The world against Frank McCourt

Frank McCourt lives on your world, I promise you. His prism just bathes it a different light, one of his choosing.

McCourt went talking again Tuesday, this time on a couple of radio shows. If I tell you he was a virtual disaster, rest assured he believes he just nailed it. He’s clearing up the air, righting wrongs, paving the way for winning back your trust.

There wasn’t a whole lot new in either interview, McCourt sticking closely to his now familiar talking points. He seemed nervous, constantly stammering and struggling to find his words, particularly in the second radio interview with Petros Papadakis and Matt Smith on KLAC-AM (570). You could almost imagine him sweating.

In his world, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, ESPN, the California attorney general, the Los Angeles Superior Court, Major League Baseball, his ex-wife’s lawyers, his own lawyers, me and you, all have it wrong.

"If the things written about me were true, I wouldn’t like me either," McCourt said to a caller on Steve Mason and John Ireland's show on ESPN's KSPN-AM (710).

He attempted to debunk several stories, curiously denying that the Dodgers Dream Foundation paid Howard Sunkin $400,000 of its approximate $1.6-million budget in 2007. This despite the team saying it recently repaid the money to the charity; there is an ongoing investigation by the attorney general’s office.

Of the reported $108 million he and ex-wife Jamie McCourt pulled out of the team to pay for their lavish personal lifestyle he said: "It’s just not true." This despite all those court documents.

His explanation was from 2004-2010 he was paid $5 million per year -- "It wasn’t from the Dodgers, but my overall businesses." -- Jamie earned $2 million per year, and they took out a $50-million loan not from the team but real estate.

I get so dizzy. Let’s see, first off he fired Jamie after the 2009 season, so she would not have been earning $2 million in 2010. And I’ll go out on a limb here and say the land he borrowed the money from was Dodger Stadium, as the Dodgers are his only real business. Supposed loan or not, that’s still $50 million taken away from the Dodgers -- I don’t care if he did break away the land into a separate company.

He did admit to one thing.

"What’s fair is, it became an excessive lifestyle," he said. "It was not sustainable, and it was unhealthy as far as I’m concerned.

"Since this all started and unfortunately my marriage broke up, I’m living in a one-bedroom place, OK? It’s a nice hotel, I’m not complaining. I’m happy other than all this drama in my life. A lot of people, I look around, have it a lot worse than I do."

Yeah, think I’ll just leave that one alone.

He also intimated that his problems were the creation of Jamie.

"I’ve made a lifestyle decision and it’s not to live that way anymore," he said. "And look, I’m not married anymore, so that’s all I’m going to say. It’s time to move on."

If only it were true. Look, McCourt is not stupid. He has to see the writing on the wall, same as the rest of us. But he’s talked himself into believing everything he says, talked himself into a corner.

In one way, he cannot win. He didn’t talk for 18 months and was rightly blasted. Now the more he talks, the worse it sounds. Unless, of course, you have that special prism.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodgers owner Frank McCourt talks with radio reporters in his office at Dodger Stadium on April 29, 2011. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Dodger Steve]

Frank just shut up and leave!

[California Sun]

Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown!

[I'm so full of it]

I do beileve it is time for MR McCourt to seek the help of a mental health specialist.

He has clearly lost his mind.

He is however producing better theatre than Shakespeare could have ever written.

What's going to happen next?

I can just imagine what Frank is doing in his Dodger stadium office while the "receiver" is digging through the books.

Oh to be a fly on the wall in that office.

Pace pace pace, I hope they don't find this, I hope they don't find that...

Ha ha ha ha ha (evil laugh)

[McCourt blows]

The guys a liar, plain and simple. The fat lady has sung, or is that Soberoff?

[NorCal Dodger]

Yeah, right. He's changed his lifestyle? The guy owns how many houses yet he is living in "a nice hotel"? Way to tone it down Frank. Pay for all those houses plus a hotel room.

