rolling "dave zirin sons a sports writer/figure and my commie ass self-righteously otms him"

OK, that's definitely an important point, and Zirin (and Perkins) should have made it.

ha curmudgeon just posted what i was gonna post

When Miami Heat owner Micky Arison struck a deal with Miami-Dade County to build the $213 million American Airlines Arena in 1997, he was supposed to return 40 percent of all profits beyond $14 million to the county. It was deemed a fair exchange for the $38 million worth of land and the $6.4 million annual subsidy (through 2027) he received for the new stadium.
But according to the Miami New Times, Arison has yet to return a single penny to the county – even after the arrival of LeBron James and Chris Bosh propelled the Heat to the NBA finals and the arena to a record $60 million in revenue last year.
That’s because Arison reported expenses of $47.8 million at the arena, $12 million of which came from “depreciation and amortization.” Even though revenues rose $15 million in 2011, team profits still couldn’t surpass the $14 million threshold.
The New Times speculates that Arison is using accounting tricks to ensure that profits don’t exceed $14 million, and he never has to share any of his winnings with the taxpayers that built his arena. [Miami New Times]

While Bennett said all the right things about keeping the Sonics in Seattle, a team executive dinner on September 9, 2006, tells you all you need to know about the man and his motives. On that fine evening, the Sonics management, all held over from the previous ownership regime, all Pacific Northwesters, gathered in Oklahoma to meet the new boss. Bennett made sure they were sent to a top restaurant, and picked up the bill. As the Seattle execs sat down, four plates of a deep fried appetizer were put on the table. After filling their mouths with the crispy goodness, one asked the waitress what this curious dish with a nutty flavor actually was. It was lamb testicles. Bennett laughed at their discomfort and the message was clear: the Sonics could eat his balls. (See Sonicsgate.com for a full accounting of this theft.)

didnt know mr. t was a minority owner of the thunder

Wow.

Does Zirin not know who Aubrey McClendon is? Probably no CEO has gotten more bad press the last few months and he doesn't mention any of it. Or the fact that he funded the Swift Boat ads. etc etc.

The American Airlines Arena the Heat play in is owned by Miami County. The Heat pay zero rent to use the arena and several politicians have publicly lambasted the deal that created this illogical arrangement. Basically, Heat majority owner Micky Arison used his dough to influence decision makers and push the deal through at the expense of the taxyers who funded the arena's construction.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, June 12, 2012 12:58 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

i have no idea if mickey arison is a good/bad person, but this is how every single stadium in america comes to fruition. pretty unremarkable, especially compared to bennett/mclendon.

i don't really think that people should choose their rooting interests based on the politics or actions of a team's owner because almost all of them are shitty rich bastards. but the OKC owner are a special type of shitty rich bastard, so it adds a silver lining to any misfortune that the team should experience.

Yes, although Wiki says there are some who hold Arison, the Carnival cruise line owner, and one of the wealthiest men in the world, responsible for that cruise ship that crashed in Italy killing 32 people.