Suns to Make a Play for Howard

[Gaddabout]

Politician?

You remember Danny DeVito's character in Other People's Money? I would not be stunned to learn it was loosely based on Michael E. Heisley. Not quite Gordon Gecko, but same black-hearted mentality.

I'm looking at the Forbest list ... does Heisley even own the Grizzlies anymore? I'm not sure they've got that right.

 

[TJ]

You remember Danny DeVito's character in Other People's Money? I would not be stunned to learn it was loosely based on Michael E. Heisley. Not quite Gordon Gecko, but same black-hearted mentality.

I'm looking at the Forbest list ... does Heisley even own the Grizzlies anymore? I'm not sure they've got that right.

He is still the majority owner. I know he failed to sell the team years back.

And no I haven't seen that movie. Any good?

 

[Mulli]

Juwan Howard? :championship:

 

[Gaddabout]

Juwan Howard? :championship:

Juwanna Mann.

 

[Gaddabout]

And no I haven't seen that movie. Any good?

It's a movie that features DeVito playing DeVito. Your enjoyment will depend entirely on how much you like him.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If he's gonna play for the minimum, I have no problem with that. He is a great guy to have around, he is well-respected around the league. Sending Hill to recruit Howard and/or Paul is a much better option than sending Sarver to do it.

what makes you think he's going to play for the minimum?

 

[SirStefan32]

what makes you think he's going to play for the minimum?

Nothing. It was a simple "IF" statement. I don't have any idea if he would play for the minimum or not. I am just saying that IF he is willing to, I am OK with accommodating him.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It's a movie that features DeVito playing DeVito. Your enjoyment will depend entirely on how much you like him.

I liked it but I wouldn't recommend it for most people. Devito's character was 1 part Gordon Gekko and 3 parts Louie De Palma. I like Penelope Ann Miller and she's probably the main reason I enjoyed the movie although it was also nice to see Gregory Peck in one of his final roles (he only appeared in 3 or 4 more after this). Maybe we can get Devito to buy the Suns, at least he'd be more entertaining to watch on the sidelines than Sarver is and his basketball background is at least as solid.

Steve

 

[BC867]

I would love for Jerry to come back to the franchise as some sort of major decision maker/influence. Dreaming is free, I guess.

On the NBA/Phoenix Suns Staff Directory, Jerry Colangelo is listed as "Chairman", the second name on the list, right under Sarver, who is listed as "Managing Partner".

Does that mean J.C. is Chairman of the Board of Directors?

Does that make him a major decision maker/influence?

Does anyone know?

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/directory.html

 

[Gaddabout]

I don't think Colangelo even lives here anymore. His involvement with the Suns can only be described as "ceremonial." He's all about USA Basketball now.

 

[devilalum]

A snowballs chance in hell.............

The Suns are on track to be the new Timberwolves. With the new CBA the only reason a player would turn down a max contract with their current team would be to play in one of the 3 elite markets. No way they walk away from all that money to play in Phoenix.

 

[Gaddabout]

It's fascinating to me to see Colangelo's reputation on the sudden rise again since he left. Absence makes the heart grow fonder I guess. This is a man who essentially built his entire career achievements by spending other people's money in irresponsible ways. We loved him for it because we could all give two craps that someone like Karl Eller lost money, but it was a total crash-and-burn philosophy. Even without the D-Backs, as the Suns' front-end-sweetened deal on the arena over-ripened, the team was going to have to change the way it spend money, anyway.

What's REALLY funny is back when the Suns were essentially Dial-owned and JC was a GM/Lackey, he was probably the most hated man in Arizona for reasons I know many of you know. Some regular KTAR callers couldn't even say his name, like Valdemort. When he organized the ownership group to buy the Suns, it was considered by many long-time fans as a cruel kick in the teeth -- even AFTER the drug scandal, fall of Walter Davis, etc.

When Colangelo sold out, so many were relieved. And yet here is being remembered again as the sage old wise king we used to have and wish we could resurrect from the dead.

