KDKA's Larry Reichart speaks with Mike Dawida about his idea to get a judge to grant the people of Pittsburgh the "right of first refusal" to purchase the Penguins, if the current owners try to relocate. Maverick enough for you?Dawida was introduced as former Allegheny County Commissioner, and current professor of public policy at CUP. No mention was made of his candidacy for controller, for fear that KDKA would have to start paying attention to the other four guys.
His idea was inspired by the Green Bay Packers, a franchise thriving in a smaller city because the team is owned by local stockholders. Reichart explains Dawida by saying "It is ultimately the threat of leaving that is the fulcrum that teams use to get what they want."
Dawida says that it is only an NHL rule that disallows joint stock ownership of teams, not any government law. The Comet wonders where in blazes we can find one of those notorious "activist judges" to issue such a ruling, simply because it's good public policy. But we are entirely in-favor.
When a renter moves out of an apartment, does the renter have the right to destroy the property he vacated?
ReplyDeleteMike D's best contribution to the discussion is the history elements.
The Pens still owe the public treasury a good deal of money.
The Pens can't afford to move out to a no-rent home because they can't get off the hook to the public -- yet alone to Isle of Capri. Well, they could afford to depart. But, it is going to be a major kick in the teeth for the organiztation that will just be trying to get onto its feet in another market.
Frankly, the right of first refusal is not nearly as good, IMHO, as being one of 100,000 share-owners who own the team.
My favorite penguin is Tux.
I'd like to buy the Pens with private stakeholder money and turn all the team's assets into the public domain.
The team might then be too big of the NHL and need to be hockey's version of the Harlem Globetrotters.
I worked on this with some others some years ago. The Green Bay Packers model isn't bold enough for my tastes nor ambitions.