Magic Johnson to buy Pistons?

[R8RBOB]

B- The Palace has to be the worst place on earth. Try leaving. After any event....... <gunshot to head>

I can speak to that. My mother and I went to a Pistons back years ago and after we left we got lost in Pontiac. [[She was driving, not me)

Business-wise..... How in the world did we ever end up with the Pistons in the deep-burbs and the Wings in the heart of the city? I can't help but think there's more money there. But hey, it's Detroit!

Answer: back in the late 70's when the Pistons were a very, very mediocre team, Davidson discovered that Whites [[the ones with the money) would not come to Detroit to watch a sorry-ass team play. [[I'm curious to know what the outcome would have been if the Pistons were a elite team? Would people had still stayed away) What is unsure is if Davidson knew of Mayor Young's decision to build Joe Louis Arena before or after he decided to move his team to the Silverdome? If he knew Detroit was going to build a larger arena and he still moved to the Dome then he moved the Pistons because he wanted to make it easy for Whites to attend the games. If he found out after he signed the agreement to move then it was bad timing, but I think he had his mind made up to move no matter what.

Back in 85, before the Palace was dreamed up and a season before the Red Wings started selling out JLA, the Pistons had a another bite at downtown Detroit when the Silverdome roof collapsed. Again, the Pistons were mediocre but they weren't bad like the 70's teams and like the 70's, Whites didn't want to cross the 8Mile border to watch the team so the decision was made; the Pistons will build a new arena in Auburn Hills. [[huh!!) Tom Wilson went before the media and said flat out that the fans [[read: White people) didn't want to come to Detroit was a reason why they weren't returning to Detroit. Of course this was before the Red Wings stopped being the Dead Things or Dead Wings and started winning and a couple of years later Mike and Marian Ilitch made the decision to move the Little Caesar's operation from Farmington Hills to the just-purchased Fox Theatre. Funny, how Tom Wilson, the man credited for making the Palace, a world-class arena, credited being one of the architects of the championship Pistons teams is the same man hired to bring the Pistons back...to Detroit

[rjk]

I've attended plenty of basketball games and concerts at the Palace and have never really had a problem with traffic.

I've seen mile backups on northbound I-75 a half hour prior to a Tigers game. I've seen huge traffic jams on flower day at eastern market. A little common sense or even a quick look at google maps will tell you that there's more than one road/exit leading to a well attended event.

The worst traffic I ever experienced at a sporting event was after a Tigers game when we parked in one of the lots behind the Fox Theater. Live and learn.

[FlyingJ]

Your theories just got more interesting. If you want to really watch your household budget, cut out the Starbuck's;
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/20...ells_his_s.php

rjk this is a great, frank book that delves into Magic[[& Bird's) mindsets on & off the court;
http://www.interbasket.net/news/4910...magic-johnson/

[Gistok]

The worst traffic I ever experienced at a sporting event was after a Tigers game when we parked in one of the lots behind the Fox Theater. Live and learn.

The learn part should include preplanning your escape options, and having backup options to get out of downtown...

For the Palace there really aren't that many options... especially if you're heading south towards the city.

But downtown has a lot of different escape routes [[and 3 freeways to get onto) so there are a lot more ways to get out of downtown that the Palace!

[401don]

I've read a few articles about Magic's sale of his Lakers shares. The consensus is that he sold for about double the face value of 27 million. He will clear about 100 million for Starbucks and also sold his Fatburger franchises for a good profit prior to bankruptcy. He has banked about 200 million from these transactions and is positioning to buy another NBA franchise. Besides the Pistons, both the Hawks and Magic are available. Magic owning the Magic? There's also the fact that lots of rich folks are simply selling off assets before a big increase in the capitol gains tax takes place at the end of this year.
We already know that Magic has a lot better business sense than Jordan. I just hope if he decides to make himself president or gm he's better than Jordan as well.

[Fnemecek]

Rival bid!!!

Perhaps you missed the news item that stated Ilitch had a 30 day window to negotiate a deal to buy the team. It is his team to buy if he wants it. There are no other bidders including some rogue group which might include Magic.

I haven't missed it.

Perhaps you missed the part about how 30 day windows only last for 30 days. If the Ilitch group doesn't have their financing together at the end of that 30 day period, Ms. Davidson is free to entertain other options.

You giving Grand Wizard LBROOKS to much power..lol! Do you really think Magic would pair with the Wizard against Detroit?

There's an old adage that politics makes strange bedfellows. The fact of the matter is that business makes even stranger ones.

If there's enough money to be made, people will join forces with people that they normally would not.

The L. Brooks boogie man shows up?

Karen Davidson is driving the ship. I'm sure she looked at all the perspective buyers and she chose Illitch as the most serious. Once KD announced that the team was for sale anyone could have have showed their interest and put together a bid for the team.

Yes, Ms. Davidson is driving the ship. However, she is looking to sell.

If the Ilitch group doesn't have its financing together by the end of that 30 window and another bid does materialize, Ms. Davidson would likely be reluctant to turn it down.

[kraig]

The learn part should include preplanning your escape options, and having backup options to get out of downtown...

For the Palace there really aren't that many options... especially if you're heading south towards the city.

But downtown has a lot of different escape routes [[and 3 freeways to get onto) so there are a lot more ways to get out of downtown that the Palace!

One of the problems with leaving Ford Field or Comerica Park is that the police are attempting to direct everyone to the freeways, even those of us that live in the City that want to stay in the downtown area after a game or concert.

[rjk]

The learn part should include preplanning your escape options, and having backup options to get out of downtown...

Sure, but on Kraig's point we were pretty much following the plan of the traffic cops. Because of the roads they had blocked off their plan wan't very good for us or I doubt anyone else. It was a mess

[esp1986]

Sure, but on Kraig's point we were pretty much following the plan of the traffic cops. Because of the roads they had blocked off their plan wan't very good for us or I doubt anyone else. It was a mess

I can recall a few times at the Palace, when it took an hour to get from the parking lot to I-75 South. Only then did I get on I-75 and spend another 45 minutes crawling to Troy. These are the times that it took me nearly 3 hours to get home, and the reason I haven't been to an event at the Palace in over 7 years.

This is the same reason that, should the Red Wings move out there for ANY length of time, I will not be attending ANY games, and I have historically attended 15-20 games a year. I am a huge Red Wings fan, but this is where I am drawing the line. This will be my silent protest should they move out there. If there is anyone else out there who doesn't want to make the drive, I encourage you to voice your opinion to the team.

[leland_palmer]

Just heard today that he wants to be part of bringing an NFL team to LA.

... also found an article.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-la/?related=1

[gdogslim]

I would like to see Magics Johnson own the Pistons, Too much sports control in one family otherwise, [[and prices for all venues, food, parking would go up up up in the long run.

[kraig]

I would like to see Magics Johnson own the Pistons, Too much sports control in one family otherwise, [[and prices for all venues, food, parking would go up up up in the long run.

Prices are going to go up anyway. Basketball, football, baseball and hockey teams don't lower their prices based on what the other franchises around town are charging.

Myself, I'm more of a sports fan than anything else. My main concern is who's going to put the best team on the court that they can. Give me Illitch.