*Mark Purdy scooped the Giants-Bill Neukom ouster story. Too bad a handful of other media outlets failed to credit the longtime SJ Merc sports columnist as the source of the affair. And the over-pontification by the lame-brain toy department, (read: sports) analysts consisted of the usual "we don't know a damn thing but let's spew out what we think took place."
Bottom line: looks to me like a classic case of powerful, wealthy investors with big egos who didn't appreciate the head cheese spending a considerable amount of their money. Larry Baer will spin all is well at Disneyland West in China Basin and the world will be a better place. Why? Because Larry said so.
*Duane Kuiper was on the Knibber morning frat show and was asked about his take on the whole deal and predictably said nothing. As if he was going tell the masses the inside story even if he knew and clearly he didn't.
*At both KGO and KNBR, the bean counters have told the little people and not-so-little people to not talk about the Cumulus-Citadel deal. Makes sense since there's no good to come out of this unless your Lew "Tricky Dickey." Wait till the fun really starts. (We will pontificate on this in the coming days).
*New-looking news sets at KPIX. But they forgot the mattress from Sleeptrain so Jan Wahl is positively depressed from nearby KCBS.
*Follow me on Twitter
I understand KNBR - as a part owner of the team - doesn't want to rock the boat and has to abide the other owners wishes of announcing this at the end of the year - but once the cat is out of the bag, to not let on what you know is pretty disingenuous.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing some KNBR folks will have to say what they know "on background" to some local scribe, then bring said scribe on to "learn" what lead to the ownership change.
The new set on PIX is not very good. I think KRON still has the best one of the bunch even though they do not us it to its full potential.
ReplyDeleteThe money is just an excuse,the Giants are rolling in it. It was that Neuky was too flashy,not deferential to nobody rich guys who saw him get all the media credit,TV time,pics in the paper..it was eating up the Burns sisters/family and Old family money investors. Bill's bowtie was too out there...if they made him noticeable. Just all,"We dont get the credit and he won't drop OUR names!"..all it is.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was comical to ask Kuiper his take on the Neukom firing, ERRRR, I mean "retirement." What's he going to do? Criticize the executive committee and risk his job? Heck, they just fired the guy who led them to the WS title, so Kuiper could easily be gonzo. He toed the company line and I expected him to. This is not good for the Giants, that much is clear. Larry Baer has no equity stake (at least no signficant stake) so he'll simply take marching orders from the most powerful partners (Burns sisters) and be their puppet. I sense a dark, sad era enveloping this team. The future was definitely brighter before yesterday.
ReplyDeleteStill a lot of stuff to muddle through, but, while the 'fall man' for this year's season is a bit surprising, the fact that the axe fell somewhere isn't. Bochy and Sabean are safe for now, but another poor season could upend their tenures, as well. I don't think either will get more than maybe a 1 year option added onto their current deals (just so they aren't complete lame ducks this next year).
ReplyDeleteThe big question that remains is whether the 'executive' committe has really been blinded by money, or if this was, as Purdy seems to indicate, an issue of control and communication. I don't necessarily think either means 'dark days' are ahead for the team on the field (i.e., they may still realize that the product and results on the field are why the cash cow bell started ringing), but it's definitely something to watch carefully.
I just saw the press conference...and I couldn't have been more right at 1127. As Nuekom said-the Giants have plenty of money saved. Interesting Rich,that when Baer was asked about contracts, he said that it wasn't gone into yet for next year -not a quote- THEN,Bill in a obvious "I won't go out in lies"..then said along the lines of contracts and various add or subtracts are considered at least for the next four years.
ReplyDeleteAnd to prove how I nailed it at 1127,Nuekom answered a question of, if he had any regrets? it's "That I wasn't humble enough". Oh,I nailed it .
signed,
the masked
'S'
funny,my word verification is "Artiza"..I like that...I might be one.
Did nuekom actually say the words "i wasn't humble enough"?
ReplyDeleteLarry Baer is to the Giants what Bob Fitzgerald is to KNBR.
ReplyDelete"Thank you, sir, may I have another?"
228-THAT was a quote. Word for Word.
ReplyDeleteGiants ownership is slime. So fake and gimmicky.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad day when a classy, smart, passionate owners' rep gets shown the door because he's perhaps getting too much recognition when things go well. Well guess what? Usually that's how it happens in life. These other owners seem to have gotten their panties all in a twist because Neukom has been media and fan friendly, unlike Peter Magowan, who was always uneasy and shy. I think these owners really made a big mistake by getting rid of Neukom, but he handled himself with the kind of dignity you'd expect from him at today's press conference. There was never any
ReplyDeleteword from him that he was unhappy or that this wasn't anything else but retirement, but I can't imagine Neukom was too thrilled with the way it was handled.