I remember him being really savvy and a consensus builder. He gained the trust of very powerful people like he was one of them. But he also made a lot of mistakes handling his own basketball ops and he was not nearly as charmed as so many remember him.

 

[AsUdUdE]

I don't believe it..

However

If somehow someway because someone sold their soul, we landed Howard + another guy I would become Sarvers personal cheerleader and come up with different ways to make up for all the hatred I have held in my heart for Sarver for so long..

Seriously if by some form Howard and another piece signed here, and say Nash signs for cheap, WOWZA, all the ill will for Sarver would disapate for at least a decade,,,

Will never happend, but i can drink the Koolaid can't I..

 

[BC867]

I remember him being really savvy and a consensus builder. He gained the trust of very powerful people like he was one of them. But he also made a lot of mistakes handling his own basketball ops and he was not nearly as charmed as so many remember him.

Jerry, the marketing man, was excellent. He did a good job of filling the seats (when it was the only game in town), making Phoenix a major sports market and rebuilding downtown Phoenix.

As a member of the Phoenix 40, he was a political mover and shaker.

But as a working GM (who twice named himself as Head Coach without a bit of experience), he was absolutely mediocre, never building a post-season powerhouse.

By the time he learned his lesson, he was doing it for the D'backs and they won a championship.

Which only made his basketball legacy (win at home, don't embarrass yourself on the road, get one of your players on the all-star team and make an appearance in the playoffs) look steady but unspectacular.

Looking good compared to Sarver does not say very much.

 

[chickenhead]

Sarver is the wealthiest by far. He has four times more worth than Jenny Craig, and Sarver is an NBA pauper.

The ownership group is an investment fund made up of 14 of Sarver's friends and clients. The team is being managed just as if it were a real estate fund or a bond fund. Most of those investors are either in real estate or have large real estate holdings in the Pacific and Southwest regions, so they're being hammered on the wrong end of things.

This team is screaming to be sold, but it's appreciated a meager 2.5% in the 7 years they've owned it, so they probably couldn't even cover their losses right now. With a gross revenue of about $150 million a year and all the conventional ways to raise revenue on lock down (regional TV, radio, etc.), all they can do is raise ticket prices, keep costs down, and hope the league as a whole can raise their value for the right buyer. If Sarver could get out on break even right now, I believe he'd do it, but I don't believe his partners will let him.

Has there ever been talk of them bringing in new investors without selling the team? Mind you, I actually think that's a step in the wrong direction because I'm cynical about ownership consortiums.

 

[JCSunsfan]

All I know about him is what I read on this board, but I'm at a loss to understand how this impression about him persists. His "sources" within the organization either don't exist or deliberately feed him bogus information just to get a rise out of him.

He has been right alot of times. I think that sometimes, even when he was wrong, he was right about what the Suns were trying to do. They just failed.

In this case, I have no doubt that the Suns might be angling to get Howard. It does not make Gambo wrong if they don't get him. It just that the Suns' plan failed.

I am encouraged that there actually might be a plan, and that the Suns might actually be thinking big again. That is what I loved about Colangelo. He had confidence and swung for the fences.

 

[JCSunsfan]

On the NBA/Phoenix Suns Staff Directory, Jerry Colangelo is listed as "Chairman", the second name on the list, right under Sarver, who is listed as "Managing Partner".

Does that mean J.C. is Chairman of the Board of Directors?

Does that make him a major decision maker/influence?

Does anyone know?

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/directory.html

In most corporate organizations, the board sets team policy, but does not dictate individual decisions. They also provide a level of corporate financial accountability.

So, from a fan perspective, no. Jerry Colangelo does not influence every day decision making.

 

[elindholm]

In this case, I have no doubt that the Suns might be angling to get Howard.

Everyone is trying to get Howard. The question is whether they are "trying" according to any realistic plan.

It does not make Gambo wrong if they don't get him. It just that the Suns' plan failed.

I don't know what Gambo says, but from what gets represented on this board, it sounds like he routinely exaggerates -- by a lot -- the likelihood of some pipedream "plan" materializing. Gross distortion and exaggeration isn't exactly the same as misinformation, but it's close enough.

