What Now?

Everything I'm reading shows that the franchise makes a nice profit. Where are you seeing that Gayle loses money owning the Pels?

Three years? I’m in for $200.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

What if I told you that Gayle was looking for a liquidity event, and felt that her least profitable investment was the first item she would look to liquidate? She is a philanthropist before she is a sports owner. By selling the team she could get off of a losing investment (and I mean that in a financial sense, not just win/loss), and allow her to put more money behind other endeavors.

If there is a camp saying that the team stays in New Orleans long term, put me in the other camp, as a matter of fact, if there is a wager going down for such a gamble, put your mortgage on it.

On the other hand with the Saints, that team could be liquidated as well, however there is absolutely no way that the team moves now given how ingrained it is in the city?s fabric. Perhaps 17 or 18 years ago the team could have been sold and moved, but today, no way.

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I would say you are either getting info from a bad source or are floating pure speculation in hopes of being right years down the road.

I'm still hung up on the "operates at a loss" thing. From what I'm reading, the Pels have steadily been increasing revenue in the past 15 years.....from $95Mill in 07/08 all the way $224Mill in the 18/19 season. No way is this franchise losing money.

I don?t think they are operating at a loss (I don’t think I wrote that, I said that it wasn’t her greatest performing asset). I think the ROI is low. An increase in revenue is offset by deterioration of the dollar/increase in expenses. If your revenue jumps by $240M and your expenses jump by $240M you aren?t in a better spot.

Regardless, does anyone know if that trust that she put the Saints/Pels into is a revokable trust (or what type of trust it is)?

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Originally Posted by msusousaphone

I'm still hung up on the "operates at a loss" thing. From what I'm reading, the Pels have steadily been increasing revenue in the past 15 years.....from $95Mill in 07/08 all the way $224Mill in the 18/19 season. No way is this franchise losing money.

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Yeah, I'm thinking that you're right. The NBA is so flush with tv money and now that there is a solid revenue sharing model, small market teams that DON'T pay a luxury tax, are pretty much guaranteed profit.

That being said, Covid changed things a bit. Everyone took a loss last year but the owners are getting the full 10% in player escrow money until it evens out to a 50/50 split over the course of the remaining years on this collective bargaining agreement.

For example, in a typical season, players put 10% of their salaries into an escrow account. When the season is over and both sides figure out how much revenue was generated, they figure out how much needs to go back to the players to create a 50/50 split so let's say the league generates $7 billion in revenue. After putting money in the escrow account, player intake comes to $3.3 billion. That is $200 million short of $3.5 billion which is half of $7 billion which would account for a 50/50 split. That $200 million then gets sent back to the players in form of checks.

Since Covid robbed arenas of fans last year, the owners collected the full 10% that they are allowed but even then, it still doesn't come to a 50/50 split so they'll roll it over and get the full 10% again this year. They'll keep doing the 10% thing until revenue split between players and owners since the beginning of the covid era reaches a 50/50 split.

In summation, unless Gayle starts getting really silly with the payroll, she will show a nice profit margin when the owners finally reach that 50/50 point sometime next season or the season after.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

$1,500

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Done

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

I don?t think they are operating at a loss (I don’t think I wrote that, I said that it wasn’t her greatest performing asset).

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You called it a "losing investment (in a financial sense)" in one post and a "money pit" in a later one. You didn't just say it.....you doubled down. Lol

But even if it wasn't what you meant......I'm then not understanding your angle. The Pelicans are making a profit. They are a great return on investment AND that margin has more than doubled in 15 years......so why would the franchise being a great growing influence motivate Gayle to sell?

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Originally Posted by msusousaphone

You called it a "losing investment (in a financial sense)" in one post and a "money pit" in a later one. You didn't just say it.....you doubled down. Lol

But even if it wasn't what you meant......I'm then not understanding your angle. The Pelicans are making a profit. They are a great return on investment AND that margin has more than doubled in 15 years......so why would the franchise being a great growing influence motivate Gayle to sell?

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Perhaps I should have chose my words more carefully, I am not saying they are operating in the red, they just aren’t operating at a level that you might expect. Anyway, you taking the bet, or nah?

You all are talking about two different animals....