[Dodger Fan]

Mr. McCourt is truly a sad and delusional man. He is like a little kid that has told so many lies about the same story that he doesn't even know the truth anymore.

While I didn't hear the entire ESPN interview, of what I did hear he never answered one question directly. He sounded like he was running for office (and not doing a good job of it). As to his new lifestyle and "living in a one bedroom place." How much is he paying per month for his Beverly Hills dump? He has an office in Beverly Hills. How much is that costing him? Hey Frank, what wrong with your office at Dodger Stadium? If you really love the Dodegers and baseball why aren't you there every day?

I hope he continues to talk because it gives the MLB more ammunition for it's case. But if Frank misses payroll later this month it may not be necessary.

[68elcamino427]

Where's the McMoney?

[Lou]

Hearing him say that the $50-million loan was not from the team but real estate is so infuriating and makes me believe that he is a sociopath because only a psycho would believe this. I cannot believe he has the nerve to spew this garbage.

You know what "real estate" the $50 million loan was taken against? The Dodger Stadium parking lot! He spun the parking lot into a separate entity so he can take a loan against it which by the way did not go to improving the team. McBankrupt is just using semantics go get around his thievery of Dodgers' equity.

[Ebbets from Connecticut]

JUST END THIS NIGHTMARE FOR ALL FRANK--SELL TBHE TEAM, AND MOVE AWAY.

AND PAY THE LAST MONTH'S RENT ON THE LITTLE HOTEL APARTMENT TOO.

THEN MOVE AWAY.

[ThoseAreNotBaseballBatsInHisBelfry]

very pathetic & kinda sad, butt likely an individual sorely in need of some very good professional help/counseling, as seemingly suffering from some significant denial issues????

[MikeOHara]

"If I tell you he was a virtual disaster, rest assured he believes he just nailed it. He’s clearing up the air, righting wrongs, paving the way for winning back your trust." That was beautiful.

I tried to listen and had to turn him off. I heard the first obvious lie within the first ten seconds. He was like Tiger Woods cajoling Elin to forgive him for a few minor slip-ups.

[Arthur Marx]

McCourt is on KTLA right now. If you still use an old-style TV, you can't see how long his nose is growing.

[Striker]

McCourt is no different than the corporate raiders that see an asset play, like a money-losing business that is sitting on prime real estate. Sound familiar?

Strategy: Starve the business, and sell or loan-out against the assets for a profit.

He has done this, and with the Fox deal, he's doing it again, if Bud will let him. McCourt has only spoken about $300 million that would come to him right away, which he promises to put into the team.

What he hasn't said is he can "sell the paper," the TV rights deal, the $1.7 billion or $3 billion deal, reduced to present value. This would make the Dodgers a looted asset for future owners.

Think Gordon Gekko, without the charm.

Boycott.

[Native Angeleno]

Steve, we need to start a blog discussion on (a) when MLB is going to yank the team from the putative owner, based on Shaikin's report the Dodgers have been bled white by McCourt, in ways MLB must reveal, but which must include some kind of future revenue redirecting, which apparently is all spent. Could the team begin the sale process by the All-Star break, and be concluded by the end of this season? If not, when?

and (b) can we start to vet a list of owners who would promise to make the team a player in the free agent market, despite MLB's desires otherwise, and i don't mean Colletti's dollar store bargain bin free agent market. I feel positive MLB will have no choice but to allow the "Yankees of the West" to blossom as the Dodgers. And as McCourt keeps saying, "if only they'd let me take the Fox deal", or in the next owner's case start a Dodger channel with Time-Warner, in a bidding war with Fox, and forever have the funds to throw at whoever the Dodgers desire. That Phillies starting pitching staff galls me to no end. That relatively little revenue stream got to be spent, and ours, which will include that Yankee-esque tv revenue stream, can't? Bull pucky. Let's identify the list that will include the next owner BEFORE Bud imposes on us another carpetbagging cancer, with the threat the city will boycott that decision as we finally have his last one. IOW, let's put MLB in a headlock they can't get out of this time. We can do that by giving them OUR short list of acceptable owners, which needs guarantee the participation of Peter O'Malley, the only guy of his ilk who called McCourt out in public.

