Dodgers Head to Bankruptcy

Dodgers Head into Bankruptcy Process Behind McCourt | Talk: "The Los Angeles Dodgers saga continues to play out as the team continues to play on as best as it can on the field.  The organization filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier today and a hearing has been set for Tuesday.  By filing for bankruptcy, the Dodgers are hoping to acquire a Chapter 11 finance plan where the team would be permitted to use $150 million for day-to-day operations, giving them more breathing room to look for another media deal that will provide the team with long-term financial stability.

According to a Dodgers news release earlier this morning, “There will be no disruption to the Dodgers’ day-to-day business, the baseball team, or to the Dodger fans.”
Should the judge approve the team’s petition for Chapter 11 protection, it would receive the $150 million in two installments with $60 million to start.  Bankruptcy is often a last resort when it comes to significant financial strain, but according to Bloomberg, the Dodgers had sought financial relief from about seven separate lenders before deciding to go ahead and file a petition.  If the bankruptcy is approved, a New York investment management firm would provide the aforementioned bailout money, but with a 10 percent interest rate attached.

Frank McCourt has held back very little in revealing his opinion on Commissioner Bud Selig’s decision to deny a $3 billion media deal with Fox that would have given him $385 million right away, which he also needed to finalize a divorce settlement with his wife, Jamie McCourt.  Regarding the latest business of his team, he said,

“The Dodgers have delivered time and again since I became owner, and that’s been good for baseball.  We turned the team around financially after years of annual losses before I purchased the team. We invested $150 million in the stadium. We’ve had excellent on-field performance, including playoff appearances four times in seven years.  And we brought the Commissioner a media rights deal that would have solved the cash flow challenge I presented to him a year ago, when his leadership team called us a ‘model franchise.’ Yet he’s turned his back on the Dodgers, treated us differently, and forced us to the point we find ourselves in today. I simply cannot allow the Commissioner to knowingly and intentionally be in a position to expose the Dodgers to financial risk any longer. It is my hope that the Chapter 11 process will create a fair and constructive environment to get done what we couldn’t achieve with the Commissioner directly.”

No matter how it is written, discussed, or presented, the fact of the matter is that the Dodgers are close to a cash flow abyss and this may be McCourt’s last stand in an attempt to hold onto ownership of his team.  With stadium attendance only continuing to plummet and the team’s play becoming more and more of a harsh reflection of everything that is going on outside of the clubhouse, it does not appear as though the perfect remedy or solution are in sight anywhere nearby, or coming anytime soon."

Adele Reschedules U.S. Concerts, Adds New Tour Dates

Adele reschedules U.S. concerts, adds new tour dates | TicketNews: "Just nine dates into her summer tour of North America, Adele was forced off the road by a bout of laryngitis. Now with her voice on the mend, the British singer-songwriter has rescheduled the 14 affected shows and added six new dates to boot.


Adele will attack her backlog of U.S. dates in two separate 10-city sprints. The first leg, in August, will run down the West Coast and will be comprised of mostly make-up dates. The second leg lands this October on the East Coast and in the South, and features the majority of the tour's newer concerts.  The tours run August 9 at the Orpheum in Vancouver, BC, through August 24 at the Xcel Energy Center Theatre in St. Paul, MN, and then October 7 at the Borgata Event Center in Atlantic City, NJ, through October 21at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX.

Some rescheduled Tickets will be honored at the door for most of the rescheduled dates, with some markets offering additional tickets for sale starting July 8. Public ticket sales for the recently added concerts open July 22.

Tickets will not be honored in San Diego, Atlanta or Austin. Instead, Ticketmaster is issuing refunds directly to customers and then offering early access to exclusive presales in those markets. Full details of the ticketing options for each tour stop are available on Adele's official Web site.

Adele began her North American tour on May 12 with a performance at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. However, after less than two weeks, the singer's vocal issues began, resulting in a string of postponements and then cancellations.

The 23-year-old phenomenon is touring in support of her sophomore album, "21," released stateside in February of this year. Driven by the success of the single "Rolling in the Deep," the album has topped dozens of international charts and enjoyed at least 10 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200."