As a Profit Center, the team is probably performing poorly and operating at a loss. This means when you subtract the expenses in a given year from your revenue, the result is a loss. Uncle Sam doesn't like this.

As an Investment, the team is appreciating rapidly which makes it's a highly performing asset. The appreciation is considered unrealized gain on the books meaning that you don't recognize the gain for tax purposes until you liquidate the asset (sell the team). So unless you're hard up for cash, it behooves you to hold on to the asset and not share the appreciation with Uncle Sam unless you have losses from other investments to offet the gain.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

I?m just saying, put your mortgage on the team being sold and moved. You will thank me later.

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The only way she keeps the team if she gets a new arena. Reading between the lines

https://www.fox8live.com/2021/10/01/...-will-be-sold/

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We?re gonna have to find a long-term solution and you know, we?re talking about different ideas now and we?ll see where we go,? he said.

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Lauscha said when it comes to both options, everything is on the table. But he knows whatever option there is, there needs to be a winning team to occupy that arena.

“You owe it to this market to put a winner on a court. We haven’t done that yet. Really this franchise has not done that. I mean, we’ve had some starts and stops over the entire course since the Hornets got here,” Lauscha said. “But we have not had a sustained winner like we’ve had with the New Orleans Saints.”

“I think before you can make any requests, you know, or make any long-term decisions about this franchise, you owe it to put a winning product on the court.”

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“I think before you can make any requests, you know, or make any long-term decisions about this franchise, you owe it to put a winning product on the court.”

I also see this as meaning they really can't make a long-term decision about this market until they actually put a consistently winning product on the court. Its hard to say a franchise can't make it in NOLA if you don't give the people a product to support.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

They couldn?t sell the Pels for 4 or 5x (3x perhaps). The team is not in the greatest market, and the state isn?t helping matters with regards to the arena bit (they want a new one, or upgrades to the existing). I have no doubt that she could divest from the brewery, horse racing, or various CRE investments, but the one that is a money pit really is this franchise. When you take into account her other investments (and there are hundreds of not thousands) her MO isn?t sports, it?s improving the community around her, and as much as we like the Pels, they aren?t really enhancing anything in the community.

I give it 3 years before we are sold and moved. Anyone want to go in on a friendly wager?

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Why not make it more fun than just straight cash? I'll bet a bar tab at any bar in the city open to any poster on this board. Loser foots the entire bill

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Perhaps I should have chose my words more carefully, I am not saying they are operating in the red, they just aren’t operating at a level that you might expect. Anyway, you taking the bet, or nah?

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Look who got into real estate

https://www.nola.com/news/business/a...fb02d5f6f.html

https://www.bizneworleans.com/gayle-...porate-realty/

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Originally Posted by Nola3

Why not make it more fun than just straight cash? I'll bet a bar tab at any bar in the city open to any poster on this board. Loser foots the entire bill

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I don’t drink.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

I don’t drink.

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You can order a soda or ginger ale at the bar though

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

I don’t drink.

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Then there's really no excuse for these bets you're making...

:)

I'll assume the date of payment is 12/29/24 which is three years from when I accepted my portion of the bet.

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Originally Posted by donato

I'll assume the date of payment is 12/29/24 which is three years from when I accepted my portion of the bet.

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Yes. $200?

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Yes. $200?

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Yes. Any more than that and it gets a little weird for me either way. Lolz.

Looks like we'll have NAW, Naji, and Jose back....might have BI and Hart (reported day to day) but JV will be out the next 5 days.

Happy New Year.

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Originally Posted by MichaelMcNamara

Dont know, dont care. Franchise will always be a joke, with just a season here and there of good play to suck fools back in to committing their time and passion to the stupidity that is Pelicans fandom. Just figured I'd let you guys know what all the insiders know but wont share with you for a year or so. Escape while you can....or waste more years paying attention to this joke of a franchise and then watch it leave.

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damn... meanwhile the roots are being planted to become one of the better teams in the league. i can feel it.


dont even tell me this team wont be a winner next year. we nailed this draft, plus we got players developing nicely

I again want to point out to everyone that NOLA has an elite group of people who pretend to be insiders.

NOLA does not have insiders.

New people can search back to any news event and note that our "insiders" were in the dark for everything.