[skyharbor]

Dodger fans are not buying Frank McCourt's drivel. Tom Verducci reports that through May 1, the Dodgers alone accounted for 63 percent of the decline in MLB attendance. They are down 95,843 fans through 15 dates, or 14.5 percent. This represents a projected drop of 500,000 in 2011 attendance.

[Joe R. Smith]

I think what has come out is just the tip of the iceberg. Once MLB has a chance to go through the Dodgers accounting ledgers, and sort through all the financial shuffling, wheeling and dealing the McCourts were engaged in- the roof is really going to come down on the McCourts. Well, maybe it will be a hammer, not just the roof, coming down a well. It's possible the IRS will get involved in some of this- if MLB discovers "major league" malfeasance.. suspect write offs, even tax dodging..etc.(hey, now we have another reason to call the club "the Dodgers"!)
I think besides Frank's concerns about losing the franchise, he's possibly also acting so desperate because he's afraid of what MLB may uncover as to the legal basis for some of his financial shennanigans... It's all shady anyway from what has been desribed so far- legal or not. I'm suspicious that they've skirted the legal boundaries of the tax codes since day one... just suspicious mind you. Of course I have no proof. Let's see what MLB finds.
We don't want this guy. I don't care about the IRS- I just want Bud and the gang to find enough for MLB to strip him of the team. Please Bud... get him and his wife out of here- the sooner the better.

We want our Dodgers back. Not this bankrupt used up baseball financial money machine entity the McCourts tried to turn it into.

[Scott]

This dude is 100% clueless. Not only does he dismiss his frivolous spending as false or misinterpreted, he is oblivious enough to make the comparison of his life versus that of a middle-class citizen. Frank, you would be tore up if you spent one day as an average person.

I wish he would have a "eureka!" moment and realize that everything he has done, said, and plans to do is wrong. He has done far too much damage to this team and community to put up with one more day of him owning this team.

[Steve]

Let's see, I've sent my minion, Steve Soboroff, to tell the media what a great guy I am, but that didn't go so well. Hey, I know, I'll go on radio myself! I'll clear everything right up!! Everybody will believe me, and trust me, and all will be well!!!

Umm, no, Frank.

[bruce]

mccourt really does need help. how can he not make payroll with the income from operations and has to rely on fox. makes no sense

[16blows]

I note the distinction 'my' $5 mil and 'her' $2 mill... not, 'yours is mine & vice versa' i.e., it's all ours, rather, what's mine is mine and what's yours is, well... still moreso also mine.

Admit it MC Frank: you had Jaime on an allowance. I can almost imagine him going 'ok, lemme see: $1 (million) for you, and $3 million for me.' $2 million for you & $20 million for me'. Whats was she to him - a wife or an subsidy?

Seeing as how via Frank McCourt's own words he controlled the purse strings as it were (and one can deduce bought those 6-7? houses), it would appear he ought to be shaking his fist at himself.

"I’ve made a lifestyle decision and it’s not to live that way anymore," he said.

- the chaff: D-I-V-O-R-C-E has a way of separating the wheat from the ca$h...

" And look, I’m not married anymore, so that’s all I’m going to say. It’s time to move on."

- translation: he's available girls; don't let this one get away...

[FormerLifelongDodgerFan]

Why is all of this continuing? This gets more and more pathetic and embarrassing for this organization. GET THE HELL OUT, McCOURT, and take Colletti, Broxton, Loney, etc. with you.

All losers.

[Jay_Is_Dismayed]

He denied that Howard Sunkin received a $400,000 bonus, he did not deny a salary paid from the charity funds. And if it wasn't given, why does he need to say it was paid back?

