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davesimondotcom · Jun 27, 2005, 04:59 PM

Quoted from the Drudge Report:

Republicans Suggest Backlash Against Baseball If Soros Group Wins Bid To Buy Nationals
Mon Jun 27 2005 09:51:22 ET

Despite the Washington Nationals' successful start to the season, to some Capitol Hill Republicans there is a dark cloud on the Nats' horizon: the potential that their newly adopted home team could be purchased by billionaire financier George Soros!

Soros has joined an ownership bid being led by entrepreneur Jonathan Ledecky that is angling to take over the Nats, who are currently owned by Major League Baseball.

ROLL CALL reports: Soros pumped more than $20 million in the last cycle into groups seeking to unseat President Bush and elect Democrats and relates that the very prospect that Soros could have a stake in the team is enough to irritate Congressional Republicans.

"I think Major League Baseball understands the stakes," said Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis (R), who recently convened high-profile steroid hearings.

Davis said that if a Soros sale went through, "I don't think it's the Nats that get hurt. I think it's Major League Baseball that gets hurt.

They enjoy all sorts of exemptions' from anti-trust laws. Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.), vice chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that covers the District of Columbia budget, said if Soros buys the team and seeks public funding for a new stadium or anything else, the GOP attitude would be, "Let him pay for it."

Developing...

OK, ok, ok. I get it. Some people don't like Soros. I don't care for his politics. But if he wants to put his money into owning a baseball team, let him! How could it be hurtful to the sport if someone puts their time/money into supporting a team that has been through hell the last few years?

To George Soros, if you want to buy the Nats, go for it! Help the team that has been the bastard child of the Majors for too long. (Even if they are doing very well right now!)

To Sweeney and Davis: Soros wouldn't be the first arrogant, pig headed, rich son of a b*tch to own a baseball team. Last count there were just as many as there were teams. And don't threaten the league with taking away their anti-trust exemptions. That's reserved for real negotionations.

One thing I do agree with Sweeney on though is that the owners should pay for their own parks. Holding communities hostage by threatening to move a team just to get a stadium funded with taxpayer bucks is stupid.

ManOfSteal · Jun 27, 2005, 10:47 PM

Amen.

nonhuman · Jun 27, 2005, 10:53 PM

Ooh if they kill off all the crappy sports, maybe they'll stop bumping good shows for boring ass games. Finally, a cause I can back the republicans on!

zizban · Jun 28, 2005, 09:15 AM

Is there something in the water at the Capitol that makes people say bizzaro stuff? It's weird.

saab95 · Jun 28, 2005, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by zizban

Is there something in the water at the Capitol that makes people say bizzaro stuff? It's weird.

Mmmmmmmm- the Potomac River!

I agree- Soros should be allowed to buy the Nationals.

What the heck, he's even richer than Steinbrenner is.

Gives the Yankees a team to dump Giambi and Kevin Brown on

davesimondotcom · Jun 28, 2005, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by saab95

Gives the Yankees a team to dump Giambi and Kevin Brown on

The Nats don't need them.

After all, the Expos have been in the business of developing talent for the rest of the Majors for years. Now they might be able to afford to KEEP some of it.

residentEvil · Jun 28, 2005, 11:36 AM

speaking of baseball:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmate...rts/ci_2819164