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Stephen Ross donates $200 million to Michigan

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Clark Kent, Sep 4, 2013.

  1. Clark Kent

    Clark Kent Fighter of the Nightman

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  2. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    It's his business, if he wants to put it into the Miami Dolphins he will make the investment. Sucks he can't put that towards the phins.....but what can we do?
     
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  3. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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  4. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Honestly this is such obviously-bad timing to do this in the same offseason where he just tried to get the public to foot the bill for stadium upgrades that I wonder if it's a sign that Ross intends to sell the team pretty soon.
     
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  5. Daben

    Daben Well-Known Member

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    There are probably tax reasons involved as well.
     
  6. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    In a better world that would be earmarked for tuition relief, but you know they will raise tuition 3% next year...
     
  7. Berezo

    Berezo Well-Known Member

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    Considering all of the other owners in the league, you can understand why there might be pressure for him not to foot the bill for the stadium renovations. I am sure the other owners would be pretty pissed if he did so. However, this IS bad timing considering he was just asking for money lol.
     
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  8. Daben

    Daben Well-Known Member

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    With the departure of Mike Dee and the seeming abandonment of their plans to build the Dolphins into a more universal entertainment brand, any semblance of his dolphins ownership being a true enterprise seems to be out of the window. All that appears left is building a winner. A losing season this year and I would imagine he may not have the interest level left to go through a new GM/Coach search, especially considering the additional monies that would be required after spending so much this offseason.

    Of course a run deep into the playoffs may well have the opposite effect as well as rekindling his hope to build the brand.
     
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  9. Phoenician Fan

    Phoenician Fan Well-Known Member

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    Oh man I hope he does sell the team.

    Some things really tell a story better than others.

    I would rather have Fergie or Serena Williams as principal owner than the guy who tolerates Ireland.

    Fergie or Serena would fire that loser in a heart beat.

    Seriously though...........Ross selling the team would be a true God Sent Miracle.

    He has failed at every aspect of ownership.
     
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  10. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    Thing is though he didn't lose any money last year....the only team in the red was Detroit. I agree with your point but if he was losing money on top of your post I would think he is out of here pronto. Simply put business people of this caliber do not lose money, if they do drastic changes are made you know?
     
  11. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    Fergie is a freaking crackhead and Serna? How do you know they would do such a thing? I would rather have Ross than celebrity owners anyday....

    Ross with a strong GM is the way....
     
  12. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Ross's stadium bid include him paying a lot of the money up front and some back to the city anyway? Not to mention the money the city stood to make from the events in the stadium.

    It looks like Ross may have given up the fight for now and given the money originally designated for the stadium to Michigan instead.
     
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  13. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    If I could fist pump this post 1,000 times I would.

    While certainly the donation is very generous of Ross, it's the typical uber-rich person move of getting his name on some buildings without doing all that much to help the actual students who attend Michigan. $200 million in scholarship or grant money would be a far better use that would help many more students.

    How many buildings does the business school need?
     
  14. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    It wouldn't shock me but it seems like this is a bad time to sell if he wants to make a profit.

    How many more billionaires are out there who just have to overpay for an NFL team?
     
  15. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Nail on the head. No coincidence that the amounts are in the same ball park. He pretty much just sent the money he was going to spend on stadium upgrades to the University of Michigan.
     
  16. finyank13

    finyank13 Reality Check

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    Right you are Mo-Bezzy.....

    However Ross "fight" only goes as far as the Speaker, then the public allows it....he may have to foot the whole thing....

    When Steinbrenner was looking into building the new YS, he didn't get any support from the public, except in the end to tiddy up the surrounding parks, etc...it was basically NYC saying "fine move" knowing damn well the Yankees weren't moving away from the Bronx because of their history...
     
  17. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    I just want to know how Rich Eisen feels about this.
     
  18. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I don't know if it's necessarily the same thing. I'm not an accountant by any means, but him donating $200 million to a public university is probably going to have significant tax benefits that I don't know him paying for his private business will.

    I don't think you can really assume that this is him sending a signal, either. Given his track record, it's just as likely he is completely oblivious to the public relations elements of this move.
     