[Joe the Plumber]

Mr. McCourt's world is collapsing. I am concerned with his mental health. Seriously! Based on his rantings and recent photos. I hope he still has some good friends or family members who can take some time with him to make sure he gets the professional attention that he seems to need. I would hate to see Mr. McCourt make an attempt on his life.

[Peter O'Malley fan.]

It was the summer of 1991. Just after catching a Dodger game, my friend and I loitered around the stadium in the hopes of getting an autograph from a player or two. It was over an hour since the game had ended and players were filtering out of the stadium on their way to the players’ parking lot.

Yet, of all the autographs that I got that night, the one I regret not getting was from then Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley. Without an entourage, Mr. O'Malley came out of the stadium and headed to his almost 20 year old Mercedes. The vehicle was the perfect symbol of the owner of our cherished Dodgers. It was not flashy or glitzy. Instead, it was reliable, dependable and humble.

Mr. O'Malley could have just walked past us on his way to his car and the story could have ended there. However, Mr. O'Malley stopped and chatted with us. He couldn't care less if we were field level season ticket holders or pavilion seat patrons. He stopped and chatted. Mr. O'Malley was humble and genuinely appreciative of our loyalty to the Dodgers.

It's a striking contrast to the present owner and the ridiculous lifestyle he wants us to brush aside and forget. The present owner should understand that you can talk the talk. But, there is a far distinction from talking the talk and walking the walk. Mr. O'Malley got it. And I hope that the next Dodgers owner will get it as well.

[OldBrooklynFan]

In the end It'll all be up to Selig. Right now MLB is holding the ball and either has already made a decision or will.

[Jim Mcveigh]

Based on his current contract with fox and the attendance figures he has announced every game ( 38000 last night at $50 per fan) he should have more than enough to meet a player payroll of $104,188,999 as printed in the newspapers on 4-1-2011. So if he is looking for pity, he better look elsewhere!!!!! 104 mil. on a six month payroll is about 15mil. a month.So at $50 a pop and an average of 13 games a month (13games times six months = 81 home game) attendance revenue per game at 30000 fans per game is about $1,500.000 times 13 games per month is about $ 19,500,000 per month!!!!! That is not counting the current fox contract.. WE know that he is making money somewhere else off this team. I`m sure someone or many can shoot holes in my figures, but, if you can`t make it on that kind of income and that kind of outlay and still live in a Beverly Hills Hotel something is wrong. back before Walter O`Malley owned the Dodgers, teams (in the american league) used to just live off the Yankees coming to town for eleven games a year. They would put the poorest of teams on the field and sell out every Yankee game and that would pay their salaries for the year. the rest was profit of course. frankie just wants to be competitive and since L. A. is a huge melting pot he can make his money off the fans who came to L.A. from somwhere else and fill the stadium when their ex hometown team comes to play! HE AIN`T DUMB!!!! BOYCOTT!!!! AN SEND THIS CHARLATAN BACK TO BOSTON!!!!!

[help me understand]

He attempted to debunk several stories, curiously denying that the Dodgers Dream Foundation paid Howard Sunkin $400,000 of its approximate $1.6-million budget in 2007. This despite the team saying it recently repaid the money to the charity; there is an ongoing investigation by the attorney general’s office.

The Form 990 filed with the IRS, in disclosing the payment, notes that is was partially a deferred bonus. Deferred would indicate that it came out of another year's budget. I guess you didn't do that kind of research before writing this.

Guy made enough bonehead mistakes without having local media make additional ignorant accusations.

[Dude]

Ding Dong the witch is DEAD

[formerCeltAD]

Frank - just answer 2 questions. Why do you need the $287 million upfront for a deal that kicks in 2 years from now? Where is the money from the current deal that still has 2 years on it? Answer those questions, Frank! Answer in the Eastern media, LA Times, or sports radio audiences in SoCal.
IF you choose not to answer, then quite whining, sell get something out of a shell of the MLB franchise we had & GO AWAY!!!

[Rob McMillin]

"Special prism" = more beers than they allow you to buy before the 7th inning cutoff.