Vancouver Riots: With Just 14 Minutes Of Fame To Go, Vancouver Riot Kissers Hire PR Firm

Vancouver Riots: With Just 14 Minutes Of Fame To Go, Vancouver Riot Kissers Hire PR Firm: "We learned a valuable lesson this week; if you’re in the middle of a riot, start making out with someone, because it could make you rich.
The Toronto Star is reporting that riot kissers Scott Jones and Alexandra Thomas want to cash in on their new-found celebrity.
The couple plans to go the famous-for-being-famous route by doing appearances and endorsing products. In addition, Jones wants to jump-start his alleged standup comedy career.
“It could set him up for life, if he’s as good as Robin Williams or Bill Cosby,” a spokesman for Markson Sparks, the Australian PR firm that now represents the couple, told the Star.
Jones was a bartender who had “one standup comedy gig in Vancouver” before the riot kiss, so let’s hold off on the Robin Williams comparisons for now.
Markson Sparks says an appearance could generate $10,000 for the couple and a true endorsement contract “might be worth $100,000 to them.”
What luck. One night you and your loser boyfriend are rolling around on the ground like homeless exhibitionists, and a week later you’re rich. That truly is the Canadian dream."

Glee Live, Selling Out Every Show

Hey Glee fans, it’s been four looong months since tickets for “Glee Live. In Concert!” went on sale.  If you were lucky enough to snag tickets when they went on sale in February, good for you. The group’s next show is at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, then off to Boston to play the Fleet Center on June 7th. Not so lucky getting tickets? Don’t fret yet. Glee Live isn't sold out until Peak Seats is sold out. Use the promo code "Glee4me" at checkout and receive a discount from now until the 4th of July. "Don’t Stop Believin’," OK?

The Question of Momentum

Tonight's Game 3 of the NBA Finals series between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks raises the question of momentum.

As the experts love to say, "basketball is a game of runs."  In other words, "in-game momentum" plays a major role in the outcome of any NBA basketball game - regular season or postseason.

But does momentum carry over from game-to-game?  Is there also "in-series" momentum? 

This will be a central question when game 3 of the NBA Finals tips-off at 8pm EST on ABC.  Can the Miami Heat come out strong and recapture the momentum it overwhelmingly had for 7.5 of the first 8 quarters of the series?  Or will Dallas ride the wave of its historical game 2 comeback and ruckus home crowd on the way to seizing its first series lead?

Heat Take a One-Game Lead: Check out some of the so-called expert predictions for Game 2 of the NBA Finals

The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks 94 - 82 on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Arena, giving the Big Two + One & Co. a one game lead over the Dallas Mavericks in this year's NBA Finals.

Lets look to some of the so-called experts for their predictions about Game 2 of the best-of-seven series:

Game 2 will be ...

A. A lot like Game 1
B. Quite different from Game 1
C. [Write your own description here]

Henry Abbott, TrueHoop: A. A lot like Game 1, but with more LeBron James. I have a feeling we'll see the ball in his hands more in Game 2. And if the Mavericks keep doubling early and often, that could mean a lot of easy looks for the rest of the Heat.

Tom Haberstroh, Heat Index: B. Quite different from Game 1. Remember, these teams hadn't met in six months, so the adjustment battle will be more profound than what we're used to seeing. The plenty of wacky developments in Game 1 (Juwan Howard played eight minutes -- seriously!) means Game 2 likely will take on a different shape. The Mavericks should hit more shots, but it still may not be enough to overcome the Heat's defense.

Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live: C. A battle of stubborn tactics. I don't really see Dallas or Miami adjusting a whole lot based on the outcome of Game 1. Maybe Dallas would have liked its zone to be a bit more effective, but its real problem was knocking down shots on offense. For Miami, there's no reason to believe its defensive style won't continue to work.

Mark Haubner, The Painted Area: B. A lot different from Game 1. Dallas' coaching staff has been a major team strength all season and I'd expect Game 2 to be a fascinating chess match as we see what kind of adjustments Rick Carlisle & Co. make. Miami was helping so aggressively on defense that the Mavericks may find ways to exploit the Heat rotations after breaking down the film.

Rob Mahoney, The Two Man Game: B. Quite different from Game 1. A high-functioning Dallas offense -- which I fully expect to see in Game 2, even against a defense as oppressive as Miami's -- changes things. I'm not sure that it changes enough for Dallas to win Game 2, but I'd expect both teams to shoot significantly better from the field. The scrambling defenses of both teams won't allow a full-on shootout, but both teams have better shooters than they showed in Game 1.