Einhorn Is A Man

David Einhorn (not pictured)

This has certainly been a fun time in the world of baseball ownership, with the MLB taking over the assault-happy fanbased Los Angeles Dodgers due to the whole Divorce-gate issue and the Mets financial issues.  Well, the Mets may be able to soon have an owner-figure once again as Cayman Island reinsurer and part-time professional poker player (not a sport) David Einhorn may step in to take a majority ownership role.

Go ahead annnnnnd jump.

Einhorn already has part ownership, but according to ESPN, majority ownership would allow the organization to stop hemorrhaging coin in the near future.  But, like all of baseball financial issues, it ain't that simple:

The source said the Wilpons can stop Einhorn from gaining the majority share essentially by returning Einhorn's initial $200 million investment yet allowing him to keep the 33 percent share of the team.

So, in essence, for the opportunity cost and other associated risks of loaning the Wilpons $200 million for three years, Einhorn would get one-third of the team. It's not exactly for free, since there is the cost of what he could have otherwise done with that money for three years, but it appears to be highly favorable terms.

via ESPN New York

So basically, the current majority owners, the Wilpons, can block this and play the victim card due to their dealings with Biggest Douche In the Universe nominee Bernie Madoff.  If the Wilpons win their lawsuit, all is well (according to them).  If not, well then Finkle is indeed Einhorn.

This appears to be another example of the unstable financial environment in North American professional sports.  The Mets Corporation must hope and pray that someone can step in to help the terrible financial situation.  Essentially, other than an MLB takeover, those options are their only hope.  We see similar examples of this in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes, as the NHL took this team over and have trouble finding another owner because no one wants to pay off all of the debt.  Where the NHL and MLB differ is that baseball teams work as their own independent corporations under the heading of MLB.  NHL, NBA, and NFL teams all rely on some sort of revenue sharing and ownership collaboration.  The NFL lockout is an example of this because all teams are locked out, not one.  The MLB strike in 1994 was a league-wide strike, but if that were to happen today, some teams would care more than others.  The Yankees have an empire to maintain.  The Pirates are not worth that much.  MLB has this revenue sharing, but obviously its not good enough.  For example, see teams listed above (pssst, it's the Dodgers and Mets).  So yeah, think about that.  Now for the real reason I posted this entry:

Your gun is digging into my hip...