[Albert]

Frank McCourt ( George Costanza ) to Dodger fans ( Jerry ) "just remember, it's not a lie, if you believe it."

[alanw19]

nope, don't have that special prism.

[Bernie Madoff c/o Federal Pen]

What are you all complaining about? Frank is as upstanding a gentleman as I've ever come across. He has a real nose for business. Just recently we agreed on a 30 mil personal loan from me. Yet to hear back though...

[Al Davis Oakland, Ca.]

You can come on up and hang with me ANYTIME Frank!

remember this Frank...JUST WIN BABY!

[Blueeyedgal]

Speaking of "The World Against Frank McCourt," Jon Heyman at SI.com reports that not only Joe Torre but also Kim Ng are critical of Frank McCourt. No details for Ng, but Joe Torre is reportedly not pleased that McCourt renegged on promises to improve the team at the same time as taking $100 M for personal use:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/jon_heyman/05/04/albert.pujols/

[lsgarci]

Is McCourt winning? Absolutely not. How about McCourt and Charlie Sheen go on tour together? Gotta love Charlie .. he had money in the bank to give to Mr. Stow.. Frank?

[juan]

Frank you are a looser and a liar get out of SoCal and take your kids and Ned with you!Did you really think Dodger fans would continue to go to games?We will no longer continue to put our hard earned money into your pathetic familys pockets leave LA McCheepo you are NOT WANTED IN LA!!!the sooner you sell the sooner all this will be over ,im almost certain that you sit and read all our comments dont you get it?LEAVE!!!

[juan]

Leave LA McCheepo take your kids,Ned and the rest of that pathetic management you and Ned brought in bring back real Dodger baseball back to LA Mr.Bud Selig get rid of this clown!!!

[Jim]

Return the Dodgers to Brooklyn......
I was born and raised in L.A. I am 63 years old. I used to attend Dodger games with my grandfather in the old Colisuem. I was in the stands at Dodger Stadium for the very first game in April 1962.

McCourt is trash. The team no longer has any sparkle. The Southland deserves more.

Adios Dodgers.

[JD]

Tick-tock-tick-tock McCheap's time is finally running-out. In the picture above ,
look at his eyes - he's just completely, straight jacket, batshit crazy.

[Down2000]

Petros & Money asked him at least two times about the high price of attending a game at Dodgers Stadium...he never addressed that issue. PLEASE SELL THE TEAM MCCOURT!!

[MisterEd]

Oh Frank, the horror of not being able to cash your lotto ticket - the Fox broadcast deal. Frank is so close to the money; probably smells it. He has been salivating on what he could do with the hundreds of millions he'll get up front ... Ironically more money than he'll see if he sells the team. His words are his last hope at being able to cash that lotto ticket, and for no other reason. His greed shows through over and over again. The man hasn't changed.

[Garrett]

Striker has hit the nail on the head:

What he hasn't said is he can "sell the paper," the TV rights deal, the $1.7 billion or $3 billion deal, reduced to present value. This would make the Dodgers a looted asset for future owners.

Think Gordon Gekko, without the charm.

Boycott.

Posted by: Striker

[Evad the Slayer]

Bet his lawyers are now getting paid in CASH in ADVANCE. I wouldn't trust this guy or his ex to run a merry go round let alone a baseball team. A complete moral and human disaster. Never ever should have been allowed to buy a MLB franchise. That was the STOOOOPID decision that caused all the down stream problems. His ego is MASSIVE. Time to go Frankie babie.

[Mike Lewis]

Bud,

Just send in SEAL Team VI already...it worked for Pres. Obama and it will work for you (and us!) too.

[Mike Lewis]

TJ Simers was right about Ryan Leaf in 98, way before anyone else had a clue what a jerk - slash - bust he would be...and TJ was right about the financial well-being of The Parking Lot Attendant and Screamin Meanie before anyone else also.

Maybe he should be consulted on Chargers draft choices and Dodgers trade considerations...