Mark Cuban's Chicago Cubs Bid May Be The Strongest

The next phase of the auction will begin in September after a month-long period of due diligence to include exploring the team's data room, one source said. Minimum bids for the second round will be $1 billion. A Tribune spokesman declined comment.

Though Cuban has been at times controversial as the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, it would probably be difficult for Major League Baseball to turn him away if he makes the highest bid. "Cuban seems intent to make a hard push to buy the team," said Maury Brown, the founder of Portland, Ore.-based Business of Sports Network.

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Comments

[Eric8869]

He needs to come in and clean house. Start over. Why has this team been managed so badly for soooo long. We need some new blood.

The Tribune didn't even know how to run a newspaper - let alone a sports franchise.

I used to live on Addison 2 blocks from Wrigley - I don't care about the sox, the bears, the blackhawks but I love the cubs!

[ChiGuy]

Young and enthusiastic, with a crazy desire for winning.
What a breath of fresh air THAT would be.

The Cubs have been a goldmine for the Tribune Company for years, and as long as they were already raking in mondo profits with an average team, they didn't feel any incentive to improve.
Cuban doesn't operate that way.

[arrowpg]

From what I've seen, Cuban seems to be a "pump and dump" kind of guy. Comes in just long enough to make folks excited then takes off -- to the bank.

[ChiGuy]

He still owns the Mavs, so what th heck are you talking about?

[Eric8869]

Pump and dump? I think I rented that.

[Eric8869]

Exactly - I agree 100%. Bye Bye Tribune - c ya later.

[RobtBrock]

I would like Cuban to get out and stay out of sports altogether and continue to bankroll indy films. That is something that he is actually good at!

[SeanGardner]

Mark Cuban is the perfect person to buy a Major League Franchise.

He turned The Dallas Mavericks around and made them incredibly profitable. He sort of like George Steinbrenner, only hipper.

Good choice.

[Gumby123]

Has he ever owned a Major League Franchise before? No. He should start with a team like the Detroit Tigers, not the Cubs.

[larry278]

Zell must have a lot of money to pay for buying the Trib papers. Mark Cuban has a rep for having money plus access to even more money. The lords of basball & Gumby123 will get used to Mark Cuban owning the Chicago National League franchise & making money at it too. Mark Cuban will buy the team in Chi town. Nobody else has the kind of money Zell needs to pay for expensive leveraged credit. As for the Tigers, Pirates & other teams in smaller markets, MLB could shrink when these teams fold or the teams could move & try to make it larger markets with rabid baseball fans. There are cities in Mexico & Japan who would welcome teams like the Tigers & Pirates. Travel between the states & Japan could be done on planes. A Japanese franchise would have the money to pay for increasing costs of flying. MLB could workout a way for Japanese clubs to subsidize the air travel of North American clubs including clubs that moved to Mexico.

[ImpalaSuperSport]

Please don't let this assclown buy the Cubbies.

[ImpalaSuperSport]

Please god, don't let this assclown buy the Cubbies.

[stepintothelight]

Are you kidding me. Do you see what happens when you put some actual interest in the team instead of the year after year dry sucking of the current ownership. The only reason we have the team that we do today is because ownership knew they needed something to show a solid marketing base. The amount of money spent on this team, even in relative dollars, is unprecedented in our teams history. I welcome Cuban. I wish he would buy up some of the media operations here while he is at it. We need a little shakeup!!!

Anyway ... Go Cubbies ... I ain't saying anything but I do have my "Milwaukees Best" industrial BROOM out and ready!!!

[ImpalaSuperSport]

Yes! That was a nice sweep of the Brewers last night. On another note, has Mark Cuban owned a MLB Franchise before?