cell phone options, SKYDOME, Bell Centre etc. You think OTPP has no interest in winning? Look at the Blue Jays and ask yourself what Rogers has done except p-off fans by switching games to premium channels IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEASON and playing to an empty stadium?

Fuck Rogers. Fuck em straight to hell. What we really need are teams of PEOPLE (ie Sarver/Cuban/Buss etc) with a passion in sports and winning to buy the team, NOT another faceless, heartless corporate entity that will bleed the "product" dry and then sell it on to the next boardroom.

BTW, Fuck Rogers.

[DoNDaDDa]

Watching Doc pitches was the only reason I watched Jay games in the last few years, when he was shipped out I completly lost interest in this team.

agreed.. Doc should have retired a jay...rogers should have cared more about winning...

although i was happy that Doc got his chance in the post season. It really stung to see him dominate that first game & know it wasnt for the Jays...

[ahoang]

next step - bills to Toronto! The whole city is going to bleed Rogers red.

[Brandon]

Exactly. You don't drop $1B in coin on something you plan to take a hit from. This is a gigantic move if it takes place. You have to think it's got all to do with turning a profit. Rogers executives don't get bonuses by inflating business costs, they get bonuses by lowering costs and raising profits.

Nothing wrong with that. More money will be made from the Raps/Leafs if those teams are winning every year than if they're the embarrassments they are now. The MLSE ownership has been disastrous for a long time, and I thought the Rogers ownership of the Blue Jays has been a modest success (they're above .500 most of the time). I'm excited to see some changes in their hideous TV coverage. Perhaps some professionals will be hired.

[jrdyck]

I can't wait, Sportsnet will not only have every single Blue Jays game, they'll get the Raptors and Leafs too!

[blackjitsu]

The teacher's own 51% right? The other 49% is owned by BMO and Bell. I HATE this deal. Aren't these guys supposed to be competitors? Is this bordering on Monopoly? Or some sort of jacked up corporate structure? If Bell and Rogers are in bed over this, I need to start making foil hats. It also means they value the whole MLSE sports franchise at around 2 Billion dollars...That's crazy! What individual, or group of individuals is going to make a 2 Billion dollar play in this economy? This means we're stuck with these fools!

[DoNDaDDa]

The teacher's own 51% right? The other 49% is owned by BMO and Bell. I HATE this deal. Aren't these guys supposed to be competitors? Is this bordering on Monopoly? Or some sort of jacked up corporate structure? If Bell and Rogers are in bed over this, I need to start making foil hats. It also means they value the whole MLSE sports franchise at around 2 Billion dollars...That's crazy! What individual, or group of individuals is going to make a 2 Billion dollar play in this economy? This means we're stuck with these fools!

actually...

OTPF=66%
Kilmer Sports(Larry Tanenbum)=20.5%
TD Capital=13.5%

[daveyboy]

ever heard the saying "be careful what u wish for"?

also "just look at what Rogers has done with the Blue Jays" is not a good way to start a marketing scheme LOL

AA has made it a bit easier on us but Rogers has done nothing with the jays.... unless u feel trading the best pitcher in the game away cause u claim u cant afford him....& u cant afford to build around him, then proceed to stock pile $ in a bidd to take over MLSE a good thing! LOL

I'd say for you to not comment much on the Blue Jays because you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. They traded Halladay away because he wanted to get traded to a team that could win the championship. Not because they couldn't afford him.

The Blue Jays under Rogers had the 5th highest payroll in baseball 3 years ago, Rogers is completely willing to put the money into the team and likely will do the same for the Raps and Leafs (and likely Bills Ralph Wilson passes). They decided to shift tactics the last couple years and build through the draft and trades based on the Tampa Bay model and it has worked out huge for them. American baseball scouts are absolutely drooling over the Jays talent base and will be for years to come.

Rogers owning the Raps is nothing but good news except for television viewing.

[DoNDaDDa]

I'd say for you to not comment much on the Blue Jays because you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. They traded Halladay away because he wanted to get traded to a team that could win the championship. Not because they couldn't afford him.

