MASN O's/Nats Dispute

[thundercleetz]

http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/822/article/p2p-81025340/

 

This is huge. I was listening to the Fan this morning and they stated this is the first time in MLB history a team has ever had an injunction against the league. Furthermore, the consulting group that came up with the formula for the rights fees for the initial contract gave an affidavit in this case in favor of the O's. All documents filed by the Nats and MLB have to become public which is absolutely not what Selig wanted.

 

We'll have to see how this whole thing turns out, but so far this is a major black eye for Selig and the MLB. Initially, this looks like the Nats and MLB are crying over spilled milk and Selig is trying to cover his tracks on a bad deal he made.

 

One more point made by the Fan. The Nats are still in the top 10 in television revenue. Their rights fees are low but they are receiving a large amount of their revenue from their equity in MASN and the company's profits. According to the Fan, rights fees are subject to MLB shared revenue, equity in your television network is not. Most teams do not own their own television network and have sold to either Comcast or Fox Sports. Seems like the MLB and the "fair council" composing of the Mets, Pirates, and Rays that Selig setup have ulterior motives.

 

Angelos has been a frustrating owner to be a fan of in the past, but we have to be glad to have a guy who doesn't lose in court on our side right now. If this deal holds up, the Orioles financial future is very good.

[dc.]

I was reading too that MLB lost for good reason - they first created the agreement and signed it, and now they created the commission that decided its validity. In almost every other circumstance of league issues, there is a pre-determined and agreed upon arbitration or mediation system (you can't win a suit over that because it's been pre-established as the method of dispute resolution). In this case, there was no set method and the league created this ad hoc committee which - surprise - ruled in the way the league saw fit.

 

The O's have a pretty good chance here to win overall - not sure how you invalidate an agreement reached ten-plus years ago that both teams and the league signed and agreed to.

[papasmurfbell]

I think Peter wins hands down. He was not stupid when he negotiated the deal. Selig is stupid and this will show just how stupid. I think Peter is going to go scorched earth and have stuff start going public that Selig wants secret making the Nats and Selig break.