Join Me in Hating Carl Pohlad

or; Why I Hate the Richies.

Published on April 21, 2004 By Unfairman In Sports & Leisure

I hate Carl Pohlad.

Who is Carl Pohlad, one might ask, and what has he done to incur my wrath?

Carl Pohlad is the owner of the Minnesota Twins, "my" baseball team. As to why I hate him...

Most recently, the reason I hate him is because of Victory Sports One. This is a television station he created when he bought the rights to air all Twins baseball games. That, in itself, is nothing hate worthy. A lot of owners own the rights to broadcast their games. I hate him because his whiny network execs couldn't broker a deal with any of the major Minnesota broadcast companies (Charter Communications, DirecTV, The Dish Network) so very, VERY few fans are able to watch the games. Not only is that a bitch move, it doesn't make any sense financially. I mean, how can he generate revenue if he doesn't make a deal with anyone to broadcast his games. Now, I don't know all the details of negotiations or whatever, but the fact remains that it's a complete dick move.

I also hate him because he's a cheap bastard. The Twins were a great team last season (and are on the road to become one this season) and yet he was still to cheap to pony up the dough to keep a good deal of the same players. We lost "Everyday Eddie" Guardado and A.J. "I'm an asshole, but I sure can play" Pierzynski (not much of a loss, thanks to Joe Mauer, who is the next rookie phenom) but still...I hate that guy. A lot.

Hmmm...that's all the energy I feel I can put into hating right now. I think I'm gonna go watch a Twins game...oh wait! I can't! Asshole!

Comments

voodoostation

on Apr 21, 2004

I've never understood the local media blackout policies from major league sports teams. I probably never will.

Jamie Burnside

on Apr 21, 2004

Joe Nathan is a .200 OBP improvement on Eddie Guardado. Plus he's right handed.

Who knows, maybe he's the second-coming of Dave Stevens; but a team would like to have a hard-throwing righthander out there in the ninth rather than a soft-throwing lefty. (And Hawkins signed with the Cubs even before the Twins could make an offer.) I am willing to give Nathan a chance, even though he has gotten off to a bit of a rough start.

Before Victory Sports, FSN purchased the rights to the Twins. That arrangement limits a revenue stream for the Twins. Once Victory Sports is aired on various cable systems, the ad revenue will go into the organization rather than into Rupert Murdoch's pockets.

The cable and satellite companies are to blame for this. (At least moreso than Pohlad.) From what I've heard, the national companies refuse to even negotiate with the Twins. (As in not returning phone calls.) This whole thing stinks of collusion. One would think that the FOX family (that owns Direct TV) would have some incentive to quash the various budding regional independent sports networks.

In the meantime: listen to the games on the radio, enjoy baseball on Friday nights, and buy cheap tickets to the games. (Upper deck General admission is $6 or so.) I was known to walk to the Metrodome when I was in college and do my homework in the upper deck during the game.

My point is: don't just blame Pohlad.

***********************************************************
Pierzynski was a good interview, and some of the players on the team liked him. That said, maybe the Twins will be better off without him too. He antagonized the umpires and other teams, and his public complaining may have dampened the mood in the clubhouse. (That last part is my "gut feeling.")

Unfairman

on Apr 21, 2004

Hmm...these are all great points.

But, the fact remains that Pohlad is still a cheap bastard. Now, maybe he doesn't have the money, you say? Well, then he shouldn't own a friggin baseball team.

The Twins payroll is one of the lowest in the majors...I think the Yanks pay as much in luxury taxes as the Twins do in a payroll. I could be wrong there, but I think I heard that somewhere.

I like the point that the cable companies refused to negotiate with Victory Sports. As I said, I didn't know all the details to the negotiations, and this sheds a new light on the issue.

P.S. I still hate Pohlad

bartholomew anderson

on Apr 21, 2004

baseball is for pussies. watch a real sport, jackass!

Suspeckted

on Apr 22, 2004

Nice contribution to the discussion Bart, does your 4th grade teacher know you're on a Blog site when you need to get that report on the Canadian Goose done.

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