Just when we thought we were out, they pulled us back in!
Mets fans, it looks like the torture that is the Wilpon’s ownership will continue for the forseeable future. According to several reports, negotiations between the Wilpons and billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen to purchase an 80% majority stake of the franchise for $2.6 billion has been deemed dead due to what is said to be last minute changes to the originally agreed upon sale. From what we initially knew in reports from just a handful of weeks ago, Fred Wilpon agreed to sell the majority stake to Cohen, but changes in total operational control would shift over from Fred and Jeff Wilpon to Cohen after a five-year transition period. Reports later stated that once the deal was finalized, Cohen would most likely have immediate control over the team’s finances and day-to-day operations. Now, after some late inning negotiations by the Wilpons regarding that control, as well as a continued high-powered executive position for Jeff Wilpon even after the five-year period, Cohen has decided to walk away from the deal.
Once again, Fred and Jeff Wilpon are the bane of Mets fans’ existence. How they still own the team after everything that occured with Bernie Madoff still boggles my mind. These two imbeciles once again let their egos get in the way of a sale that was a win-win for everyone involved. $2.6 billion! Instead, the Wilpons decided that they still want some form of control and demand that Jeff Wilpon stay in some sort of senior role after Cohen took control. Of course Cohen backed out because that was not the original agreed-upon deal and in no way does he want Jeff Wilpon controlling what is done with his money. This isn’t even the first time the Wilpons have changed their demands when it came to a potential sale of the franchise. In 2011, David Einhorn, a hedge fund manager like Cohen, was set to purchase a large stake of the Mets from the Wilpons, only to back out later because of additional changes the Wilpons made to that deal. It’s absolutely ridiculous that Major League Baseball has not stepped in to force the Wilpons to sell. They did it with the Dodgers in 2011 when they seized control from then owner Frank McCourt. The evidence against the unethical ownership by the Wilpons seems like it should be more than enough for them to step in. One person even went so far to put together an article of all the wrongdoings and dysfunctional decisions the Wilpons have made since the mid 2000s. I remember reading this for the first time a few years ago; my jaw dropped. Many of these things I recalled, but others I was hearing of for the first time.
From everything I’ve read about this failed sale, it all comes down to Jeff Wilpon. He continues to want complete control of baseball operations. He still thinks he is the general manager. Hell, in a sense he is since no moves can be made without his two cents/approval. We all know Brodie is the puppet and Jeff is the puppet master. Here, we finally had a guy who was going to come in a treat this franchise like the big market team it’s supposed to be and Jeff’s massive ego and wanting to control everything goes and fucks it all up. Let’s get one thing straight, Jeff: you are not a player; you are not a coach; you are not a scout; you are not a baseball mind. You are the owner. The only job you have is to purchase and hire all of the aforementioned.. Get the silver spoon out of your ass and stop acting like the entitled brat who thinks he can run everything because his daddy bought the team. Mets fans are sick and tired of you holding the franchise back. Take the money and go!
