Pro Franchises On The Cheap

Times may not be good for football fans, but they seem to be good for pro-sports owners.

There is an NFL lockout, and one for the NBA appears on the way. However, unlike past collective bargaining scenarios, the players may not get their way.

Billionaire Tom Gores, for instance, bought the Detroit Pistons and the team’s home arena for a rock-bottom $325 million. And, with his deep pockets, Gores can afford to put the team in cold storage for a season while player salaries are adjusted to almost reasonable levels. The same holds true for the potential buyers of the Philadelphia 76ers, who are trying to buy the franchise for $280 million.

“I personally think in football and basketball, the owners are going to win this,” former pro b-baller Charles Barkley said. “We have been kicking their butt for a long time in the last couple of collective bargaining agreements. I think the owners, they are going for the jugular this time.”

NBA Commissioner David Stern claims 22 clubs lost a combined $300 million last year but recently said owners and players are “very far apart” in talks as the expiration date on the existing contract draws near.

“It’s almost a foregone conclusion the owners win,” Chicago-based sports consultant Marc Ganis said. “The question is how much they win and how long it takes to get there.”

Another potential winner is Anschutz Entertainment Group, which is developing a downtown football stadium and is reportedly in discussions with five teams about buying a majority interest and moving them to Los Angeles (although Oakland Raiders CEO Amy Trask said that team is not for sale). A competing group led by developer Ed Roski is also reportedly in discussions with a team.