By now you’ve all had the chance to read and digest what local Kansas City businessman Joseph Accurso had to say about the Royals.
In a strongly worded letter published in the form of a paid advertisement in the Kansas City Star, Accurso politely asked Royals President David Glass to sell the team. For the privilege of making his feelings known, Accurso and his team of financial backers are out a cool $5,100.
And for what, I wonder?
What difference did it make?
The unequivocal, simple answer is: none. It made “none” difference, that’s what.
Before Accurso wastes (though I’m sure he’d NEVER categorize his contribution to the local sports scene as a “waste”) another five grand pleading for a leprechaun-hug, I’d like him to consider a few things.
First, David Glass read this piece. I heard so myself on Channel 9. So… there’s that.
BUT—and this is the hugest ‘but’ to takeaway, way bigger than that butt from the Sir Mix-A-Lot video—he doesn’t care. His tenure as owner of this team has proven time and time again that he simply doesn’t care what the fans think. All he cares about is the bottom line: his net worth. And as long as he’s turning a profit, we can all collectively stand on the street-corner with sandwich-board signs and megaphones screaming about what an unflinching asshole he is and it won’t make a lick of difference.
It doesn’t matter.
Second, what was the point? I mean, REALLY—what was the point of this? Was the expectation that Glass would read this, tears of shame plopping softly into his crystal brandy snifter and blubberingly agree to sell the team? Is that what you REALLY thought would happen, Mr. Accurso? For the sake of my sanity, I truly hope that I’m wrong. Perhaps—and I suspect this is the case—you simply wanted to make a point. And look, you ended up on the news, I’m talking about you and almost certainly, this will get some minor national attention on modestly traveled sports-blogs and the like.
But to what end?
You’re not opening anyone’s eyes with your missive. Everyone in the world knows that David Glass is a cheap, insufferable tycoon who cares more about money than he does the happiness of the Royals fans. Consider your investment for what it is: a large-cap “no-shit” stock with almost no growth potential.
Third, and this goes without saying, nobody reads the paper. Never in the history of journalism has the phrase “bird-cage liner” been more astute. Newspapers are used as blankets by the destitute, windshield cleaners by hobos and last vestiges of a forgotten yesterday by elderly folks too terrified by technology to own a computer.
In this vast landscape of continual digital birth, wouldn’t it have made much more sense to start a blog and get a million followers? Create an online petition for the entire world to sign? Establish a Facebook page called “Dan Glass: Undercover Cheapskate Cocksucker”? Twitter directly @ImportantSportsPersonWithLotsofRecognition and have someone with more of an audience take up your cause?
Fourth: why now? Isn’t this letter akin to the last confederate soldier still proudly fighting for the South? A deranged lunatic with a rebel-flag tattoo losing a battle that took place 150 years ago? Glass has owned this team for well over a decade now, and it has sucked from Day One.
But here’s the rub: in the past handful of years, he’s actually been spending! Believe it or not, he has. With record signing bonuses to draft picks and an aggressive push toward Latin American spending, the Royals are no longer the bottom of the barrel when it comes to shilling out shekels. Even when it comes to MLB roster salaries, the Royals are rarely the cheapest of the cheap. In 2010, nine teams spent less than the Royals did on major league talent. In the past 5 years, they’ve never spent more than $6 million less than the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that, through premier talent evaluation, drafting and development have become perennial contenders.
Furthermore, let’s ask the Phillies ($174 million), the Red Sawx ($173), the Marlins ($118) and the Brewers ($97) where all that spending got them in 2012. Or better yet, let’s ask the tens-of-millions of Cubs fans how much fun they’re having in Wrigleyville this year with their bloated payroll and embarrassing lack of success.
Remember what I said a paragraph ago? About the Rays? Because that tells the whole story. Just to restate the secretly obvious conclusion to my blabbering: “through premier talent evaluation, drafting and development, (the Tampa Bay Rays) have become perennial contenders.”
Point being, Glass could throw a gazillion dollars at the problem, but if you’re not signing the right people for those gazillion dollars, or not hiring people who know their shit, it’s all just a handjob from your cousin.
Look, I know I’m coming off as a Glass apologist, but I swear to you, I’m NOT. I dislike the legacy that he has crafted for my beloved team as much as anyone.
I WAS FOUR THE LAST TIME THE ROYALS MADE THE PLAYOFFS. I DO NOT REMEMBER THIS BECAUSE I WAS TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH GI JOES, POP TARTS AND NOT MAKING UH-OHS IN MY UNDEROOS.
But seriously, to think that his lackluster spending is the sole source of this organization’s failures is very short-sighted. And a letter—no matter how eloquently crafted—does nothing to promote change. Real change comes through revolution. Take my advice to heart and organize something.
She’s looking at you, Joe Accurso.
Remember when 810’s Kevin Kietzman staged a walkout over a decade ago? That was kind of noteworthy. And now, with the Facebooks and the Twitters and the Tumblrs and the Hot-Social-Media-of-the-Month, imagine how epic you could make a NEW walkout, Mr. Accurso.