The Blue Jays under Rogers had the 5th highest payroll in baseball 3 years ago, Rogers is completely willing to put the money into the team and likely will do the same for the Raps and Leafs (and likely Bills Ralph Wilson passes). They decided to shift tactics the last couple years and build through the draft and trades based on the Tampa Bay model and it has worked out huge for them. American baseball scouts are absolutely drooling over the Jays talent base and will be for years to come.

Rogers owning the Raps is nothing but good news except for television viewing.

Actually Doc wanted to be part of a winner in T.O but ownership kept blundering every move they made! in the end managment dicided to rebuild & wanted to trade Doc for prospects... Doc agreed because he wanted to be part of a winner not a constant rebuild!!! He never asked to be traded,he was asked if he would be willing to be traded...hence the reason Doc is still respected in T.O
AA has managed to stock pile assests(Prospects) & has helped ease the pain a little but in no way shape or form did Rogers do anything good with the jays...

Id say u need to take off those Rogers(Rouge) coloured glasses.....

[Edgar]

I hate baseball but not the Jays - If they were in ANY other division in the MLB they would have stolen the city's sports team as well as quite possibly pocketing a 'chip in the last 10 years. The Jays have had some really good teams that have been edged out of the playoff picture by the All-star payrolls of the Red Sox and the Yankees.

Really what the fuck kind of 30 team league makes every team play 162 games (the VAST majority of which are very sparsely attended) just to take the 6 divisional winners and the next 2 best teams (wildcards) to play 1 shortened 5 game series to determine the top 4 teams to play full 7 game series in the last 2 deciding rounds to determine a Champ?

In the NFL the playoff structure makes much more sense (although still annoying) since the nature of the sport somewhat dictates a limited length of games... but Baseball?!?


Anyway I don't really care who owns it as long as they let the basketball people in charge do their job with an acceptable amount of freedom.

[LBF]

More people are concerned what it means from a Leafs standpoint, but from a Raps standpoint, i think it'll be better. You might be able to do more things with Rogers' products to gain access to Raptors content. If you're with Bell, Telus, MTS, Aliant, Sasktel, etc, you might be screwed however.

terlus hast.v.?

i know cogeco,bell,rogers,,shaw. but,didn't know telus, you sure went deep into the dc providers.


rogers has denied it ofcourse, i would like a change so im for it and i heard they were going to buy the 66% owned by the teachers, the other 34% i guess would stay whatever it is now.

[LBF]

The more things changes the more they stay the same.

Sports in Toronto will continue to stink unless 1 passionate individual owner who cares about winning will take over.

step in jim balsillie,although he's rumoured to enter a bid for the sabres.

[blackjitsu]

actually...

OTPF=66%
Kilmer Sports(Larry Tanenbum)=20.5%
TD Capital=13.5%

No Foil hats for me! Does the sale change anything though? With Ted Rogers dying (last year?) Tanenbum is still the most powerful individual, which means the sports products will remain untouched :/

[Apollo]

the funny part is Rogers are always complaining that there loosing sooo much money with the bluejays yet they have managed to stock pile a 1.3billion dollar war chest... i know they have other income but come on! were was this money before.... how come we are forced to watch the Jays loose out on every decent player in the league because of $ but yet they have all this cash to buy MLSE...
if this happens it will be a sad day in toronto sports if u ask me.

Most companies who make purchases or expansions aren't bankrolling the projects primarily from their own pockets, they're financed by investors. I really don't believe Rogers had $1.3B sitting in the bank waiting for a rainy day.

[DoNDaDDa]

Most companies who make purchases or expansions aren't bankrolling the projects primarily from their own pockets, they're financed by investors. I really don't believe Rogers had $1.3B sitting in the bank waiting for a rainy day.

with the whole SN1 BS & the way theyve torn apart the jays the last few years, id bet they did... add to that the extreamly crappy Internet they provide at a premium price & all the rest of the bs makes it even more obvious IMO they also purchased the Skydome for a measly 50mill. & are surelly seeing all profit from that venture already...I HATE ROGERS