Marlins' Jeffrey Loria and David Samson conned Miami, lined their pockets and held a fire sale

[El Supremo]

Jeff Passan - Yahoo! Sports

Here is how the con worked.

The Florida Marlins owners whined, and they brayed, and they swore up and down that they couldn't afford the new stadium necessary to raise their payroll from embarrassing levels and compete annually. And they got it, the vast majority on the taxpayer's teat no less, this gleaming new gem from which they would fatten their pockets by taking all of the ticket and concession and parking and advertising sales, every last cent, no matter how unseemly that felt.

To allay fears, they changed their name to the Miami Marlins, their colors to a rainbow vomiting, their image to reflect the city, hot enough that the New Yorker would profile them and Showtime would broadcast a documentary on them and free agents Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell would take the money. People actually bought into the thing, recognized them as a real team and not just some affiliate run by a couple of swindlers who had already screwed Montreal and were primed to do the same to another city.

It wasn't ever going to end any other way. You knew that. You knew. When Jeffrey Loria and David Samson are involved, it can't end any other way, because they know no different. Loria is the owner of the Marlins, Samson the president, and they're turning the Miami Marlins into a chop shop. Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante were traded first this week, to the Tigers. Then Hanley Ramirez, who until this year Loria regarded as the franchise, to the Dodgers. Next could be Josh Johnson, their homegrown ace.

The rest at: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/marlins-jeffrey-loria-david-samson-fire-sale-trade-hanley-ramirez-new-stadium-.html

Say what you will about the Rockies and the Montforts, but we aren't anywhere near as corrupt as Miami and Loria. And our fans are astronomically better than Miami's.

[madinmaryland]

1. How many World Series have the Rockies won??

Oh, and

You've been awfully quiet about the Marlins the last month or so.

[El Supremo]

2. And so has everyone else!

Speaks loudly for their fans here. Even when the Clown Fish were doing good, nobody gave a shit.

But I guess they are really just fans of the Yankees, like most people in Floriduh. http://blogs.trb.com/sports/custom/business/blog/2012/05/yankees_top_marlins_rays_as_fl.html

[madinmaryland]

3. There was an ongoing thread last weekend about the sweep that they endured

at the hand of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

So did you enjoy the new PNC Park when you were there? They seem to selling out most every game now.

[El Supremo]

4. You can thank the Rockies' World Series Manager.

But you won't.

[madinmaryland]

6. I thank the Rockies ineptitude for releasing him and letting him join

a team with a long history and FIVE World Series Championships!

[JonLP24]

5. Unfortunately

Last edited Wed Jul 25, 2012, 09:20 PM - Edit history (2)

the point will get distracted because of the source of the OP. I have nothing against Miami teams, I actually like the Dolphins and have a great NFL history. One of the few teams to have 2 1,000+ yard rushers. Probably a greater achievement than having a 2,000+ yard rusher (though it would be a close second because a 2,000 rusher is a terrific running back even if they have a lot of carries(volume rushing stats have to be adjusted by carries in determining is the better running back). Anyways, the 2005 Denver Broncos would be my category of 2 1,000 yard rushers even though Tatum Bell got somewhere between 901-999 yards because I don't obsess over round number achievements. 3,000 hits is impressive, so is 2,999.

However, the Marlins current owners (I have no idea about past owners for this franchise) is one of the worst in North America professional sports. There is no doubt he conned the city and the deal is being investigated by the SEC and FBI. He called the city leaders stupid and that he can say what he wants since construction was completed in which will take Miami decades to pay back.

A lot of bad owner flak is directed at big spenders when from that standpoint, they are engaging in a purer form of capitalism - employers competing for talent, driving up wages for the talent. The big spenders often do support policies that rig things in their favor whether that's colluding to form a league and restrict competition or leverage over cities which is the case of the Moria's come in(in fairness, all of the major US sports leagues are guilty of this. There is no denying, it is the approach(leveraging cities) that makes them most money until the system crashes(which it will at this rate, New Jersey is paying for two stadiums that sit next to each other). He had lower overall salaries while he was taking in massive revenues which he kept to himself when he cried poor for a stadium

[El Supremo]

9. So you don't like Passan?

Prove it.

[JonLP24]

10. I was unfamiliar with him before this thread

Loria is the face of Marlins ownership so I was addressing him. Prove what? That I don't like Passan, I don't know him but since he is Loria's tag-team partner I do dislike him.

[sadbear]

7. Terrible timing.

The Marlins, with their new stadium, were supposed to be contenders this season. They brought in Jose Reyes, Mark Beuhrle, Heath Bell, and Carlos Zambrano. Those guys added to Josh Johnson, Rickey Nolasco, Anibel Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, and Giancarlo Stanton, and the Marlins are a pretty decent team on paper. Maybe if had kept Freddy Gonzalez over Ozzie Guillen, they might have been more competitive. Who knows now? The Marlins usually wait until after the win the World Series to sell off the team, so this was a little surprising.

[El Supremo]

8. But this is Loria not Huizenga.

Far worse of a con man.