  19. Serpico Jones

    Serpico Jones Well-Known Member

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    Omar Kelly is so stupid on twitter pointing out how Ross has spent hundreds of millions of dollars this off season, doesn't he realize that every owner now has to spend 90% of the cap under the new CBA? No he doesn't because he's stupid.
     
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  20. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I've also said this before but I feel like Stephen Ross selling the team to Jordan Zimmerman would be getting worse. That guy is seriously a twat.
     
  21. Serpico Jones

    Serpico Jones Well-Known Member

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    I don't think he's that stupid.
     
  22. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    That's fair.
     
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  23. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Makes perfect sense. One benefits him personally, the other would cost him personally.

    There is zero benefit for Ross to invest money into stadium renovations. Renovations aren't selling more tickets. They aren't increasing margins by much, if at all. The beneficiaries are the NFL as a whole and South Florida.
     
  24. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Ross was not going to spend any of his money. The money he would be putting into it would be coming from the NFL.
     
  25. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I think it's silly to think stadium renovations wouldn't affect revenues.
     
  26. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Link?
     
  27. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    How much would they affect revenue? Is demand going to spike because there are larger kitchens, or a canopy? Its on the margins. It certainly wouldn't be enough to outset a $200M outlay.
     
  28. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    You could charge more for tickets, if the stadium becomes a more desirable destination. You could also charge more for concessions.A nicer stadium might get a better naming rights deal, which is just free money. It might attract more sponsorship agreements, which is also free money.

    I agree that revenue increase alone might not justify the expense but it would absolutely increase the value of the team, which is the real way to make money eventually in the business.
     
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  29. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Over what time period?

    Of course stadium upgrades would affect revenues. Improving stadium experience is among every team in the National Football League's highest priorities for a reason. You're tricking yourself into thinking otherwise.
     
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  30. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    You're forgetting superbowls, ticket sales from that game alone with hike in prices for merchandise etc....not to mention tv rights, commercials, etc.
     
  31. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Not every seat in a stadium is some upper deck ticket. There are box seats, luxury boxes, etc. Improving the stadium experience via things like canopies, moving the seats closer to the field, making improvements to luxury boxes, vending and all that stuff...all feeds into what the team can charge for which seats and how many people actually show up.

    I have no idea why anyone would trick themselves into thinking otherwise.
     
  32. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    This is all really speculative, and I'm not sure I agree that a canopy and better food is making people want to go to stadium. I also don't agree that these renovations are increasing the value of the team significantly. Its like buying a boat. These renovations would be dated in the near future. Hell, look at the renovations Huizenga undertook. Does anyone believe they had a great impact on the value of the franchise?
     
  33. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I agree. Ross owns the stadium. Do we think he wouldn't see a dime if his stadium hosted a Super Bowl?
     
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  34. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Superbowl revenue is split amongst all the NFL teams. Luxury boxes are almost exclusively given to corporate sponsors, which benefit all the NFL teams. Thats the key here. The NFL as a whole benefits from renovations far more than Stephen Ross would. Which is why the NFL has the G4 fund.
     
  35. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    You guys are talking as if the improvements to the stadium money is now off the table. Why can't he do both? His plans have been to give away half of his net worth ($4.4B, with a B) to charity. Obviously that takes planning because I would imagine he has most of that tied up in investments (real estate). In the same notion, why would he put his own money into stadium upgrades if the public doesn't support it (or the team). That's somewhat of a failed investment. At the moment anyway.
     
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  36. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Plus it would bring back the Super Bowls.
     
  37. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    He has just a little over 4 billion left, not sure if he can retire just yet....lol
     
  38. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Host teams aren't benefiting from Super Bowls anymore than the other 31 teams. The ticket, concession, and merchandise revenue is split evenly.
     
  39. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Of course. All the teams are trying to compete with the "at home experience". That's why they're installing better wi-fi and showing the Red Zone in "Fantasy Lounges"
     
  40. schmolioot

    schmolioot Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    They absolutely did. It was part of the premium that Ross paid for the team.

    Cowboys Stadium increased the value of the cowboys by almost a billion dollars.
     

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