I am encouraged that there actually might be a plan, and that the Suns might actually be thinking big again.

I doubt they ever stopped thinking big. Hell, they almost got Garnett, they traded for O'Neal, they traded for Turkoglu -- those are big moves. The "plan" to get Howard can't be anything more than, "Wow, it would be great to get Dwight Howard, maybe he'd sign here." What more can there be? They can't trade for him, and they won't be anything close to a top FA destination. It's like some goofy internet stalker saying that he has a "plan" to sleep with Hot Actress X, then telling his friends about it and expecting them to take him seriously.

That is what I loved about Colangelo. He had confidence and swung for the fences.

And his plans were realistic. He went after Barkley when he had what was already a very good team with surplus assets. That's why it (almost) worked.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It's like some goofy internet stalker saying that he has a "plan" to sleep with Hot Actress X, then telling his friends about it and expecting them to take him seriously.

good god, this is a sad comparison made to our favorite team.

 

[JCSunsfan]

good god, this is a sad comparison made to our favorite team.

What can we say. Expectations are very low. I am amused that they are even trying. While I have no expectation of success, at least the process might be entertaining for a while.

 

[elindholm]

good god, this is a sad comparison made to our favorite team.

Thanks, I thought you would appreciate it!

 

[jibikao]

I do feel Howard wants to come to the West coast. Well, Phoenix is kind of close to LA. LOL

 

[BC867]

I do feel Howard wants to come to the West coast. Well, Phoenix is kind of close to LA. LOL

We are a long distance suburb. We get their storms (except during Monsoon), green street signs, In-n-Out Burger and a bunch more.

And, of course, for ballplayers wanting to be close to Hollywood, we are just a one-hour flight or six-hour drive away.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's fascinating to me to see Colangelo's reputation on the sudden rise again since he left. Absence makes the heart grow fonder I guess. This is a man who essentially built his entire career achievements by spending other people's money in irresponsible ways. We loved him for it because we could all give two craps that someone like Karl Eller lost money, but it was a total crash-and-burn philosophy. Even without the D-Backs, as the Suns' front-end-sweetened deal on the arena over-ripened, the team was going to have to change the way it spend money, anyway.

What's REALLY funny is back when the Suns were essentially Dial-owned and JC was a GM/Lackey, he was probably the most hated man in Arizona for reasons I know many of you know. Some regular KTAR callers couldn't even say his name, like Valdemort. When he organized the ownership group to buy the Suns, it was considered by many long-time fans as a cruel kick in the teeth -- even AFTER the drug scandal, fall of Walter Davis, etc.

When Colangelo sold out, so many were relieved. And yet here is being remembered again as the sage old wise king we used to have and wish we could resurrect from the dead.

I remember him being really savvy and a consensus builder. He gained the trust of very powerful people like he was one of them. But he also made a lot of mistakes handling his own basketball ops and he was not nearly as charmed as so many remember him.

I remember JC as one who organized an ownership group that kept the Suns in Phoenix when attendance was deplorable and there was a real possibility of them going elsewhere. He also was very influential in getting the new arena built when funding was questionable. JC made mistakes but he always learned from his mistakes. There was never a doubt that JC wanted what was best for the Suns and he would spend the money to win a championship given the chance. JC is very well respected by the basketball community. Enough said.

 

[Mainstreet]

Jerry, the marketing man, was excellent. He did a good job of filling the seats (when it was the only game in town), making Phoenix a major sports market and rebuilding downtown Phoenix.

As a member of the Phoenix 40, he was a political mover and shaker.

But as a working GM (who twice named himself as Head Coach without a bit of experience), he was absolutely mediocre, never building a post-season powerhouse.

By the time he learned his lesson, he was doing it for the D'backs and they won a championship.

Which only made his basketball legacy (win at home, don't embarrass yourself on the road, get one of your players on the all-star team and make an appearance in the playoffs) look steady but unspectacular.

Looking good compared to Sarver does not say very much.

It was Cotton's philosophy to win at home and play .500 on the road.