Just something to ponder for next time, before you decide to spend $5,100 just so that Old Man Rutherford can agree with you by saying things like, “darn tootin’,” while sitting around in his bathrobe, a shaky hand on his cup of Sanka, his memories of a winner fading faster than his cataract-riddled eyesight.
There’s nothing wrong with your passion, but the execution was questionable.
Better luck next time.
If what has been said on the sports talk stations has not gotten to Glass, this letter surely won’t. As bad as he is, it could be worse. He could now sell the team to an out of town owner who would move it. At least they are still here. We didn’t realize how good we had it when Mr. K was here. He set the bar really high. Glass would look alright if you went back further and compared him to Charlie Finley.
Well I for think it was kinda cool. He is saying to the fans, ‘stop going out there and supporting a horrible team, with poor leadership, same can be said of the Kansas City Chiefs’….both ball clubs are bottom feeder no shows nationally and have been for decades…a quiet pro joke, our fans are not in on the joke…but Kansas City likes to drink beer, cheer and bar-b-q…I guess that’s ok, cause thats all we get with these two clown shows…sure ONE DAY, they will do better…neither have leadership that matters, clearly, they both have some talent, but neither franchise knows how to win or cares too really, why should they we support them anyways….’hey look a Chiefs player, wow’…see what I mean..so in a way the letter was more for the paying fans…to just stop it…and maybe they should…you can’t buy a title but you could try to earn one.
+1
It was a funny article Lefty.
🙂
Thanks, Chuck.
But Craig, my point was: there are much more effective ways to make a point. Publishing an ad in a paper that 36 people read is a waste. Way to blow 5 grand.
Would have been better spent money on boner pills and two top shelf hookers for an few hours.
That’s how I spend my monthly pittance from big HC.
And yet as the most prolific writer on KCC he rubs your face in his new Abarth.
I see, but hey the paper still has maybe 100,000 plus readers, however 90% are over 50 and maybe 10,000 saw that ad, true…so yeah in a way, ton of dough for small reach, how do you know it was 5,000 grand maybe it was only 2?
Discount? Hey for 5 g’s he should hired me to do radio spot for both 610 and 810 add in 98.9,Mix and Q and 101 The Fox, we’d reach 600,000 over a one or even two month campaign….call me Joe I’ll do it cheap…hah.
$5 was the figure he gave in a couple of different interviews.
wrong glaze…i think its over 200,000 papers
during the week…above 380k papers on sunday…
the paper still works for advertisers if they want
a 45 plus age group…and if you average 2 readers
per paper the number go up …
and their rates are very very low right now.
don’t fool yourself…sports is still read heavily…
as is the main news….do you think NFM or the
grocery stores spend that kind of money on something
that doesn’t bring in results…
HC: You’re pretty close, Harley. However, the old yardstick of two or two and one half readers per copy is yesterday’s news, I suspect. I take the Star, for example, and nobody in my household numbering six bother to pick it up or look at it. With rare exception and sometimes even if I point out a story to them!
The funny part is you clowns will still shell out your hard earned shillings to watch a team that will NEVER taste metal, let alone sniff a pennant as long as this Scrooge McDuck holds the purse strings. He is the honey badger that just don’t care what you think.
Mr. Accurso’s big problem is there is no one locally with the money that “wants” to own the Royals. So even if David Glass said OK moterfucker! Forbes says the team is worth $351,000,000.00, SHOW ME THE MONEY! What’s he gonna do?
Rule #1, NEVER pick a fight you can’t win.
Now, running an ad, imploring people not to go to games or support the teams sponsors, writing letters to Bud Selig asking MLB to intervene, etc….might have been a better approach. With continued and persistent pressure applied in the right places, change, CAN be affected.
To his credit he has gotten some national attention on satellite radio. I’ve received calls, e-mails and texts about it from friends in NY, LA, Boston, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Dallas, Charlotte, Cleveland and Jacksonville.
MLB knows that KC will support a winner based on the fact that we support a loser. Cold day in hell before this team changes provenance. Like most things undertaken in this pedantic Cowtown this was a great idea with bad execution. Let’s call it Boello-like to define its’ lack of substance and targeting for maximum damage. But “balls” to Joe Accurso. He did something that the sports media and civic leaders should have done ages ago. Gratze paisan!
Well said.
And re: the Abarth, no sweat. My real job provides me with a FREE monthly bus pass. That’s a $50 value! And it’s not as though I HAVE to use it strictly for business purposes, yo. I can use that shit for trips to the zoo, the Brookside, you name it.
Smartman delivers the cold hard facts once again.
Speaking of cold hard facts. No way we EVER put a man on the moon, the one that’s 240,000 miles away.
smarmyman…you’re full of shit! you’re just so full of it ican’t stop laughing!
@smartman
It is my understanding that the Cerner ownership group said “we have not been contacted by the Royals to purchase, but would pick up the phone”.
I know Jake, and Jake knows his shit. This is interesting.
