Madoff payback could cripple The Mets

Today, when tickets went on sale, my wife purchased "opening day" tickets to the Mets at Citifield for my stepson for his 18th birthday. Hours later, I read a news article online in the New York Newsday about Fred Wilpon, owner of the Mets.

Photo credit: Alejandra Villa - NY Newsday | Mets owner Fred Wilpon 

 

 

 

 

A U.S. District Court Judge ruled that Fred Wilpon, his family, his businesses AND his charities must pay back over $83 million dollars to the trustee trying to recover monies lost in the Bernard Wilpon ponzi scheme. Recovery of this money is necessary in order to pay back people who lost everything.

I am not sure the Mets can afford an $83M hit... During the off season, they let go of Jose Reyes and in total, cut their payroll by $50 million. $50 MILLLLLLLION DOLLARS!!!! (using a Dr. Evil voice)

Last night I watched "Moneyball" for the first time. It's a great movie and I was impressed by it...  Why bring up the movie? Because the Oakland A's will NEVER know what it's like to have to cut their payroll by $50M. Some teams will NEVER have an idea what it's like to even HAVE a $50 Million dollar payroll. It's really all relative but worth mentioning because if this happened in Florida or Colorado or even Minnesota.... the team would be completely gone or sold or moved to some other market.

I am not so sure that the Mets will be able to survive another hit like this. It will go to trial and be dragged out in the courts and New York tax payers will have to foot the bill for all the court clerks salaries and the court officers salaries and EVENTUALLY they will get it resolved but... Somebody has to pay for the Madoff debacle.

The Mets know what they will be able to handle and maybe $83 Million is no big deal... but in the appeal process they are required to post a $90 million dollar bond. So they have to pony up $90M before they even go to trial.

The "Amazins," as they are STILL known to this day even though they have been FAR from it for some time, have some major MAJOR financial hardships even though Mr. Wilpon has continuously denied it for some time. A stadium that they are still paying for, a $50M payroll cut... The tell tale signs of money problems are there! I am sure Mr. Wilpon doesn't want the stakeholders to have ANY doubt that the net worth of this team has been maintained but come on! I'm no economist and I don't hold an MBA but even I can tell that this is a big hole in the middle of Queens that the Wilpons have been shoveling money into.

Only time will tell if The New York Metropolitans will still be a New York team in two years or not... but I doubt it.

Bernie Madoff's illegalities have a far more reaching affect than we will know for a long time. I'm not a Met's fan but I know a lot who are.... If this does go down in a bad way... we may go back to the days of lynch mobs with pitch forks and torches... New Yorkers don't play.

A gift he never got to give...

Last night in Arlington, TX a fan, a father, a fireman died trying to do something that just about everyone who goes to a ballpark in America tries to do... catch a ball and take home a piece of the game.

I remember the first time I went to Tiger's Stadium with my Dad. I wanted to take my glove even though my Dad explained that I wouldn't need it since we were sitting under the overhang of the upper deck. I wanted to catch a foul ball, a thrown ball, I didn't care how I got it, but I knew I wanted it! I even remember saying "you never know Dad!" He said "you're right! Why don't you bring it?" The only use that glove got that day, was as a pillow on the arm rest for the ride back home from Detroit. I will never forget that day!

Shannon Stone's son will never forget yesterday either... but not for a good reason. He watched his father die at a baseball game.

I am sure that Josh Hamilton will never forget yesterday either. He was the player who flipped the foul ball up into the stands towards Stone. Something ballplayers do hundreds of times in a season. I am sure Hamilton thought nothing of tossing that ball up towards the seats at the time... now, I am sure he will never forget the way it felt to throw that particular ball.

Fans everywhere go to the ballpark to watch a game, but deep down everybody wants to take home a 5-1/4 ounce ball made out of cork, rubber and tightly wrapped in leather.... that was used in THAT game. Not just for the memorabilia but for the story that they will share with their child for the rest of their lives. People holding babies or beers, people sitting in the front row at field level or the 3rd row from the last in the upper deck, they all are watching and waiting and hoping.. but none of them think that they could die trying!

I never knew Mr. Stone but I can tell you in that moment when Josh Hamilton turned and tossed the ball towards him, I am sure he felt that joy and happiness that everyone feels when they realize they will actually be able to have a small piece of the game. To be able to catch the ball, turn and hand it to your child is a feeling that every American father wants to have one day. I know I do.

I can't imagine the anguish that Mr. Stone's son felt when he saw his father fall over the railing. I can't imagine the worry that Mr. Stone had when he was being taken out of the park, asking the EMT's to make sure that his son was ok. I just can't imagine... not without hurting in my heart.

It's all because of the fact that I can personally relate to the whole situation, both the attempt and then the worry about your child's safety... I think most fathers in America can.

It's a sad and tragic day in all of sports...

#STSW