I never like reading about Tom Hicks in the paper anymore,” wrote the sports fan to an online blog. “If I were him and hated as much by so many as he is, I wouldn't like to read about me either.”
The angry missive did not appear on an English website and it was not penned by a Liverpool fan, it was featured on the homepages of the Dallas Morning News and was sent in by a fan of the Texas Rangers, another “sports franchise” owned by Hicks.
No reason was given for the enmity, the author simply expected his views to be part of a consensus which would be understood by all those who follow the Rangers.
A blog written by one of the Morning News’ top sports writers gave one indication why there is so much disquiet about Hicks, having learned the Rangers owner is to cut $20m from the baseball outfit’s annual payroll.
“What would another $20 million do to the Texas Rangers payroll?” pondered blogger Jim Reeves.
“Wait a minute, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not talking about adding another $20 million. I’m talking about subtracting it.
“According to multiple sources, and confirmed by the man himself, that’s exactly what Rangers owner Tom Hicks would like to do, not for this season but for 2010, and I can tell you what slicing another $20 million from his team’s already below-average payroll would do.
“It might just incite a riot among an already restless and frustrated Rangers fandom.”
At least Liverpool fans know that they are not alone.
Over in Montreal, the natives are similarly restless following George Gillett’s decision to engage in some “estate planning” which supporters of the much loved Canadiens ice hockey team fear could lead to the sale of one of sport’s most famous names.
Gillett is irritated by the fact that his financial pruning has become so public, insisting: “I am not used to this kind of attention, and this kind of impoliteness. I am really offended by it, because it really is truly private.”
Which is odd, because just 48 hours earlier Canadiens president and Gillett ally Pierre Bolvin had ignited media interest by issuing an official statement saying: “The Gillett family has retained the services of financial advisers in order to assess various strategic alternatives to optimise the value of its corporate assets."
So much for it being “truly private”.
But what are Liverpool fans to make of events Stateside?
Well this week, we have learned that as well as asking George W Bush to throw the opening pitch of the Rangers’ season, Hicks is looking for investment in his baseball team.
We also know that Gillett’s estate planning is likely to result in minority investors – or perhaps even outright buyers – taking a stake in one or more of his franchises.
In short, the duo are looking to cut costs and increase revenue and are doing it at exactly the same time. Anyone would think they have a major refinancing deadline to meet in just four months time.
As ever, it is their motives which remain unclear though. Are they looking down the back of their sofas for loose change in a bid to ensure they can convince the banks to continue with the massive £350m loan which allows them to be owners of Liverpool?
Or is it a public attempt to convince anyone looking to buy the Reds at a knockdown price, that they have the means to get through the refinancing process?
Both insist they are not interested in selling but both have instructed rival leading banks to seek out potential investment in Liverpool and it is widely believed that Merrill Lynch and Rothschilds have discussed a total sale of the club with more than one party.
Furthermore, it was less than a year ago that Hicks and Gillett came within two hours of selling Liverpool to the Al-Kharafi family only for the wealthy Kuwaitis to walk away from the negotiating table without any explanation.
This happened at a time when the American duo were similarly adamant that Liverpool was not for sale and the secrecy surrounding the proposed deal with the Al-Kharafis was so great that the talks took place without the knowledge of Reds chief executive Rick Parry, who denied any such negotiations were taking place.
The talks may have collapsed but a price had been agreed which suggests that Hicks and Gillett are willing to sell but, in the words of the late Leslie Crowther, only when the price is right.
It remains to be seen whether any of Liverpool’s potential suitors are willing to meet that price and unless they do it seems that Hicks and Gillett will be able to continue insisting that they won’t be selling.
But one thing’s for sure, newspaper buyers on both sides of the Atlantic had best get used to reading about Tom Hicks because the Texan is going to continue to be big news in the months to come.
The angry missive did not appear on an English website and it was not penned by a Liverpool fan, it was featured on the homepages of the Dallas Morning News and was sent in by a fan of the Texas Rangers, another “sports franchise” owned by Hicks.
No reason was given for the enmity, the author simply expected his views to be part of a consensus which would be understood by all those who follow the Rangers.
A blog written by one of the Morning News’ top sports writers gave one indication why there is so much disquiet about Hicks, having learned the Rangers owner is to cut $20m from the baseball outfit’s annual payroll.
“What would another $20 million do to the Texas Rangers payroll?” pondered blogger Jim Reeves.
“Wait a minute, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not talking about adding another $20 million. I’m talking about subtracting it.
“According to multiple sources, and confirmed by the man himself, that’s exactly what Rangers owner Tom Hicks would like to do, not for this season but for 2010, and I can tell you what slicing another $20 million from his team’s already below-average payroll would do.
“It might just incite a riot among an already restless and frustrated Rangers fandom.”
At least Liverpool fans know that they are not alone.
Over in Montreal, the natives are similarly restless following George Gillett’s decision to engage in some “estate planning” which supporters of the much loved Canadiens ice hockey team fear could lead to the sale of one of sport’s most famous names.
Gillett is irritated by the fact that his financial pruning has become so public, insisting: “I am not used to this kind of attention, and this kind of impoliteness. I am really offended by it, because it really is truly private.”
Which is odd, because just 48 hours earlier Canadiens president and Gillett ally Pierre Bolvin had ignited media interest by issuing an official statement saying: “The Gillett family has retained the services of financial advisers in order to assess various strategic alternatives to optimise the value of its corporate assets."
So much for it being “truly private”.
But what are Liverpool fans to make of events Stateside?
Well this week, we have learned that as well as asking George W Bush to throw the opening pitch of the Rangers’ season, Hicks is looking for investment in his baseball team.
We also know that Gillett’s estate planning is likely to result in minority investors – or perhaps even outright buyers – taking a stake in one or more of his franchises.
In short, the duo are looking to cut costs and increase revenue and are doing it at exactly the same time. Anyone would think they have a major refinancing deadline to meet in just four months time.
As ever, it is their motives which remain unclear though. Are they looking down the back of their sofas for loose change in a bid to ensure they can convince the banks to continue with the massive £350m loan which allows them to be owners of Liverpool?
Or is it a public attempt to convince anyone looking to buy the Reds at a knockdown price, that they have the means to get through the refinancing process?
Both insist they are not interested in selling but both have instructed rival leading banks to seek out potential investment in Liverpool and it is widely believed that Merrill Lynch and Rothschilds have discussed a total sale of the club with more than one party.
Furthermore, it was less than a year ago that Hicks and Gillett came within two hours of selling Liverpool to the Al-Kharafi family only for the wealthy Kuwaitis to walk away from the negotiating table without any explanation.
This happened at a time when the American duo were similarly adamant that Liverpool was not for sale and the secrecy surrounding the proposed deal with the Al-Kharafis was so great that the talks took place without the knowledge of Reds chief executive Rick Parry, who denied any such negotiations were taking place.
The talks may have collapsed but a price had been agreed which suggests that Hicks and Gillett are willing to sell but, in the words of the late Leslie Crowther, only when the price is right.
It remains to be seen whether any of Liverpool’s potential suitors are willing to meet that price and unless they do it seems that Hicks and Gillett will be able to continue insisting that they won’t be selling.
But one thing’s for sure, newspaper buyers on both sides of the Atlantic had best get used to reading about Tom Hicks because the Texan is going to continue to be big news in the months to come.
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