Better chance of Hearne and Craig buying the Star. I suspect that is Neal Patterson stirring the pot. Neal is such a dick I hear that when he takes Viagra he gets taller.
If THEY are interested THEY need to pick up the phone. THEY need to have a presser stating that THEY are interested in saving the Royals and will bring the same passion and enthusiasm for winning to the Royals THEY have to SKC. Fuck all the protocol of behind the scenes ass kissing of David Glass. If THEY want the team the time is, as they say in legal circles, RIPE. The Cerner boys are hard ballers. They stretched KCK’s sphincter wider than NASCAR did. I doubt that David Glass will get any better treatment.
“If THEY want the team the time is, as they say in legal circles, RIPE.”
Not yet it isn’t. Wait 2-3 years when 3-4 of these young guys become arbitration eligible.
essentially smarmyman you don’t know shit. Glass isn’t
giving this deal up for $350 million or $500 million….
he’s got a “romney” deal going where he’s got us to
repay his losses and himself to reap the profits.
He’s using the “briefcase” method…i’ll explain how that
works later..and with the tax loopholes he’s doing big
with the royals.
Dear Mr. Accurso,
While I agree with everything in your article, who do you propose should buy the Royals?
The Blochs, Helzbergs, Kempers, and Halls passed 12 years ago when the economy and their fortunes were probably substantially higher than today and the price of the Royals was substantially less than today.
Who’s left on the local scene? The Cerner guys or the Garmin guys? If there is anyone else out there who could drop $350 million plus agree to take yearly losses of $20-30 million to truly turn this club around (that’s the 28 million profit plus another 20-30 to increase our payroll to $110+ million) for the near future in the hopes attendance becomes like St. Louis and tv revenues both locally and nationally double or triple. If all those good things happen, perhaps the new owner could break even.
As for current ownership, Glass paid $100 million and is getting a return of 28% on his investment. Seriously, where do you expect to get such a return anywhere else. Plus, if he sells and even pays 15% long term capital gains tax, let’s say he is left with $300 million. Where is he going to invest $300 million and get a guaranteed $28 million profit which is around 10% and will probably increase over the years. Pretty tough to do today.
In the meantime, you got all the built up crap out of your system (sort of like a juice cleanse), lots of people agree with you, lots of talk radio discussion as well as around the water cooler and at sports bars, and it was a lot of fun. But if you want to keep baseball in the city, you are stuck with the Glass family.
Sincerely,
A former Royals fan, a former baseball fan, and now an NFL fan where all teams get the same money and have a cap and have a fair chance to win if they are managed competently no matter how small the city.
Nicely said.
lee…where did you get thos numbers….they ‘re off….don’t think this
team isn’t used for other purposes….i’ve been talking for years about
the breaks owners of sports teams get…. and you’re numbers are
wrong.
we don’t know how glass works the team…probably has a team
of guys working this thing with the other mlb owners to maximize any
dollars he brings in.
IMPORTANT FACT….MLB DIDN’T PUT BUD SELIG INTO THE TOP
POSITION FOR NOTHING….Bud knows the numbers …he’s an
expert numbers guy…in lawsuits this guy impressed even the wall
street business suits….this whole sport team thing is onebig
mega pass thru/money changniing/assett swapping big time business!
Whether or not you agree with how he went about getting his point across isn’t really the point. Joe has more passion about Kansas City and their hometown teams than most. Instead of sitting around and complaining about it, he actually put his mind to something, got involved and brought a community of people together to help him achieve his goal. He took what he believed in and did something about it- more than most people can say for themselves these days. I’m not sure what the outcome will be in the end, but I’m proud of him for standing up for what he believes in!
Dream on boys..it’s a great investment and the glass’s know it.
You get to depreciate these players like a piece of equipment…they’ve
got anti trust status…and they call their own shots.
Glass would be a fool to give this up…most importantly the dollars are
shifted to out of the country endeavors and they pay no tax….
what more could a billionaire want……a baseball team…a toy…a big
moneymaker…the ability to roll profits and losses thru a phony account
that reduce your taxes to zero…its a perfect scenariou for a guy like
glass.
He’s sitting there in his cave laughing.
Yes…he’s spent money…but until they get big time winning coaching for these
young players its a dull moment for the team. This year 15-20 million gets
you 2 big time starters but if you’re not willing to go long term you get the
scabs from other teams.
I’d love to see glass’s tax returns…i’ll bt the guy is paying no taxes
ever year….great gig….he won’t give it up cheap.
The Star really needs the $$$ – thank you very much, Mr. Accurso. And while I certainly don’t think your ad will ultimately prompt Mr. Glass to sell the team unless someone really does show him the $$$, I value your right to express your views in this manner and, who knows, the whole thing could still produce some favorable results.
Any ideas about any local folks in town with deep enough pockets to take on this car charging towards the cliff for th e umpteenth time ?
Harley
Looks like Joe isn’t finished with his campaigning. He’s got a website and a new goal coming during the Chiefs home opener:
http://www.no-more-glass.com/
Andria– thanks for sharing that. If you know Joe, and he’d like to chat, let me know.
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