George Soros involved in Limbaugh NFL bid; Soros past MLB bid termed 'polarizing'

I was surprised to hear that George Soros is in Checketts' group to buy the Rams. Soros/Checketts tried to buy the Dodgers in 2003; Soros tried to buy the Nats in 2005 and was accused of being "politically polarizing." Spokesman said Soros was victimized by "rhetoric of partisan politics."

• Soros was in Checketts' 2003 bid to buy the LA Dodgers.

• In 2005 Soros tried to buy the Washington Nationals. Partisan politics was cited as a problem for Soros' bid.

• In 2009's Rams NFL bid, Soros is again in Checketts' group.

10/12/09, Bloomberg: "Limbaugh’s group is led by former Madison Square Garden President and current St. Louis Blues and Real Salt Lake majority owner Dave Checketts, who brings a wealth of sports industry contacts, know-how and credibility.

• Checketts also brings big-time backers like George Soros, who financed the duo’s failed attempt to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003.

Checketts’s ownership of hockey’s Blues is backed by, among others,

• TowerBrook Capital Partners,

which was formerly known as Soros Private Equity Partners before it was spun off from Soros Asset Management Group in 2005."...

• from article, "Rush Limbaugh's lip meets Soros cash in NFL bid," by Scott Soshnick********

Soros tries to buy the Nats

• 6/28/05, Washington Post, "Soros' Nats' Bid Irks Republicans:"

"Major League Baseball hasn't narrowed the list of the eight bidders seeking to buy the Washington Nationals and some Republicans on Capitol Hill already are hinting at revoking the league's antitrust exemption

• if billionaire financier George Soros , an ardent critic of President Bush and supporter of liberal causes, buys the team.

"It's not necessarily smart business sense to have anybody

• who is so polarizing in the political world,"

Rep. John E. Sweeney (R-N.Y.) said. "That goes for anybody, but especially as it relates to Major League Baseball because it's one of the few businesses that get

• incredibly special treatment from Congress and the federal government."

Rep. Tom M. Davis III (R-Va.), who was a strong supporter of bringing a baseball team to Virginia, told Roll Call yesterday that "Major League Baseball understands the stakes" if Soros buys the team.

• "I don't think they want to get involved in a political fight."

Democrats weren't about to let the broadsides go unanswered.

• "Why should politics have anything to do with who owns the team," Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) asked.

"So Congress is going to get involved in every baseball ownership decision? Are they next going to worry about a manager they don't like? I've never seen anything as impotent as a congressman threatening the baseball exemption. It gets threatened half a dozen times a year, and our batting average threatening the exemption is zero."

Davis didn't return calls to his office, but spokesman Robert White said, "The point [Davis] was making was

• how it would look if Major League Baseball sells the hottest team in the market to a guy who spent more money than the gross domestic product of Colombia to legitimize drugs."...

Washington entrepreneur Jonathan Ledecky , who heads the bidding group that Soros joined, said in an e-mail:

• "America's pastime should be protected from the rhetoric of partisan politics.

It's unfortunate that the negativism that permeates

• national politics today is infecting Major League Baseball and the Washington Nationals.""...***********

3/15/2003, LA Times: "Murdoch has searched for a buyer interested in the Dodgers and not the Fox Sports properties, but has found few takers....

• Despite the lousy economics of baseball, (Dave) Checketts has managed to sign up
• financier George Soros

as well as a small equity fund, sources said. The three equity investors, including Broad, have agreed to put up $300 million, sources say. The remaining $300 million will come from banks, including J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and FleetBoston Financial Corp.

(Eli) Broad could help Checketts' efforts on two immediate fronts. His prominent profile should ease any concerns among Major League Baseball about local ownership. He also would ensure

• that Checketts -- who failed to raise enough money when he tried to buy the Boston Red Sox last year -- has adequate funding to make a credible offer, sources said."...
• from article, "Eli Broad said to join in bid for Dodgers" by Sallie Hofmeister and Ross Newhan, 3/15/03

mention of Soros' 2009 NFL bid via Rush Limbaugh show

• Reference: Washington Post article, "Soros' Nats Bid Irks Republicans," 6/28/05, by Thomas Heath

(I'm surprised Checketts asked Limbaugh to join a group of which Soros was a member. I don't know if Checketts told Limbaugh of Soros' involvement but obviously Soros knew Checketts put Limbaugh's name out there. Aside from Soros' wide ranging political activity, he has an unfortunate business resume. Would Rush have agreed to have his name in play if he knew Soros was involved? I didn't hear Rush say he did or didn't know, but when he read the item today about Soros' involvement it sounded like he had not known). framus

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