OK, you can go back to the Shinn days with 42 and Harvey Hornet and find inside info, but ever since the Bensons took over, there has never been a move leaked by "insiders" before it happened.

The team is profitable so Gayle is not going to sell it. She's local so this team isn't moving. This is a well run organization that wants to win. Using absolutes about the future success of the franchise is just more confirmation that the lack of insider status has led to bitterness.

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Originally Posted by msusousaphone

I again want to point out to everyone that NOLA has an elite group of people who pretend to be insiders.

NOLA does not have insiders.

New people can search back to any news event and note that our "insiders" were in the dark for everything.

OK, you can go back to the Shinn days with 42 and Harvey Hornet and find inside info, but ever since the Bensons took over, there has never been a move leaked by "insiders" before it happened.

The team is profitable so Gayle is not going to sell it. She's local so this team isn't moving. This is a well run organization that wants to win. Using absolutes about the future success of the franchise is just more confirmation that the lack of insider status has led to bitterness.

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WELL SAID

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Originally Posted by msusousaphone

I again want to point out to everyone that NOLA has an elite group of people who pretend to be insiders.

NOLA does not have insiders.

New people can search back to any news event and note that our "insiders" were in the dark for everything.

OK, you can go back to the Shinn days with 42 and Harvey Hornet and find inside info, but ever since the Bensons took over, there has never been a move leaked by "insiders" before it happened.

The team is profitable so Gayle is not going to sell it. She's local so this team isn't moving. This is a well run organization that wants to win. Using absolutes about the future success of the franchise is just more confirmation that the lack of insider status has led to bitterness.

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+1

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Originally Posted by fullcourtpress

damn... meanwhile the roots are being planted to become one of the better teams in the league. i can feel it.


dont even tell me this team wont be a winner next year. we nailed this draft, plus we got players developing nicely

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Mac is one of those dudes who won't believe in the check until it clears, let alone the promise of a check at some point. Pay that doom and gloom no mind. If he's wrong, then a good thing happens. But if he's right, then he gets to say I told you so. Deal with the fallout only after the bomb goes off.

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Originally Posted by msusousaphone

I again want to point out to everyone that NOLA has an elite group of people who pretend to be insiders.

NOLA does not have insiders.

New people can search back to any news event and note that our "insiders" were in the dark for everything.

OK, you can go back to the Shinn days with 42 and Harvey Hornet and find inside info, but ever since the Bensons took over, there has never been a move leaked by "insiders" before it happened.

The team is profitable so Gayle is not going to sell it. She's local so this team isn't moving. This is a well run organization that wants to win. Using absolutes about the future success of the franchise is just more confirmation that the lack of insider status has led to bitterness.

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You are definitely banned from the elite board.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

They couldn?t sell the Pels for 4 or 5x (3x perhaps). The team is not in the greatest market, and the state isn?t helping matters with regards to the arena bit (they want a new one, or upgrades to the existing). I have no doubt that she could divest from the brewery, horse racing, or various CRE investments, but the one that is a money pit really is this franchise. When you take into account her other investments (and there are hundreds of not thousands) her MO isn?t sports, it?s improving the community around her, and as much as we like the Pels, they aren?t really enhancing anything in the community.

I give it 3 years before we are sold and moved. Anyone want to go in on a friendly wager?

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Let's be clear on the terms. You are saying this bet is an L for you if by January 1st, 2025 the team has not already moved, or a relocation announcement has not been made?

Want to buy a new arena for a NBA team that stinks?

Wait till she finds out Zions price tag 18 months from now

New Orleans? Gayle Benson.

And yes. She's got plenty to go 'round. https://t.co/5iRKRoTHhE

— David Fisher (@Fish_TBW) January 5, 2022

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Originally Posted by DarkHornet

Let's be clear on the terms. You are saying this bet is an L for you if by January 1st, 2025 the team has not already moved, or a relocation announcement has not been made?

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Sold and relocation is complete or near completion.

Are we still doing this bet? We need to formalize this.

I'm still in.

The selling and relocation of an NBA franchise is nearing completion and no one knows anything about it but a poster on this board?

Could a team even pull a Cleveland Browns in 2022? Seems unlikely to the point of impossibility.

