668 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

@eriqgardner

 

The Washington Nationals took the Baltimore Orioles to court today. AGAIN. The Orioles have stopped paying TV money to rival & are claiming MLB has a financial interest in the Nationals. An arbitration was secretly commenced at the beginning of season.

[BSLChrisStoner]

@FanOfLaundry

Due to @eriqgardner sharing the Nationals preliminary statement with everyone (thanks), there's enough information for me to make a reasonable guess at what's going on in the MASN dispute.

 

Basically, MASN owes both parties rights fees as well as cash distributions (profits). In 2018, MASN didn't distribute profits to the Nationals and presumably the Orioles as well.

 

One possible reason for this might be that MASN wants ample cash reserves when the RSDC determines rights fees for 2012-2017 and 2018-2022. Or perhaps MASN has a different investment in mind.

 

The Nationals aren't happy about this and want their share of the profits for 2018. So, the Nationals and MASN will go to court to discuss where arbitration should take place, either at the AAA or by the commissioner.

 

Same parties, but it appears to be a completely different point.

 

It's worth noting that rights fees are different than profits, so it appears both sides received at least some TV money.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Judge denies Nats request.

 

Judge Barry R. Ostrager on Wednesday sided with the Orioles, ruling that the profit disbursement issue does require independent arbitration to decide whether the commissioner could ultimately rule on the dispute. The process to select arbitrators — both the Nationals and Orioles share the responsibility — is currently underway.

 

“It would be illogical to allow MLB — a potentially conflicted party — to determine whether MLB itself had a financial interest in one of the parties to the dispute at the relevant time,” Ostrager wrote.

 

https://www.washingt...m=.66db382567b5

[You Play to Win the Game]

What a messy sitch. What's the updated ETA on when this may be fully resolved? 

[DuffMan]

What a messy sitch. What's the updated ETA on when this may be fully resolved? 

Sometime after Chris Davis gets a hit.

[Pedro Cerrano]

What a messy sitch. What's the updated ETA on when this may be fully resolved? 

 

Lawyers are billing serious hours here.  It will take as long as they want it to. 

[BSLChrisStoner]

FanGraphs: The Orioles and Nationals Are Suing Each Other. Again.

[dude]

continued embarrassment from both sides.

[DuffMan]

 And the MASN dispute has grown so heated that whispers have begun that Angelos would rather move the team than lose the fight, though it is unclear how credible those whispers are. Portland has been mentioned among several cities as a potential destination, along with – ironically enough – Montreal.

[BobPhelan]

And the MASN dispute has grown so heated that whispers have begun that Angelos would rather move the team than lose the fight, though it is unclear how credible those whispers are. Portland has been mentioned among several cities as a potential destination, along with – ironically enough – Montreal.

Saw people tearing this line apart on Twitter. Apparently that comes from a speculative article from a year ago which never had any other smoke. And of course that was before the Angelos sons took a more public role as owners.

[Mackus]

Of all the horrible things about Peter Angelos as an owner, I am absolutely 100% confident that he would never move the team.  No idea about his sons, but I hope they are of the same mindset.  

[McNulty]

Of all the horrible things about Peter Angelos as an owner, I am absolutely 100% confident that he would never move the team.  No idea about his sons, but I hope they are of the same mindset.  

 

They were asked about it during the Elias presser.  I'd be stunned if they ever considered it.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Zero chance of a move.

Long term resolution with the Nats needs to happen. It has to impact the franchise with some level of unknown hanging over them.

[DJ MC]

Of all the horrible things about Peter Angelos as an owner, I am absolutely 100% confident that he would never move the team.  No idea about his sons, but I hope they are of the same mindset.  

 

Remember the guy not too long ago who came in here making vague claims about the Angelos brothers' connections to Nashville? I have a feeling we're going to hear more and more of that kind of crap, whether or not there is any validity to it.

[Thirteen]

As someone said in the comments on the FanGraphs article, don't think that if the Orioles were to move, that Camden Yards would go unused.  The A's or Rays would be here in no time.

But, none of that is happening, so don't even worry about it. 

[SportsGuy]

Will this end It?

 

http://www.espn.com/...nats-tv-dispute

[Chris B]

Will this end It?

 

http://www.espn.com/...nats-tv-dispute

 

With no legal background and having not followed this at all besides knowing that it's been in court for years and this thread is 25 pages long, no. Probably not.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Will this end It?

 

http://www.espn.com/...nats-tv-dispute

 

I'm gonna guess that this is the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel here and that the Orioles will not be happy. 

[dude]

http://www.espn.com/...nats-tv-dispute

 

This article does get a fact wrong. 

It says the Nationals paid 75M to buy their equity share of MASN, they actually split it with MLB 37.5M each.

[weird-O]

This article does get a fact wrong. 

It says the Nationals paid 75M to buy their equity share of MASN, they actually split it with MLB 37.5M each.

I feel like these types of details will slowly disappear in future re-tellings, and history will view the Orioles as the bad guys in this story.