Skip to main content

It Nice To Be Wanted

There is nothing more exciting in sports than ownership news!

With Dave Checketts' efforts to replace the Blues' major investor still unresolved, an offer has been made to purchase the team outright from Checketts, multiple sources have told the Post-Dispatch.

St. Louis businessman Tom Stillman, who is already a minority owner, is part of a group that presented a formal bid to Checketts' company, SCP Worldwide, to take control of the club. This is the only known offer for the team, an offer sources said was far less than the estimated value of the franchise.

In 2010, Forbes Magazine valued the Blues at $165 million, approximately $15 million more than Checketts paid for the team and the lease on Scottrade Center in 2006.

SCP has rejected the bid from Stillman's group and will continue seeking financial support to replace the Blues' major investor, TowerBrook Capital Partners, and maintain control of the club. It's believed by sources that Checketts would step aside if he was offered his asking price, which is not known at this time, but based on the recent bid he is not ready to sell.

Given that we have had times when the Blues were for sale and no potential local owners were even on the radar, this isn't that bad. Sure there is some uncertainty here, but there is time to get this all sorted out before any more big money decisions need to be made.

Checketts, who possibly kept the Blues from relocating when he took control of the franchise in 2006, has been seen as a loyal and engaging owner.

However, with the Blues in 13th place in the Western Conference standings, a fan base that has sold out 33 consecutive home games is now questioning the viability of an ownership group that couldn't afford to keep the club afloat during a rash of injuries to key players.

I think this is pretty much wrong. Knowledgeable fans are aware of how this team is being built, through player development. So many teams were within striking distance of the playoffs this year there were fewer sellers, so there was a much smaller pool of add-on players available. When you look at the crazy price the Kings paid for Justin Penner I for one am glad the Blues didn't try to make that kind of move.

That being said if the Blues are not willing to make a move during the free agency days of the summer rumbles will increase. But, generally Blues fans are willing to stick with the plan, as long as there continues to be a plan.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Note of Optimism About the Note

 If you have been trying to watch the St. Louis Blues attempt to play hockey of late it would be hard to believe the word optimism could ever be in play. The losses continue relentlessly, often in the "never in the game" style, but increasingly in a "lose from winning position" flair which is enough to make someone turn on the news for an upbeat change of pace. (Wow, plane crashes and LUNACY!) This team still can't score with the regularity needed to win consistently in this league. The coaching staff knows they have precious few natural goal scorers (one is precious few), so they attempt to make up for it by getting what I call "process" goals, i.e. goals scored by virtue of constant pressure, crazy bounces, accidental deflections, etc. Basically, any goal you can get from a player who doesn't have the knack for scoring them on their own. The Blues are something like zero for their last 12-15 breakaway chances, and zero for their last 25-30 2 on 1...

Blues Beat Bugbear

 The St. Louis Blues have not had many out-of-character results so far this season. For the most part they have been handling the teams they usually handle and doing nothing against the teams that seem to always have their number. There is some solace to be had just knowing that you are going to probably beat Calgary, and will probably lose to Columbus, just as the sun will most likely rise in the East tomorrow. Granted that isn't an ideal set of affairs for a sports team, but Blues fans have learned to take what they can get. Which is why it is fair to say last night's victory over Utah was unusual. The Blues do not play well against that collection of players. Ever. So, any victory would be noteworthy in this matchup, but the resilience they showed last night was an added bonus. The Blues still have crappy puck luck, but last night they didn't let it get them down and, miracle of miracles, the puck luck evened out for the game. For a change the PK wasn't always runnin...

Early Thoughts on City 2025

There are few things harder to keep track of than an MLS side in their off-season, at least for me. Despite the fact it takes place roughly during the time the MLB Hot Stove season is in full swing, it is nowhere near as easy to follow along with as baseball. Part of it is how disconnected MLS is with the international soccer calendar. St. Louis City SC is still digesting the moves it made last summer even though those players have already played important games for the club. It is all weird and disjointed, and I always feel like I am playing catch-up. Happily, the moves made in the off-season this year were not numerous.  German Timo Baumgartl comes over from Europe as an option at center back, which is good because that was a position that was a little rocky for City last season. Given his own troubles over the last few seasons (cancer and uneven play in the aftermath of that), a spell with City can give Baumgartl a chance to have a re-set. Given his pedigree and the fact City si...