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

The selling and relocation of an NBA franchise is nearing completion and no one knows anything about it but a poster on this board?

Could a team even pull a Cleveland Browns in 2022? Seems unlikely to the point of impossibility.

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Are you in, or are you out?

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

The selling and relocation of an NBA franchise is nearing completion and no one knows anything about it but a poster on this board?

Could a team even pull a Cleveland Browns in 2022? Seems unlikely to the point of impossibility.

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Cleveland Browns of 2022 could happen. They just have to keep it under wraps long enough so that the media doesn't start leaking info that could curtail the sale/relocation. I seriously doubt that's going on and want to believe Gayle but a Browns situation could happen.

What can NO LONGER happen is a Baltimore to Indianapolis of 1983 or either of the relocations to Los Angeles in the early 80's meaning the Raiders from Oakland to LA in '82 and the Clippers from San Diego to LA in '84. Both leagues tried to stop and even use legal maneuvering to keep the teams in their respective markets but didn't have the bylaws in place to stop them.

Since then, both the NFL and NBA have added bylaws and on top of that, have some of the strongest legal representation around so as a result, the relocation process goes through layers and layers before anything gets done.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Are you in, or are you out?

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So where'd the info come from and why are you so certain of it? Seems highly unlikely you're right, but I'll play along.

Assuming you're correct and this team will be sold in the next 3 years, why is no one talking about it except for your source who says it's all but a done deal? And if you trust this source and their word this much, why not name them and how they came about this info? If that was true, why would anyone sit on that info?

Just like MM's laughable claim that the entirety of Pels media knows about Zion's intention of signing the extension and then being traded shortly after, but they won't tell anyone for another year. What sports writer is gonna sit on that, if they know it to be true?

Both claims stink to me. Smells like manure.

Oh, I’m not dumb enough to get myself (and others) into hot water by divulging my information. Just know, the wheels are in motion.

The expected answer.

I love how nonspecific you are. There isn’t any “hey check out this potentially related thing” someone is doing elsewhere yiu can point out?

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

The expected answer.

I love how nonspecific you are. There isn’t any “hey check out this potentially related thing” someone is doing elsewhere yiu can point out?

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Are you in or out?

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Are you in or out?

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I am out. 100%

I don't place bets. Even when I know I'll win.

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

I don't place bets. Even when I know I'll win.

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Smart call.

I’m no MM, and I don’t make claims like this (never have in the past). However this is more than just speculation. I’m just saying, when you are looking to buy Pels jerseys, expect for them to be vintage like those New Orleans Jazz jerseys you sometimes see within 3 years.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Smart call.

I?m no MM, and I don?t make claims like this (never have in the past). However this is more than just speculation. I?m just saying, when you are looking to buy Pels jerseys, expect for them to be vintage like those New Orleans Jazz jerseys you sometimes see within 3 years.

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Seem very confident. And that was seen here before, spill some beans or keep the gas.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Smart call.

I’m no MM, and I don’t make claims like this (never have in the past). However this is more than just speculation. I’m just saying, when you are looking to buy Pels jerseys, expect for them to be vintage like those New Orleans Jazz jerseys you sometimes see within 3 years.

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Are you also taking bets on if the relocation city would be Las Vegas or Seattle?

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Smart call.

I’m no MM, and I don’t make claims like this (never have in the past). However this is more than just speculation. I’m just saying, when you are looking to buy Pels jerseys, expect for them to be vintage like those New Orleans Jazz jerseys you sometimes see within 3 years.

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This is depressing

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Originally Posted by Silverfoxx

This is depressing

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This is also BS.

I call BS. A relocation of a sports franchise won’t get blown up because some no name that no one cares about (in the industry) posts their speculative “source” on a fan forum. This isn’t a reporter who does this full time and needs to keep returning to the well. Tell us everything or keep your mouth shut.

I've run into people who claim inside info on the Saints or specific players. I listen only so much. But for something like this, I'd need proof. I'd need them to be dead on accurate about many other things to buy a bombshell like this.

I have never claimed inside info in the past, nor do I make wagers unless ice cream is on the line (check my receipts on this site). I have nothing to gain by sharing this, and from a point of civic pride it sucks that it’s true.

Anyway, don’t catch long term feelings for this team.