But I think the other shareholders never wanted
him to get much credit. Neukom never tried to hog the spotlight and make controversial statements, and I can't believe the owners fired him because he decided to spend some of the club's money without consulting them. That doesn't sound like Neukom. I think it was stricly an ego thing where some of the shareholders were chafing because Neukom was getting some well deserved recognition. This guy is a winner and although he wasn't the reason the Giants won it all in 2010, he had a hand in the success.
I wonder what would have happened and how this would have been received if Neukom were handed his walking papers and the team was playoff bound again, instead of in their current position. That would have been a public relations disaster for the ownership group!
I gcan't believe that if Harmon and Sue Burns were still alive that this would have ever happened. Larry Baer may know how to deal with these guys but I'm wondering if he isn't a bit upset about this move too, because he and Neukom got along very well.
One has to hope this isn't a harbinger of bad things to come for the Giants!
Amazing how so many "insiders" got scooped by Purdy. At least Urban and Kawakami gave Purdy kudos on Chronicle Live.
ReplyDeleteNuekom will be sorely missed but a lot of the credit for the young guys is McGowan who was pushed out by Nuekom. Dog eat dog, baby!!
ReplyDeleteMonte Poole did a nice article of how much talent we saw leave(fired) because they did,while egos above them couldn't take the lack of credit they themselves thought they deserved. Of course,it was in reality,none.
ReplyDeleteI think the Giants are far worse for not having Neukom in charge. He presented such a dignified front for the organization and he had skin in the game and Baer does not, which means that Baer will simply do the bidding of the most powerful ownership partners so as to curry their favor and forever stay entrenched in the job. I find it laughable that a couple of trust fund brats (Burns sisters) would question the judgement of a man who is Stanford-educated lawyer and who represented what was at one time the most signficant company in the world (Microsoft)in their most important legal cases. How could anybody expect him to take the Burns sisters seriously? They're not in his leauge -intellectually or otherwise. They should have just laid back and enjoyed the show. The franchise value has gone through the roof so they're getting richer by the hour -- what's the fuss about? I suspect the gold-digging hubby of Trina (Burns) Dean wanted to take a more active role in the team, and Neukom probably told him that just because you married in to the $$, doesn't make you my equal and I've got the education and career accomplishments to prove it. Neukom didn't want to see a John York situation, where a gold-digger marries in to a family, and then makes an ass of himself and takes the team down in a ball of fire. (York, as you recall, thought he knew more than Bill Walsh. 'Nuff said.) Baer, instead of having Neukom's back ("If he goes, then I go, and good luck replacing both of us!") no doubt worked with the sisters behind the scenes to lay the plans for the coup d'etat. Larry B's only loyalty is to himself and he liked the idea of that big corner office with the view. So in the end, the Giants fans are the big losers here. They lose an owner who was universally respected by other team executives, by the media, etc, all because a couple of trust fund kids who have never achieved anything on their own felt that they should be move involved. Mark my words, this will be viewed as a tipping point for the organization in the years to come. BTW, the fact that Neukom is divesting his shares says it all and indicates how disgusted he is by partners who sold him out.
ReplyDeleteUrban has been parroting that Nuekom is no loss and "business as usual". Why does he open his mouth sometimes? Sabean and Baer for years did well together..but only with Nuekom did a World Series happen.
ReplyDeleteSabean can build a team...but its obvious only Nuekom could put the final needs for a great team. I dont think Sabean has been a contract maestro like Neukom. We see why Sabean could only get so far with that ownership group now.
I see Baer giving the Burns sisters what they want..a Doll House Giant team...back in the pack for decades. If this pitching staff breaks up..that was out last go as Giant fans.
We see what the A's aim for. The Burns and gang of ten owners seems to have that same low aim.
I couldn't agree more than what 10:46 said. Whenever you have spoiled, entitled young people who inherit their late parents' wealth, particularly when part of that wealth is a sports team, you have a possible toxic mix. The Burns daughters and the son-in-law are obviously flush with entitlement issues and must have thought that they knew more, or deserved more publicity than Neukom.
ReplyDeleteGiants fans may be loyal to the city and the uniform and the players that play for "their team," but they need to know who they are actually rooting for:
owners like Sue and Harmon Burns' kids who don't deserve their loyalty and patronage, especially after such a embarrassing and undeserved departure of a class act; Bill Neukom. I think the Sue and Harmon Burns would be sorely disappointed in their kids for initiating this 'coup' which is not a good thing for the Giants or their fans.
<"we don't know a damn thing but let's spew out what we think took place."> I presumed most of you are doing the same thing. Each one of us have a tendency of guessing what really happened. Unless some of us have really inside info, we are merely guessing.
ReplyDelete